The Woodland Trust takes the safety of visitors to its woods very seriously.
We assess our sites for risks to the public, particularly when inviting people to events in Trust woods and where the wood is used by a specialist/organised group.
We endeavour to reduce risks to an acceptable level along access routes as far as this is practicable given the nature of the terrain and the character of the sites.
However, we want Trust woods to retain their natural characteristics and therefore they present the usual risks associated with walking in woodland and countryside.
These risks may be greater during or following adverse weather conditions and may be more significant for certain people e.g. the very young or the infirm.
While visitors to our woods may stray off paths, they do so at their own risk and should therefore take particular care.
We offer additional advice about:
Children
We would like children to grow up valuing woodland because of the fun they have had in them, just like many of their parents and grandparents.
Many of the Trust’s woods can accommodate the sorts of activities that children typically wish to pursue in woodland.
Children should be supervised and we rely on parents exercising their own judgement on the risks that may be relevant to their children at a particular wood, especially if they are to be left unaccompanied.
Dogs
Many of our visitors are local walkers, often with dogs. We welcome dog-walkers but stress the importance of dogs being kept under control and on leads/leashes in certain circumstances eg in rural areas where livestock are present and in areas of high conservation value for ground nesting birds and other wildlife.
At some sites fouling of paths by dogs is a problem; this detracts from public enjoyment of Trust woods and may present a health risk. We encourage dog owners to take action to prevent this problem.
Woodland operations
When carrying out woodland management operations we undertake risk assessments and will implement the measures to reduce risk, which arise from the assessment. We also seek to ensure that public notices explain the timing and nature of any disruption to access are clearly displayed.