Brampton Wood, a majestic and beautiful 900-year-old ancient woodland, the second oldest in the county after Hayley Wood, is celebrating this week marking a reprieve from 30 years ago as its future hung in the balance when the Ministry of Defence, who had owned the wood since the 1950s, put it on the open market. 
Home to more than 3,000 recorded species of animals and 340 species of plants and its history can be traced back over 900 years, the wood was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086AD and belonged to the Norman conquerors until King John gave it to the Catholic church in 1215. It passed from royalty, to nobility, through several Huntingdonshire families, and in 1992 was bought by this Wildlife Trust from the Ministry of Defence, preserved forever for the nation.

Back in the autumn of 1992, the Trust recognised the huge importance of saving it, and, along with the help of enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, successfully fundraised to meet the £300,000 asking price. Bringing his support at the time was Sir David Attenborough who said: “After a magnificent campaign by local people and the Wildlife Trust, the opportunity to secure Brampton Wood has become a reality. It is our responsibility to ensure that our children, and theirs too, are able to experience this ancient woodland at first hand.”

A monthly working party sees 20-30 dedicated and much valued volunteers help with the necessary woodland management – the biodiversity of ancient woods (any woodland that has existed continuously since 1600) is dependant on this cycle of management, from coppicing to ongoing maintenance and clearing - the need to keep the paths and wide woodland rides open, controlling and cutting back scrub growth in certain areas. This work is vital to maintain the wide array of wildlife that the wood and its grassland support - a healthy population of hazel dormice reintroduced to the wood in 1993 (a UK first), along with thousands of species of plants, animals and insects, including a number of rare butterflies: the black hairstreak, purple emperor and white admiral.

Sir David Attenborough: “After a magnificent campaign by local people and the Wildlife Trust, the opportunity to secure Brampton Wood has become a reality. It is our responsibility to ensure that our children, and theirs too, are able to experience this ancient woodland at first hand.”