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What gifts in wills have helped us achieve

One of the most important decisions you’ll ever make is who to include in your will. By remembering the Woodland Trust, you will protect the woods you love for future generations.

1 in 3 trees

That's the number of trees we plant thanks to gifts in wills.

Gifts in wills are vital for everything we do

Every single one of our woods across the UK has been supported by wonderful people who kindly left a gift in their will.

From fighting development threats and restoring damaged ancient woodland, to acquiring new sites and planting native trees, gifts in wills are essential for our work.

Many special woods across the UK have been created, safeguarded or restored thanks to individuals who remembered us in their will. Here’s a small selection of sites which have benefited.

Credit: Judith Parry / WTML

Heartwood Forest, England

Just north of St Albans in Hertfordshire is Heartwood Forest, an extraordinary and special place. Four gifts in wills were absolutely vital in acquiring this 860-acre (370ha) site, and a fifth has been instrumental in its transformation into England’s largest area of uninterrupted woodland.

Thanks to tens of thousands of volunteers, over half a million trees have been planted and meadows sown. Whilst it’s still young and growing, the resulting mosaic of connected habitats – rare ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and new woods – makes it one of our top sites for people and wildlife alike.

Credit: Philip Formby / WTML

Glen Finglas, Scotland

Lying at the heart of Loch Lomond, Glen Finglas is a 12,000-acre (4,870ha) expanse of ancient woodland, lochs, open heathland and wood pasture.

We are working with The Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve to restore the landscape and create one of Scotland’s largest broadleaved forests. Once a royal hunting forest, today Glen Finglas is home to some of Scotland’s most iconic wildlife including red deer, golden eagles, red squirrels and black grouse. Its dramatic landscape has been immortalised by poetry and paintings from Sir Walter Scott and Sir John Everett Millais.

Three specific gifts kindly left in wills and restricted to our work in Scotland have been critical to our efforts here.

Credit: Mark Zytynski / WTML

Wentwood, Wales

In years gone by, Wentwood was part of the hunting grounds of Chepstow Castle. Sadly in the 1950s and 60s much of its deciduous trees were felled and it was replanted with conifers.

Thanks to four gifts in wills and a hugely successful fundraising appeal, Wentwood’s 423 acres (171ha) of precious woodland is regenerating beautifully and is now home to a huge variety of wildlife. Without our generous supporters the chance to restore this vast area of woodland may have been lost forever.

Credit: John Bridges / WTML

Brackfield Wood, Northern Ireland

Brackfield Wood is a tribute to those who lost their lives across Ireland during the First World War. Nestled in the Faughan Valley just outside Derry/Londonderry, the site boasts mature and ancient woodland as well as thousands of young trees.

The wood is a living legacy to those affected by the conflict and is a beautiful, peaceful place for quiet reflection. The area supports an impressive array of wildlife including red squirrels, otters and kingfishers. Gifts in wills were vital in making our vision a reality in this wonderful place.

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The difference you could make

Here are a few examples of what your legacy could achieve:

See what your gift could mean

I want ancient trees and woods to have the same protection as listed buildings in the future, if not more, as they can never be replaced. Knowing that a small area of woodland is preserved by my legacy gives me great peace of mind.

David, from Colwyn Bay
Woodland Trust supporter