Strategic Woodland Management for Trebartha Estate's Historic Landscape
A 98ha woodland plan balanced heritage, biodiversity, and commercial forestry—unlocking Higher Tier Stewardship and protecting rare habitats like temperate rainforest at Trebartha Estate.

Client: Trebartha Estates Ltd and Savills
Location: North Cornwall
Services Provided
Woodland Management Planning
Ecological Survey & Advice
GIS Mapping
UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) Compliance
Stewardship Scheme Readiness
The Challenge
The Trebartha Estate spans over 4,000 acres of historic landscape, including diverse woodlands with native broadleaf, commercial conifer, and rare temperate rainforest habitats. Despite its long stewardship, the estate lacked a digitised woodland map and a compliant management plan under the UK Forestry Standard. With existing felling licences and complex site conditions—topographical, ecological, and cultural—an integrated approach was essential to secure future funding and ensure resilient woodland management.
The Solution
Our team began by working closely with the estate forester to capture and document decades of site knowledge. We produced high-resolution GIS maps of woodland compartments and carried out site surveys, desk research, and constraint-opportunity analysis.
Using this data, we developed a robust, UKFS-compliant Woodland Management Plan that balanced production forestry with conservation and heritage protection.
The Result
The plan was approved by the Forestry Commission and now forms the blueprint for Trebartha’s woodland operations. It supports:
Conservation of riparian and temperate rainforest habitats
Sensitive management of heritage features
A sustainable balance between broadleaf and commercial forestry
Critically, the plan enables the estate to pursue a Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreement, unlocking new funding opportunities and ensuring long-term environmental and economic sustainability.
