Feanedock Woodlands

Feanedock, the former site of the annual Timber Festival, is one of the few woodlands where you might  have occasionally stumbled upon a passing Poet Laureate reading their verse or a DJ performance under a forest canopy. The woodland has long inspired creative and cultural gatherings, reflecting the character of the National Forest and the communities who live there.

The woodland itself was planted in different eras, the oldest being Feanedock Covert, established in the late 19th century, possibly as a fox covert. A century later, further tree planting took place as part of the Ashby Woulds regeneration in the 1990s, shortly before the National Forest added a third area of planting in 2009 to create the woodland we see today. The site is planted mainly with native broadleaved species. A small pond was created at the northern end and is surrounded by marshy grassland with a variety of flowers and emergent plants, such as reeds and rushes.

There are clues to the industrial heritage of the area with steep embankments thought to be due to coal mining, and views over the neighbouring lake, previously a landfill site and before that, an open cast coal mine. From black to green, the landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation to the scenic views of today. 

A bridleway link has been created along the hedgerow edge of the site. Gorse Lane, the bridleway which separates Feanedock from the adjacent Boothorpe Wood, is part of the National Forest Way. 

• Dog walking 
• Great views 
• Home of the National Forest Timber Festival 
• Part of the National Forest Way 

• Local car parking available 
• Accessible by local bus services