£5.9M project to revive England's 105,000-acre 'Ghost Woods'
The UK government has pledged £5.9 million to restore 105,000 acres of 'Ghost Woods' in England, which are currently occupied by monoculture timber plantations. The project aims to revive ancient woodland ecosystems and improve biodiversity by 2029.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a significant policy shift toward ecological restoration and the reversal of 20th-century industrial forestry practices.
More than 105,000 acres of England's so-called “Ghost Woods” are set to be restored after the Rewild the Ghost Woods campaign secured £5.9 million in ongoing UK government funding. The project will target ancient woodland sites buried beneath monoculture timber plantations, in what campaigners say is a major step towards reviving some of England's most biodiverse landscapes.The funding, secured for the period from 2026 to 2029, marks the first time the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has committed multi-year funding specifically towards restoration on the Public Forest Estate, according to campaign group Wild Card.The funding will support the restoration of 105,000 acres of Forestry England land classified as Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS).
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