Jubilee Wood – Located on Redcap Lane (opposite Silverstone House.)

Jubilee Wood is a parish community wood. It is a nature haven with two owl/kestrel boxes on poles and has a picnic table and a bench from which you are welcome to visit, sit and to enjoy the wildlife.

The wood was made possible by a generous donation from the East Cottingwith and Storwood Local History and Environmental Group who produced the village book in 2002 and then through the passion, commitment and energy of Judi Griffith working with numerous other volunteers over the years. Management of the wood was initially made up of Judi Griffith for the book group with Dave Griffith and Steve Ashton representing the Parish Council. The potted history of the wood is below.

If you wish to know more about the wood, its future plans, or how to become more involved then please contact Parish Councillors Dave Griffith or Simon Jones.

Jubilee Wood – the story so far…  

The East Cottingwith and Storwood  Local History and Environmental Group published their book in 2002. It was proposed that the profit from the sale of the book went towards planting a wood as a lasting memory. Following the success of book sales the group were left with locating available land.

Thirteen years later 1.691 acres of Parish land became available. It had been the the old brick works and later the village tip, which had remained fallow under a Stewardship Scheme which had recently ended. The tenancy then reverted back to the Parish Council as the owners.

A request was made by the group and the Parish Council Project Proposal and Resolution was accepted on the 14 January 2016. The money from the sale of the book, £1142.07, was donated to the Parish Council and it was agreed that all future money and donations would also be transferred. Management of the wood was made up of Judi Griffith for the book group with Dave Griffith and Steve Ashton representing the Parish Council. All future proposals were to be presented to the Parish  Council for discussion and approval.

The  only restraining issue that had to be noted was the 11,000 volt overhead electricity cable crossing part of the site which meant a restriction to tree planting and recreational activity must be adhered to within a 40 meter width gap under the line. The biggest issue  however stems from the fact that it is a very wet area in winters.

The wood is now evolving in to a wildlife haven with regular reports of wildlife seen in the wood and flying over. With the earlier mentioned Kestrel and the Barn Owl seen hunting at dawn and on an evening. The wood is a quiet haven where people can sit and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside – very much as Steve Ashton had envisaged.

Wild flowers planted by the verges group are to be seen and blue bells were planted in 2023 under the old hedge. The trees are now starting to mature and look more resilient, but because this planting has been carried out in stages some are still very vulnerable. Volunteers help to cut the grass and top up the water butt as needed.

The wood has been established through the energy, commitment and determination of a group of over 25 volunteers who have enjoyed and had fun working in the wood over the last eight years. Thanks also must be given to all those who have donated trees.

A resume of the work that has been carried out since 2016.   

March 2016 The first part of the wood was planted with 225 trees. The work was carried out by the East Riding Conservation volunteers group.

Seven people are outdoors in a grassy field with several saplings. Four are standing and three are crouching around a planted sapling. They are dressed in high-visibility jackets. The background shows more young trees and cloudy skies.

November 2016  A village volunteer group planted their own generously donated trees and some donated nest boxes were hung in the old hedge. Many more donated trees were planted over the years.

A group of people in a field are planting trees. They are scattered across the grassy area, holding shovels and tools. A woman in the foreground wears a teal jacket. Leafless trees and a tall birdhouse are visible in the background.

December 2016 A second major planting took place next to Langrickgate. And also 200 smaller whips were planted by the East Riding Conservation volunteers group.

The boundary between the Parish land and adjoining farm land was survey by a Land Agent and registered. The Parish Council paid for the fencing material as part of its management of the land and the fence was erected by village volunteers in February 2017.

Seven people stand in a grassy, muddy area, some holding tools. They are dressed in warm, layered clothing, including a bright orange jacket. Leafless trees and new planting tubes are visible in the background on a cloudy day.

In the winter of 2017 volunteers from the village planted 420 saplings donated by the Woodland Trust for the hedge next to the fence.

A group of eight people smiling and standing in a grassy field beside newly planted saplings. Some hold tools and a bucket. The sky is overcast, and distant trees are visible in the background.

In the Spring of 2017 the Parish Council had a fence and gate constructed by a local contractor as a roadside boundary.

2018 From the Beast from the east to the record breaking summer heat wave with no rain from April to August the wood was allowed to rest.

Following a generous donation by Mrs Marjory Norton  a copse of silver birch was planted in February 2019 She would have been well pleased with the result.

A further small scale village planting took place in March 2021 to fill in gaps especially along the verge sides with trees lost in winter and included donated trees of 6 alder saplings.

August 2021 Following the major works carried out when a replacement sewage pipe was laid down from the pumping station outside the village hall all the way down to the crossroads at the end of Langrikckgate Yorkshire Water presented the village with a cheque for £1000 in gratitude for the friendly way the villagers accepted the upheaval! It was decided that a bench and table should be provided for the wood resulting in a heavy duty Picnic table all the way from St Austell Cornwall delivered free of charge and erected by two willing volunteers!

In 2021 two owl boxes were erected by volunteers, one from Anglesey in the Spring (a Kestrel nested in it !) the second from Holt ,Norfolk in the Autumn and using the inherited two telegraph poles erected by Natural England from an earlier venture.

An older man stands on a ladder, installing or inspecting a birdhouse on a tall wooden pole. He's holding a brown bag, wearing a gray jacket and black pants. The sky is clear and blue with a few clouds, and trees are visible in the background.

A further 10 Alders were planted with further book sales in August 2022

2023 A “road gang” of village volunteers laid some donated bricks near the gate as hard core.

Five people are laying bricks on a muddy path next to a grassy area. They are using wheelbarrows filled with bricks, and the path is adjacent to a paved road. Trees and shrubs are visible in the background.

2024 was again a very difficult year, wet and windy at the start with a lot of surface water due the waterlogged soil. Towards the end of October 2024 a heavy bench was donated and erected by two Parish Councillors and a group of the regulars cut the hedge for the first time since it was planted in 2017.

Five people stand in a grassy field holding gardening tools and equipment. They wear outdoor clothing, including jackets and boots. Trees and shrubs are in the background, and it's a cloudy day. They appear to be smiling or in good spirits.

Dated – December 2024.