An Arboriculturalist in protective wear, cutting a tree.

Forestry

Forest management is a long-term cycle of planting, thinning and felling trees that can rotate for decades, if not centuries. We balance this with a long-term plan that guides our decisions on timber harvesting, biodiversity and wildlife habitats.

Forest management

The current iteration of the plan came into effect in 2002 and since this point the Forests at Windsor have held Forestry Stewardship Council (F.S.C) and more recently Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (P.E.F.C) certification.

This means that the woodlands at Windsor are managed to the international standard of forest sustainability.

Forest management

Many of the woodlands on the Estate are managed with multiple objectives, which could include habitat management, providing space for recreation or timber production.

Different emphasis is given to these objectives depending on location and woodland type and the plan helps to focus and prioritise our management across the Estate.

A working forest

The forests at Windsor have been managed to provide a sustainable harvest of timber for centuries.

Today the forest is one of the prominent timber suppliers in South East England providing timber to sawmills and wood processors across the region.

Due to the current composition of the forest, most of this timber is conifer. This is used for construction, landscaping, fencing, animal bedding and renewable energy generation.

A working forest

Smaller quantities of hardwood timber are harvested with some of this being used in construction projects on the Estate.

The remainder is sold into a variety of markets with the lower quality timber being used primarily for firewood production.

Sustainable forestry

When woodlands establish the trees are very close together.

Periodically these trees are thinned out to allow the remaining trees space to grow on into the future. Once the trees have matured, they are felled and the cycle starts over again.

This continued cycle of regeneration and harvesting are what makes our woodlands sustainable in the long term.

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Explore other aspects of Windsor Great Park.

Our story

Windsor Great Park is part of the operational Windsor Estate, which also includes commercial forests, golf courses, farms and the Ascot race course.

From William I’s hunting grounds to Queen Victoria’s royal picnics, the landscape has been improved, cherished and shared by a long line of monarchs.

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive by carriage for day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire. Picture date: Saturday June 24, 2023.

Conservation & Stewardship

The Windsor Estate is home to a vast array of flora and fauna. The long-term stewardship of its habitats and wildlife – by The Crown Estate – has made the Estate an internationally recognised example of biodiversity, sustainability and conservation.

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Sustainability

The Estate has been practicing sustainable land use for hundreds of years. As part of The Crown Estate, we recognise the climate emergency and are committed to becoming net zero by 2030.

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