Hows Wood in upper Eskdale covering 20 acres (8 hectares) is a prominent feature in the valley’s landscape.  The wood is predominantly upland oak (the species is called ‘sessile’) and birch, historically managed as coppice until the 1920s.  From 1967 the Forestry Commission planted non-native spruce and pine trees, covering over half of the wood.

 Friends of the Lake District bought the wood from the Forestry Commission in 1987 to restore the ancient woodland to show the way forward for managing woodlands.  With the assistance of a Woodland Grant from the Forestry Commission the conifers were removed in 1994.  The boundaries were restored to keep out livestock and deer by re-building the dry stone walls; a Bark Peelers Hut was conserved and a circular permissive path installed.

Annual maintenance and conservation work is carried out by joint Friends of the Lake District and Lake District National Park volunteer work parties.

The natural regeneration of the woodland is outstanding example of woodland succession taking place.  A new ecological survey was done in 2008 recommending minimal intervention, but continuing to remove non-native conifer tree regeneration and enhancing wildlife habitats, such as standing dead trees and bird nesting sites.

In 1993 7.7 acres (3.13 hectares) of pasture land to the east of Staveley were purchased by Friends of the Lake District to create a new native woodland. The woodland was named ‘Mike’s Wood’ after the former Secretary, Mike Houston, in appreciation of his seventeen years work for the Friends. Planting of native trees, oak, alder, ash, birch, rowan, scots pine, hawthorn and some juniper bushes, took place during 1993/4 under a Forestry Commission Woodland Grant scheme.

From the same land sale, one of our members, Ann Beddard, purchased an adjacent field and joined with us in the tree planting. In 2000, Ann kindly donated her land to us making the total area some 12.06 acres (4.69 hectares). Finally, in 2002, she donated a small area of existing woodland (Beddards Old Wood) to us, giving us a grand total of 12.36 acres (4.81 hectares).

Our land is next to Dorothy Farrers Spring Hag and High Wood, both owned by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust and in 2005 a new footpath was created linking the bridleway to the east of our land with the paths in the Wildlife Trust’s woodland.

This now forms part of a circular woodland walk from Staveley joining woodland owned by the Lake District National Park Authority, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust. A free leaflet for this walk will soon be available from the office or local outlets.

Download Staveley Woodland Walk leaflet.

There are regular volunteer work parties carrying out conservation in the woodland, including walling repairs, tree protection with guards, and coppicing hazel. Conservation work party days in 2009 are 19th March and 22nd October. 

Halfway house consists of two small pieces of woodland (0.4 hectares) adjacent to the Ambleside to Skelwith Road and River Brathay (GR: NY352034 and NY351034).

Friends of the Lake District obtained the title of the land in 2004 (the were no deeds) and the basic aims are to manage and enhance the areas of woodland and other habitats, including the removal of non-native and invasive species and dangerous trees; and Permit appropriate access for those seeking informal recreation and quiet enjoyment.

Annual maintenance and conservation work is carried out by Friends of the Lake District volunteers.