Spain Wood £95,000 Freehold
- Bramham, near Leeds and Wetherby, West Yorkshire
- over 4 ¾ acres
- Northern England
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Characterful oak tree with coppiced hazel
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Holly bush beneath a big beech tree
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Pippy oak
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Autumn colours developing in the canopy
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Star moss and mini-fungi
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The ride-stop entrance
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Holly berries, for the birds - and Christmas!
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Beech and pines against a blue sky
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A snowy scene
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Winter sun rays over the hollow that holds water in winter
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View from the track near the farm
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Coppiced hazel with lots of shoots
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View in the oak part of the wood
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Epicormic growth on an oak trunk
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Lots of holly bushes add privacy
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Turkey tail fungus on a fallen log
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Longer views through the wood in winter
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Monochrome of beech twigs against snow
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The ground is fairly level throughout
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Lots of large trees in the wood
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The 'mother oak' with an especially spreading canopy
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Beech leaves
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Filtered sunlight
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Light thorough the beech trees
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Gorgeous greens of the beech trees
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Tall trees with ferns, brambles and bracken
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Looking down the track towards the ride-stop
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Inviting sunshine
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The main wood gate
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Description
Set in the north-eastern corner of West Woods Plantation, Bramham, Spain Wood is a very interesting and attractive varied woodland with a lovely mix of old oak trees, hazel and Scots pine in the eastern half and beech, holly, sycamore and larch in the western half.
A very diverse woodland with trees of different ages, lots of ground flora ‘indicator’ plants, including bluebells, mosses and native ferns, that give clues that this site has been wooded for a very long time. It is classed as Ancient Replanted Woodland and Priority Habitat Inventory - Deciduous Woodland (England).
A path leads off from the ride-stop, at the western boundary of the wood, through the beech and larch filled section: lots of holly bushes give excellent and immediate privacy and a rustic bench is situated in a glade along this path. Leading further through this area are numerous deer trails to follow, eventually reaching an oak and hazel section with the odd birch, some tall Scots pines and the odd larch tree. The oaks are one of the loveliest features of the wood, some quite ‘pippy’ and burled with epicormic growth and a really large spreading ‘mother oak’ tree. Oak is often referred to as the cornerstone of a woodland due to the sheer number of other species of flora and fauna that it is associated with.
A big fallen beech tree could be treated as fantastic deadwood habitat or a playful feature, depending on the owner’s perspective. Near the western edge, where the wood meets farmland, a wide grassy ride runs south west to north east and a ditch crosses the route, connecting with a low lying seasonally wet area within the woodland – another excellent draw for wildlife.
The wood has tracks around three sides and a second entrance, with a ditch crossing, is located in the south eastern corner.
Trees
Oak, beech, hazel, Scots Pine, hawthorn, larch, field maple, holly and sycamore.
Wildlife
With a rich ecology and a varied age structure, there is a great deal of wildlife to be found in Spain Wood. Buzzards and red kites are conspicuously present and smaller woodland birds, such as blackbirds, wrens and robins as well as flocks of tits, are busy in the shrub layer and high canopy.
Roe deer and brown hare bed down and pass through the wood and there are a few obvious animal trail routes; perhaps a good place to locate a wildlife camera?
Features
- Some characterful old oak trees.
- Areas of historic hazel coppice.
- Rich ground flora.
- Potential source of firewood.
- Varied character.
- A bench in a clearing.
Access, tracks and footpaths
A good route via solid stone tracks leads from the bridlepath gate on Thorner Lane (known as Dalton Lane) then east, through the forest to the entrance of Spain Wood.
Within the wood, a route links through grassy glades and most parts are accessible. The ground is generally level with a few ditches and sturdy footwear is always recommended.
There are stoned tracks along the southern and part of the eastern boundary too.
Rights and covenants
Activities
Spain Wood would be ideal for conservation-minded families and would be great for occasional camping with family and friends.
More active owners may like to manage some of the beech and pine trees and make space for new planting or regeneration. There is plenty of potential for some home firewood. The hazel could yield some useful sticks and poles for garden and allotment projects.
Local area and history
West Park Plantation, of which the wood is part, sits on a high ridge of limestone, just to the north of Bramham Park and Hope Hall.
Bramham is a product of a grand tour; its creator Robert Benson, later Lord Bingley, completed his formal education with a grand tour in 1697, and whilst in Italy he began to envisage his new mansion in the Palladian manner complemented in a landscaped park, in the fashion made popular by Le Nôtre in France in the late 17th century.
The house and park is still privately owned by the family with Nick Fox-Lane the current custodian, the estate is best known for hosting Leeds Festival and Bramham Horse Trials. The wood, until recently, was part of the estate.
Wood maps
Wood map
Boundaries
The boundaries of Spain Wood are marked with red paint. These are on wooden post tops along the northern boundary and on trees elsewhere, alongside the tracks and field boundary.
Find this wood
Location
- OS Landranger: OS No. 105
- Grid ref: SE 413 438
- Nearest post code: LS23 6LX
- GPS coordinates: 53.8889, -1.37198
Location map
Directions
Just 11 miles from Leeds, 15 miles from Harrogate and 20 miles from York.
The wood is located west of the A1(M) between junctions 44 and 45.
Please park in the layby opposite the Dalton Lane bridlepath gate. Map pin here. Please avoid parking in front of the gate itself. The owner of the wood will have a key to the gate but for viewings it is a walk of about half an hour each way.
Important. Please note: Access via West Woods Farm on Meadow Lane is not permitted.
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Travel parallel with the A1(M) south from junction 45 and north from junction 44 signed to Bramham and turn west on to Thorner Road sign posted for Wetherby, Boston Spa and Thorner.
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After just less than a mile at the sharp left bend keep right on to Thorner Lane.
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After a third of a mile pass the first woodland entrance on the right and proceed for a further 200metres before parking in the layby on the left. (map pin above)
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Cross the road and walk through the entrance way on to Dalton Lane Bridleway and continue for about 800 metres before turning right on to a stone track. Follow this track bending around to the left after about 700 metres.
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After a further 300 metres turn right on to another hard surfaced track and continue approximately 200 metres to a left turn.
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Spain Wood is the first wood on the right and the ride-stop entrance is around 50 metres down this track.
How we support our buyers
Membership of the small woodland owners’ group
£300 for a woodland course of your choice
One year's free membership of the royal forestry society
Please note this wood is owned by woodlands.co.uk.
Our regional managers are often out working in our woodlands, so if you email an offer and want to be sure it has been received, please phone our manager on their mobile phone. The first offer at the stated price which is accepted, whether by phone or email, has priority.
Please take care when viewing as the great outdoors can contain unexpected hazards and woodlands are no exception. You should exercise common sense and caution, such as wearing appropriate footwear and avoiding visiting during high winds.
These particulars are for guidance only and, though believed to be correct, do not form part of any contract. Woodland Investment Management Ltd hereby give notice under section 21 of the Estate Agents Act 1979 of their interest in the land being sold.
An attractive mixed woodland with old oak trees, close to Bramham, Wetherby and Leeds.
