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Stretching across 220 hectares on the Rutland–Lincolnshire border, Clipsham Coronation Wood is one of Forestry England’s most ambitious new woodland creations. Developed on former farmland, it forms part of a national effort to expand tree cover, tackle climate change and create thriving habitats for people and wildlife alike.
The woodland has been carefully planned to serve multiple purposes including storing carbon, boosting biodiversity, producing sustainable timber and providing a welcoming space for recreation and discovery. More than 22,000 red oaks and over 3,000 sessile oaks form the heart of the planting design, alongside Scots pine, Douglas fir, birch, wild cherry, maple, spruce and cedar. This diverse mix will help the woodland adapt to environmental changes and support a rich array of habitats.
The layout features open glades and natural clearings where birds, insects and small mammals can flourish. Certain areas have also been set aside to create seed stands, a collection of trees managed to provide a source of high quality seed. These seeds will be used to grow tree seedlings which will be planted in the future, ensuring the woodland’s long-term health and genetic diversity.
During the Second World War, the quiet rural landscape around Clipsham was transformed into a hub of intense military activity. The village found itself surrounded by airfields that played crucial roles in the Allied war effort. RAF stations at Cottesmore, North Luffenham and Woolfox Lodge were established across Rutland, but perhaps most significantly for Clipsham, RAF North Witham was located just a few miles away, the remains of which are still visible within Twyford Wood, between Stamford and Grantham.
RAF North Witham opened in autumn 1943 as a US Ninth Air Force station and became a major transport aircraft distribution centre. At its height, it housed over 3,700 personnel, including large numbers of American soldiers. For the residents of Clipsham, this meant living alongside thousands of Allied servicemen preparing for the liberation of Europe.
The area’s most significant contribution came on the evening of 5th June 1944, when Pathfinders from RAF North Witham became the first aircraft to leave the UK and enter Normandy for D-Day. The sound of twenty C-47s departing into the night would have been heard across Clipsham and the surrounding villages, marking the village’s place in one of history’s most momentous military operations.
Today, the Veterans’ Oak project in Clipsham’s new woodland creates a living memorial to this extraordinary period. The oak trees planted here honour those who served at the nearby airfields and connect the peaceful woodland landscape to the area’s remarkable wartime heritage.