The main planted species is larch, these beautiful and deciduous trees are around 60 years old and are now of considerable size. Between the larch a wide variety of native trees have sprung up to give the wood a pleasant natural feel. Sweet chestnut, oak and beech are the main species with a scattering of elm and birch. Hawthorn, holly and rowan help to form a healthy understorey with a variety of ferns and mosses forming a verdant carpet.

Itinerant deer and badgers evidence their presence with narrow pathways through the ground flora. Small poke holes in the moss indicate the entrances to the underground homes of voles and wood mice. Diminutive wrens can often be seen on a low perch as they forage for insects on logs and fallen branches whilst tits and finches occupy the mid-line of the canopy.

Probably our most photogenic native mammal, the red squirrel, is resident within the wood. A local charity is actively taking measures to protect this endangered species and secure its future.

A good hardstanding is an ideal stacking and drying area for small-scale firewood drying with a rustic bench inviting a rest with time out to watch the woodland world go by.

Access by road: once the public highway has been left, behind a strong, hard, gated track leads through the wood to the ridestop entrance. A small timber stacking area is present to assist with the management and conservation of the wood.

Access by rail: Perfectly located for those wishing to visit their woods by train, Brampton Station is just 17 minutes from Carlisle and a little over an hour from Newcastle. Trains by Northern Rail.

The sporting rights are owned and included in the sale.

The variety within this woodland lends itself to a similar variety of potential activities. Wildlife watching coupled with conservation and gentle management, maybe the erection of bird and bat boxes or feeding stations for the squirrels. Overnight camping for a truly immersive wildlife experience or simply a collection of firewood for a domestic fuel supply.

The old Brampton railway line is now a footpath named the Dandy which runs through a cutting on the north-eastern boundary of the wood. Pennsey Wood is a short and pleasant walk from the railway station. The line was built in the late 1800's by Lord Carlisle to transport coal and stone from the moors of Alston to Brampton. It is famous as the line that Stephenson's Rocket came to work after it was retired from service in Lancashire.

Gilsland Wood is also within easy reach of the pleasant market town of Brampton with a wide variety of local services. In the wider area is the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with plenty of B+Bs locally catering for visitors to the not-too-distant Hadrians Wall.