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The origins of Kielder Forest go back to World War One when Britain faced a desperate shortage of timber.

At the time, woodland covered just 5% of Britain and the country could no longer rely on imports. The Acland Committee was set up to look at woodland resources and the Forestry Commission was subsequently set up in 1919.

The area of moorland around Kielder Castle had already been identified – by the man who would become Lord Robinson – as suitable for forestry and, after a decade of trials, large scale planting began in the 1930s.

It wasn’t until after World War Two in 1948 that the first mature trees were felled but now Kielder Forest produces half a million tonnes of timber a year.
It also welcomes nearly 400,000 visitors a year and is home to the biggest remaining red squirrel population in England.

Location: Kielder Hexham, Northumberland NE48 1ER
Image: Keilder Forest, courtesy of the Forestry Commission