Bonny's Wood

Bonny’s Wood is located in Clayton, West Sussex, and is classified as an Ancient Semi Natural Woodland (ASNW) with a National Vegetation Classification: NVC 8. It is home to ancient woodland native species such as oak trees with hazel, field maple, birch and ash coppice together with a range of native woody shrubs including hawthorn, wild crab apple, holly and honeysuckle. The ground flora consists of blue bells wood anemones and many more herb indicators species of the ancient site. The woodland has received praise for its range of native species, which have been preserved.

With approval from the Forestry Commission, a five year management plan has been drawn up which will bring the working woodland back to its traditional and historical method of management and sustainable production.The plan of work includes restoring the derelict coppice-with-standards, improving and maintaining the tracks, clearings and the entrance, whilst managing and conserving the woodland on a self-financing basis. The long-term aim is to preserve the woodland for future generations whilst developing a sustainable and environmentally beneficial rural business, as has been the case for many years from Bonny's Wood.

Conservation is key to the woodland progression and is linked in with the production of fire wood coppice. The commercial and conservation management can benefit each other; with the re-coppicing works helping to develop new habitat layers throughout the woodland also creating flyways and habitat corridors for many endangered invertebrates. The management of coppice greatly benefits the eco-system and improves bio-diversity in the woodland complying with UK Bio diversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

All members of the Bonny’s Wood team have great interest in the ecology of the woodlands, which is used daily throughout all aspects of the business, enabling our team to gain specialist knowledge from working in such a rich and fulfilling environment.

As Bonny's Wood is a working woodland, there is no public access without prior approval from the owner.