• History
• Wildlife
• Birds
• Trees
• Flowers
• Map and Walk Routes

Your participation

VOLUNTEERING

We have a number of regular volunteers who work in Apley Woods.

The Friends of Apley Woods meet on Thursday mornings undertaking all sorts of work; this includes tasks such as planting trees and bulbs, coppicing, pruning, hedge laying and trimming, litter picking, path and habitat maintenance and carrying out wildlife surveys.

At present we have no vacancies for new work party volunteers but if you are able to help with surveys, children's events or fund raising, please get in touch.

Please respect the woods

Please DO NOT drop litter.

Clean up after your dog using the bins provided.

Report any criminal damage and malicious behaviour to the Police on 101. Please also inform Telford & Wrekin Council on 01952 384383.

Friends of Apley Woods

Friends of Apley Woods

Thanks to the hard work of Friends of Apley Woods, Telford and Wrekin Council, other conservation agencies and Councillor Karen Blundell, we are proud to announce that Apley Woods has been declared a Local Nature Reserve.

In 2007, local residents of Apley along with Apley Borough Councillor, Karen Blundell, and Adrian Corney, Environmental Maintenance Officer of Telford & Wrekin Council, formed a partnership called, "Friends of Apley Woods".

The group's aims are to restore and celebrate the rich and intriguing heritage of Apley Castle and to protect, foster and develop Apley Woods as a very special and valuable amenity for the whole community to enjoy and appreciate.

Unfortunately, the woodland had become badly neglected and was so dense and overgrown that it became very dark and threatening. The bird life was reducing, wild snowdrops and bluebells were getting fewer and the trees were becoming spindly, creating an unfriendly landscape with deteriorating habitat value for wildlife, and the woodland eventually lost its Wildlife Site status.

Friends of Apley Woods have been working extremely hard with Telford & Wrekin Council, Small Woods Association and Shropshire Wildlife Trust to restore, maintain and develop Apley Woods, its lake, ponds and meadow. They have an enthusiastic and committed group of volunteers, who carry out activities on site every week engaging in woodland management tasks and habitat enhancements.

With the financial support of Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council, thousands of bulbs have been planted in and around the woods along with hundreds of native plants and specimen trees.

The results of all the hard work by everybody involved is now becoming very visible and has attracted wide appreciation and comment from the local Community and both the Parish and Borough Council. The group received a prestigious national "ENCAMS" Award for the success that has been achieved in engaging the Community throughout the project and has also been commended in the Outstanding Commitment to the Community category of the Horticultural Week & Landscape Amenity Awards.

Apley Woods is now enjoyed by the whole community including patients, staff and visitors from both the Severn Hospice and Princess Royal Hospital. Pupils from our local schools regularly visit the woodland and have been involved in various educational and ecology projects.

Funding from the People's Millions Big Lottery Scheme has been used to make easier, more attractive entrances with lower kerbs, making better access for people in wheelchairs, creating wider and smoother paths and the installation of information panels at each entrance so people can find their way around the woods and appreciate the fantastic landscape Apley Woods has to offer.

Apley Woods has many beautiful mature trees and part of the development of the project saw the creation of a tree trail. A Forest Schools Project now runs on a weekly basis for pupils from local schools, the duck pond has been de-silted, and a pond dipping platform has been installed to improve safety.

The Friends of Apley Woods can be contacted through their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

 

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