Video: Duke digs in at Chatsworth’s Jubilee wood

Chatsworth has joined forces with the Woodland Trust and Forestry Commission to create the wood - one of 60 across the UK to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The project is backed with a £155,000 grant from the Forestry Commission to create habitats to halt the decline in vulnerable woodland bird species. More than 40,000 trees and shrubs will be planted on moorland alongside to the A619 Baslow Road during the winter.

The Duke of Devonshire said: “Our work over the coming ten years will prime the canvas for future generations living and working at Chatsworth to develop a rich, productive and diverse native woodland.”

Sue Holden, Woodland Trust Chief Executive, said: “It is well known that the Duke is a great lover of trees and I am sure our partnership to create this woodland will be long and fruitful.”

Forestry Commission chairman Pam Warhurst said: “This new wood will be managed to become a vibrant haven for wildlife, including some of our threatened woodland bird species like the willow warbler and marsh tit, birds that have disappeared from other parts of the country but are hanging on in the Peak District. It will also be enjoyed by visitors as a cherished landmark in the countryside.”