Friends of Hagg Wood was formed in 1996 to preserve, protect and enhance the natural plant and animal life in the wood for the community.

It holds monthly conservation working parties in the wood and other enjoyable activities, including illustrated talks, social events and visits to places of conservation interest.

Hagg Wood is a coniferous plantation on an ancient woodland site that still has many remnants of the native woodland vegetation.  The wood is designated as a Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS for short)

Hagg Wood is an area of woodland of 107 acres (43Ha), to the east of Dunnington, York towards the River Derwent, at Ordnance Survey reference SE 685 526.  It is situated at around 25 metres above sea level.

The wood was established as a Community Woodland in 2003. The Forestry Commission manages the wood in consultation with the Friends of Hagg Wood.

The long-term objective is to restore the wood as native semi-natural woodland, including oak, ash and other broad-leafed trees and native woodland shrubs, as well as maintaining some of the larger conifers.

Publications  & Leaflets

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Is Hagg Wood Open ?  more details here   Checkout our latest Newsletter   Checkout our Blog for the latest news and events

 

Future Activities

In view of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, and the need to still avoid unnecessary social interactions until Government recommendations change substantially, we have put on hold until further notice the plans for our own events and activities in the next few months. These include our monthly Conservation Working Parties and the many other indoor and outdoor events we would normally have, and look forward very much to enjoying, in the coming months.

The current pandemic clearly shows that we ignore the forces of nature at our peril, with Covid-19 having transferred to the human population from the less than ideal treatment of other members of the animal kingdom. In addition, its rapid spread and difficult reversal confirm that we are ourselves not masters of the universe, but instead are very dependent upon natural forces, with our relative lack of preparations for the impact of such a pandemic proving very costly.  There are plenty of signs that the growing threats of cumulative, and possibly unstable, climate change will also result in damaging disruptions to the natural forces that shape both our lives and those of other species on our planet.  Already, there have been major losses, and continuing extinctions, of many other species, due largely to human activity, including via climate change.  Preparations to mitigate the rate of climate change, such as major increases in tree planting, become even more urgent, as does a greater appreciation of the natural world and our own proper place within it.

Close to home we are fortunate in having an attractive local natural environment, though with the continuing blockage of the well-used path from Intake Lane into Hagg Wood preventing many local residents, both young and old, from being able to fully enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that it can provide. When they can gain access, woodlands, such as Hagg Wood, provide the opportunity for individuals to get much needed exercise and spiritual refreshment, whilst still respecting social distancing, surrounded by the rich plant and bird life that the wood supports. We have continued to work on our campaign to secure full access into Hagg Wood from Intake Lane, and you can find further details of how to assist us in this campaign elsewhere on this website. So let us hope that happier times are not too far away, including when access to Hagg Wood is restored to what it used to be.

With all good wishes in these challenging times.

 

 Hagg Wood Path Access

Whether or not the beauties of Hagg Wood will in the future be conveniently enjoyed by all depends upon the outcome of the current public footpath application process. The City of York Council have now issued the associated Definitive Map Modification Orders (DMMOs), which are now being sent on to the Planning Inspectorate to consider. We still have time to submit further evidence of use of the two claimed footpaths. The first is the one which was historically well-used, that crossed the Triangular Field on the right past Hagg Farm and to the entrance into Hagg Wood in the corner of the field. The second is the main Forestry Track from the end of Intake Lane to meet the existing public footpath through the centre of the wood.

 

If you have used either of these paths over any of the past years before the recent blockage in October 2019, please do get in touch via our Contact Us page  or c/o FHW, 5 Church Lane, Dunnington, York,YO!9 5PT.  If you have already been in touch and not yet completed a User Evidence form, please email davidmays10@gmail.com for a copy.  The more user evidence we can get, the better the chances of a successful outcome to establish public footpath access into Hagg Wood from the end of Intake Lane permanently for all to enjoy.

The relevant DMMOs and the processes being followed can be viewed here.

The City of York Council's own Statements of Case in support of our two public footpath claims, and accompanying evidence, can be viewed here.  Once there you can access the relevant documents under references ROW 359130 and ROW 3257816

 

 

 

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