PLANTING has started on the first expansion of the Forest of Dean in more than 200 years.

Some 120,000 trees are being planted by Forestry England on 217 acres at Hoarthorn's Farm near Berry Hill, with up to 1,500 saplings going in daily.

Bought in December 2024, it is hoped the site at Edge End will boost wildlife, support biodiversity and in the long-term provide sustainable timber.

Geological and soil surveys have provided information on what trees to plant in each area, and how to best enable wildlife to move around the site.

Forestry England area manager Tom Brockington said: "Biodiversity requires a buffering of established wildlife hotspots.

"We want to be able to create those linkages where animals can move between established woodland and other established woodland, so we've chosen trees that support that transfer of species."

Having a variety of species will also help protect the new woodland from disease and the effects of climate change.

"We are looking at western France, because it's a very similar climate to what we could expect in our country in 40 to 50 years' time, which would be when these trees are reaching maturity," he said.

"So we need to be thinking about which trees might be drought susceptible or resilient."

Planting is due to be completed by the end of March, with an area in the middle left as grassland, which will be grazed by cattle in the winter.

The last extension of the Forest in 1817 saw the High Meadow estate sold by Viscount Gage to the Crown Commissioners of Woods for £155,863.

The estate covered a vast 4,257 acres located in parishes and districts like Bicknor, Staunton, Dixton, and Newland, and included the manors of Staunton, English Bicknor, and Braceland.

It also encompassed industrial properties such as forges, furnaces, and iron and tin works at Redbrook and Lydbrook, along with corn mills, lime kilns, and Coleford market house.