Bringing Burntollet Wood to the Faughan Valley

Burntollet Wood will be a valuable addition to the beautiful Faughan Valley; but it can only happen with your support to help purchase the 36,000 trees needed to plant this site.

The site has a wonderful location, sitting next to Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s Tamnymore Wood, with Ness and Ervey Woods close by. Collectively known as Ness Country Park, this beautiful woodland complex is a designated Area of Special Scientific Interest and contains fragments of rare ancient woodland. The ancient woods, together with the nearby Burntollet River, are home to some special wild inhabitants including buzzards, otters and red squirrels.

Summer visitors will also be treated to stunning multi-coloured wildflower displays. Over the summer we created 11 hectares (27 acres) of wildflower meadows, making this one of the biggest wildflower meadow creations in Northern Ireland. Some of the flowers made their debut as early as this September. With over 1.7 km of pathways, already in place, to lead you on your woodland journey, why not make a visit to the site to see for yourself?

If we can raise the funds, we will plant over 36,000 native trees, with tree planting beginning this November.

Ancient woodland - a rare treasure

Ancient woodland is the UK’s richest wildlife habitat. In 2007, the Woodland Trust completed the Northern Ireland Ancient Woodland Inventory, an ambitious research project which revealed that ancient woods cover just 0.08 per cent of the country’s landscape.

The ancient woods in the Faughan Valley are rich in biodiversity, with species such as buzzards, otters and even endangered red squirrels residing in the area.  By acquiring the land at Burntollet and establishing new native woodland, we are linking habitats together and providing an extended haunt for the Valley’s precious wildlife. 

Planting for the future

Over the past decade we have planted over half a million trees in Northern Ireland and involved thousands of people in practical outdoor activities. We are extremely keen to work closely with local people on this project and hope that communities from both sides of the border will take part in tree planting this winter.  The end result will be a living, lasting legacy for our future generations.

We need your help

The land at Burntollet offers an exceptional opportunity to make a big difference to a fragmented ancient woodland complex. Your support is therefore of great importance to our success. Please donate today and help us complete this precious landscape jigsaw.