On the wider estate our woodlands have passed an United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS) audit and have been recertified up to 2021.

UKWAS certification is a voluntary scheme which shows that our woods are managed in an environmentally and economically viable way; our timber operations are carried out without harming the woods biodiversity which is why we have such rich flora and fauna in the estate woodland.

In June we hosted a visit by Woodland Heritage, a charity founded by a group of traditional cabinet makers who wanted to improve the way in which trees were grown, maintained and harvested in the UK. This small group of environmentally minded producers was rapidly joined by many hundreds of individuals with concerns for our woodland environment.

Peter Goodwin co-founder of the trust explained: ‘Every year we hold a Field Weekend where our members can visit fine woodlands, arboreta and traditional woodworking establishments. This year we returned to North Yorkshire where the Castle Howard woodlands were of particular interest in their historic landscape, for a discussion on the sensitive forestry methods for which Nick Cooke, the head forester, is renowned.’