From The Neolithic To The Sea: A Journey From The Past To The Present
HalldaleWood
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Category
County
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Condition
Age
Admission
County
Coordinates
Grid
Condition
Age
Admission
Misc
Derbyshire
53°10'33.8"N 1°34'41.5"W
SK 2829064411
Good
Ancient
Free
Derbyshire
53°10'33.8"N 1°34'41.5"W
SK 2829064411
Good
Ancient
Free
Map
- History
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- Gallery
- Gallery
Halldale Wood is an ancient semi natural woodland, located in Two Dales, Darley Dale near Matlock, Derbyshire. It is a planted ancient woodland and a site of wildlife Interest as well as a special landscape area.
The woodland sits atop the steeply sloping sides of a valley Halldale Wood is a sizeable slice of woodland straddling Halldale Brook. It has a mix of oak, birch, ash including some yew trees with a variety of ground flora and woodland birds.
Halldale Wood was purchased from the Forestry Commission in 1994 following fundraising and generous donations given by local people. It is located to the north east of Darley Dale on both slopes of a steep valley which the Halldale Brook runs, although little is known of the wood's history, it is assumed to be a source of local timber and fuel through coppicing and is unlikely to have been used for grazing due to the difficult terrain within.
An old packhorse route is thought to run through the woodland to the market town of Chesterfield. During the 19th century, the area was a centre of the nursery trade due in part to the Victorian's passion for new plant varieties that would grow in the acidic soil, from far away lands, such as the Himalayas. The wood was surrounded on the north, south and parts of the eat side by various nurseries and they have left their legacy in the large amounts of rhododendrons and laurel that occur in the local woods which have also spread out into the moor.
The woodland was farmed intensively for timber in last two wars but only in the most accessible areas, what remains in the wood is a complex mixture of fairly undisturbed areas of ancient woodland, areas of conifer and oak planting established after the two world wars, together with scattered ancient woodland remnants and coppice re-growth from the old stands.
Plans are in place to restore the areas planted with non native conifers back to an approximation of ancient woodland through gradual conifer removal over the next couple of decades through to 2028. Sycamore which is not dominant in the wood will be treated as a legitimate native woodland
Halldale Wood forms part of a larger network of ancient woodland running down the Derwent Valley just outside the Peak District National Park. This complex is generally linked by woodland and other semi natural habitat to form a large core area of natural habitat.
The woodland sits atop the steeply sloping sides of a valley Halldale Wood is a sizeable slice of woodland straddling Halldale Brook. It has a mix of oak, birch, ash including some yew trees with a variety of ground flora and woodland birds.
Halldale Wood was purchased from the Forestry Commission in 1994 following fundraising and generous donations given by local people. It is located to the north east of Darley Dale on both slopes of a steep valley which the Halldale Brook runs, although little is known of the wood's history, it is assumed to be a source of local timber and fuel through coppicing and is unlikely to have been used for grazing due to the difficult terrain within.
An old packhorse route is thought to run through the woodland to the market town of Chesterfield. During the 19th century, the area was a centre of the nursery trade due in part to the Victorian's passion for new plant varieties that would grow in the acidic soil, from far away lands, such as the Himalayas. The wood was surrounded on the north, south and parts of the eat side by various nurseries and they have left their legacy in the large amounts of rhododendrons and laurel that occur in the local woods which have also spread out into the moor.
The woodland was farmed intensively for timber in last two wars but only in the most accessible areas, what remains in the wood is a complex mixture of fairly undisturbed areas of ancient woodland, areas of conifer and oak planting established after the two world wars, together with scattered ancient woodland remnants and coppice re-growth from the old stands.
Plans are in place to restore the areas planted with non native conifers back to an approximation of ancient woodland through gradual conifer removal over the next couple of decades through to 2028. Sycamore which is not dominant in the wood will be treated as a legitimate native woodland
Halldale Wood forms part of a larger network of ancient woodland running down the Derwent Valley just outside the Peak District National Park. This complex is generally linked by woodland and other semi natural habitat to form a large core area of natural habitat.
