SOLD: Oak Croft Wood £95,000 Freehold
- Brafferton, near Boroughbridge, Easingwold and Thirsk, North Yorkshire
- over 5 ½ acres.
- Northern England
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Sunlight through beautiful beech trees
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The wood is swathed in bluebells in the spring
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A rogue 'whitebell'
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The colours of spring
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A particularly large beech tree next to a grassy track
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A bench beneath the mature trees
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A veteran oak, ideal for a tawny owl roost
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Old coppiced oaks
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Holly bushes are dotted through the wood
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Lovely beeches
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The verdant forest
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Wild rose hips in autumn, food for birds and mammals
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Blackberry bushes grow in patches along the drain
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Looking back along the grassy ride with mature oaks
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View along the grass ride as is passes the younger section of the wood. Oak Croft Wood to the left
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In amongst young birch, lots of great firewood could be harvested
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A stinkhorn fungus, successfully attracting flies
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Foxglove seedlings will flower next year in the sunnier spots amongst the birch
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Umbelliferae flowers near the drain
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Beautiful oaks and native ferns, remnants of the ancient forest
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Broadleaved helleborine, a type of orchid, growing at the edge of the wood
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Elderberries ripening
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An inviting route
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Buzzards are frequently hunting through the wood
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The high canopy
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The ride-stop entrance
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Veteran oak amongst the fir trees, near the entrance
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View through the conifers at the northern edge of the wood
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Wood sorrel (Oxalis) thrives in the shade of the conifers
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View along the track at the north eastern boundary, Oak Croft Wood to the left
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The main wood gate
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Description
Oak Croft Wood is comprised of a mix of mature oak and beech trees, with coppiced hazel and holly beneath, a section of maturing western hemlock trees and, on the opposite side of a water course, younger regeneration of birch and other native broadleaved trees.
On arrival at the entrance, the trees between the track and the drain include a number of magnificent old oaks, some possibly 200 years old, as well as maturing conifers, mostly hemlock, around 30 years old. The shade provided by the canopy here is very welcome on a hot sunny day.
The area of mature broadleaved woodland is really stunning in the spring, where, between all the coppiced hazel, are swathes and swathes of bluebells. The oak and beech trees here look as if they have stories to tell and many an hour could pass, in the company of these forest elders.
Across the watercourse, the trees are younger. Conifers were felled in this section of the wood around 10 years ago and it is mostly native broadleaved trees that are regenerating, with the odd fir seedling. Birch, goat willow, oak, hazel and hawthorn are growing back and the trees are already beginning to form a new canopy.
The wood is classed as a PAWS, a planted ancient woodland site and there are many species associated with the old forest. As well as bluebells and honeysuckle, foxgloves are very successful in the sunnier spots. Wild rose and viburnum can be found along the track edges and there are a number of different types of fern growing.
The purchasers of the woodland will be asked to enter into a covenant to ensure the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of adjoining woodlands and meadows.
Trees
Large oak, beech and hemlock (fir) trees along with birch, holly, hazel and willow.
Wildlife
Being part of a bigger forest and with its valuable pocket of deciduous woodland, Oak Croft Wood is rich in wildlife. Inhabited by a wide range of woodland birds, buzzards and tawny owls are never very far away. Blackbirds, chiffchaffs, robins and wrens love the denser areas of undergrowth and the insects and berries found amongst the array of plants that grow here. Plenty of natural deadwood is fabulous for insects of all kinds and this in turn is a rich food source for the birds.
Deer, fox, brown hare and badger all pass through. Look out for their tracks and signs.
Flocks of tits move through the canopy and woodpeckers and treecreepers can often be seen too.
Features
The watercourse is a great and obvious draw for wildlife and the grass and flower-filled tracks and rides are a haven for butterflies and bees.
Part way into the wood, a rustic bench is located in amongst the bluebells, overlooking the veteran trees. A great spot to sit and infuse the healing power of the natural surroundings.
Access, tracks and footpaths
The ride-stop entrance to the wood is reached on good stone tracks and from here, a footpath leads through the tall trees along an old extraction route. This reaches a grassy track, bordering the watercourse, which runs along the edge of the compartment containing the older trees.
A grassy ride runs the length of the northern boundary, within the property. The neighbouring woodland that borders this track has a right of access along it as far as the first drain culvert.
Rights and covenants
The shooting and mineral rights are included in the sale.
There are no public rights of way in the wood.
The Internal Drainage Board has a right of access to maintain the watercourse.
Activities
The wood is an ideal project wood for an owner who would like to keep fit and active, shaping this ancient wood for future generations. For instance, restoring the coppiced hazel to a 7-10 year cutting rotation or clearing glades amongst the birch and bracken and carrying out planting to further diversify the wood.
Thinning some of the conifers near the entrance could be beneficial for the old oaks and a more open spacing would help any remaining conifers reach their potential too.
There’s no shortage of firewood amongst the birch and the new owner may enjoy sitting around a campfire with friends and family on occasion, listening to the owls hoot as the dusk draws in.
Local area and history
The neighbouring village of Brafferton is a charming settlement; merged with Helperby and situated on the eastern bank of the River Swale, the location has been an important strategic crossing point for centuries. In the centre of the village is a block of buildings erected in 1873, by the late James Coates esq. (d. 1905), comprising of a reading room, institute, a cottage hospital and four almshouses for widows. An attractive fountain was also erected in 1897. A fascinating map from 1794, of the Manor of Brafferton and depicting the wood is available for the new owner.
Wood maps
This wood is now sold, please do not visit the wood without the permission of the owner.
Find this wood
This wood is now sold, please do not visit the wood without the permission of the owner.
Location
- OS Landranger: OS No. 99
- Grid ref: SE 451 713
- Nearest post code: YO61 2SE
- GPS coordinates: 54.1357, -1.30971
Location map
Directions
Just 20 miles from York, 15 miles from Ripon, 26 miles from Harrogate and 6 miles from Boroughbridge.
For Directions From Bing Maps CLICK HERE, enter your own postcode (wood entrance coordinates are already entered) and click on the blue "Go" box.
For Satnav; the postcode YO61 2SE is for the point shown by the red dot on the location map and coordinates are: N54:07:54 and W1:17:58
Or use our directions:
From the A1
- Exit the A1 at junction 48 and follow signs Ripon and Dishforth on to the A 6055
- At the next roundabout take the third exit on to Roecliffe Lane.
- Follow this road until you give way at a T junction and then turn left.
- Continue over the river and at the canal bridge roundabout take the second exit.
- Take the first right turn to Milby.
- Continue on this road until required to give way at a T junction and then turn right over Thornton bridge.
- Continue along this road into Brafferton and at the give way T junction turn left.
- Follow West Moor Road for about 1 mile until you reach the Woodlands for Sale sign on the left.
From York via the A19:-
- Just after the Easingwold roundabout take the left turn signed for Raskelf / Tholthorpe / Helperby
- Follow the road into Raskelf and at the cross roads in the centre of Raskelf turn right on to West Moor Road.
- Follow West Moor Road until you reach the Woodlands for Sale sign on your right.
Please park near to our gate but please do leave it clear for access.
- Climb the gate and walk along the access track for about 300 metres.
- Where the track forks, after the hut near the entrance, take the left fork and follow the main track round a right hand bend,
- Continue straight on for about 150m
- Take the stoned track that is off to the left.
- After about 150m, there is a turn in the track, to the left (don't take the turn). The entrance to Oak Croft Wood is just beyond this turn also on your left.
How we support our buyers
Membership of the small woodland owners’ group
£300 for a woodland course of your choice
One year's free membership of the royal forestry society
Please note this wood is owned by woodlands.co.uk.
Our regional managers are often out working in our woodlands, so if you email an offer and want to be sure it has been received, please phone our manager on their mobile phone. The first offer at the stated price which is accepted, whether by phone or email, has priority.
Please take care when viewing as the great outdoors can contain unexpected hazards and woodlands are no exception. You should exercise common sense and caution, such as wearing appropriate footwear and avoiding visiting during high winds.
These particulars are for guidance only and, though believed to be correct, do not form part of any contract. Woodland Investment Management Ltd hereby give notice under section 21 of the Estate Agents Act 1979 of their interest in the land being sold.
A private and peaceful woodland with magnificent mature oak and beech trees on a planted ancient woodland site (PAWS)
