Elizabethan mansion to be site of first Platinum Jubilee wood

The grounds of a 16th century Elizabethan mansion will be the site of the first 70-acre wood to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Woodland Trust has said.

The woodland will be planted at Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire – which was built by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Elizabeth I – to mark the 70-year reign of the current monarch.

The Woodland Trust is encouraging landowners to help establish up to 70 Platinum Jubilee woods as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy, an initiative which is inviting people across the UK to “plant a tree for the jubilee”.

The charity, which is a leading delivery partner of the Queen’s Green Canopy, is offering advice and support for landowners to create 70-acre woodlands as part of the celebrations.

The establishment of up to 70 Platinum Jubilee woods will be an exceptional contribution to the Queen’s Green Canopy

Dan Rex

Burghley House, a stately home set in a 300-acre deer park landscaped by “Capability” Brown, has become the first confirmed Platinum Jubilee Wood under the scheme.

The new woodland will add to the 60-acre Diamond Jubilee Wood, created by the estate with the Woodland Trust in 2012.

Dr Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: “We are thrilled that such a prestigious venue as Burghley House has chosen to spearhead the celebration.”

“We want this to encourage other landowners to come forward and get involved in this exciting and ambitious initiative.”

Establishing up to 70 Platinum Jubilee woods supports the trust’s long-term large-scale woodland creation aims and will help fight the climate and nature crises, by locking up carbon and providing habitats for wildlife, the charity said.

Head forester Peter Glassey with an ancient oak tree (Burghley Estate/PA)

Burghley Estate head forester Peter Glassey said: “I love planting trees and the Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful vehicle to provide a lasting legacy of Her Majesty’s reign.

“But it is also a recognition of the importance trees and woodlands play in trying to address many of the issues affecting the UK and the world.

“We wish to plant more woodland to help mitigate the loss of our existing woods and plant with a more resilient species mix which will grow and fill the landscape for the next 200 years,” he said.

Miranda Rock, Burghley executive chairwoman, said: “Commemorating this historic moment in a way that will positively impact our community, landscape and wildlife is an opportunity we simply couldn’t miss.

“We are especially proud to be the first to announce the planting of a jubilee woodland, it is a marvellous legacy project which will celebrate the supreme dedication of our Queen to her country during her long reign.”

Queen’s Green Canopy chief executive Dan Rex said the Platinum Jubilee woods would combine with those planted for the Diamond Jubilee to be a “truly wonderful legacy” for the nation.

He said: “The establishment of up to 70 Platinum Jubilee woods will be an exceptional contribution to the Queen’s Green Canopy, and it is entirely fitting that the first wood will be planted at Burghley House, with its historic royal connections.”