Kielder Forest is a large forestry plantation in Northumberland, England. A tree farm is privately owned forest managed for timber crop production Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is the largest forest in the UK, covering an area of 500 km²[1]. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located There is a large reservoir, Kielder Water at the heart of the forest. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Kielder Water is a large man-made Reservoir in Northumberland in North East England.
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History
The forest is owned and managed by the United Kingdom Forestry Commission, who initiated the first plantings in the 1920s. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Forestry Commission (established in 1919 is a Non-ministerial government department responsible for Forestry in Great Britain. During the 1930s, the Ministry of Labour supplied the men from among the unemployed in the country generally. Many came from the mining communities and shipyards of the North East of England. They were housed in one of a number of Instructional Centres created by the Ministry, most of them on Forestry Commission property; by 1938, the Ministry had 38 Instructional Centres across Britain. The hutted camp in Kielder is now under Kielder Water.
Prior to the 1920s, the land was predominantly open moorland, managed for grouse shooting and sheep grazing with remnants of native upland woodland existing along streamsides and in isolated craggy areas. Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. Often considered a family Tetraonidae, the American Ornithologists' Union The Forestry Commission, funded from the public purse, purchased land across the country with the brief of establishing a strategic reserve of timber for the nation. This single objective held sway until the 1960s. Since that time, management principles have changed in order to reflect rising awareness of environmental needs and to provide recreational facilities whilst seeking to maintain a sustainable supply of timber. Kielder today remains state owned and its development from a single objective plantation to multi-purpose forest mirrors the development of plantation forestry across the United Kingdom. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco
Geography
The name 'Kielder Forest' is often also applied to the area of hills and remote moorlands that surround the forestry plantations. Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas characterised by low growing vegetation on Acidic soils The group of hills merges into the Cheviots to the north-east but is generally well-defined on other sides. The Cheviot Hills are a range of rolling hills straddling the England / Scotland border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. It reaches a maximum height of 602 m at Peel Fell and also contains the Marilyns of Sighty Crag and Larriston Fells. Peel Fell is the highest hill in the Kielder Forest region of England making it the highest hill for several miles in each direction until the Cheviot Hills A Marilyn is a type of Mountain or Hill in Great Britain, Ireland or surrounding islands with a relative height of at least 150 metres Sighty Crag is a Hill in the southern part of the Kielder Forest region in northern England, a region which also includes its fellow Marilyns These hills, despite not being very high, are particularly remote owing to the scarcity of settlement in the region. Indeed, Sighty Crag is the furthest hill in England from a road. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places.
Trees
Kielder is dominated by conifers. Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) covers 75% of the planted area, this species thrives in the damp conditions afforded by northern Britain. The Sitka Spruce ( Picea sitchensis) is a large Coniferous Evergreen Tree growing to 50-70 m tall exceptionally to 100 m tall and Other species include Norway Spruce (Picea abies) and Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), which cover 9% of the area each. Norway Spruce ( Picea abies) is a species of Spruce native to Europe. Lodgepole Pine ( Pinus contorta) is a common Tree in western North America. The remainder is made up of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), larch (Larix spp. The Scots Pine ( Pinus sylvestris L family Pinaceae) is a species of Pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Larches are Conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. ), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and broadleaves including birch (Betula spp. The Coast Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii var menziesii) a variety of Douglas-fir, is an Evergreen Conifer native Birch is the name of any Tree of the genus Betula ( Bé-tu-la) in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the ), Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), cherry (Prunus spp. The rowans or mountain-ashes are Plants in the family Rosaceae, in the Genus Sorbus, subgenus Sorbus Prunus is a Genus of Trees and Shrubs including the Plums cherries, Peaches Apricots and ), oak (Quercus spp. The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin ), Beech (Fagus sylvatica), and willow (Salix spp. The European Beech or Common Beech ( Fagus sylvatica) is a Deciduous Tree belonging to the Beech family Fagaceae. Willows, sallows and osiers form the Genus Salix, around 400 species of Deciduous Trees and Shrubs found primarily ).
Timber
475,000 cubic metres of timber is harvested annually to supply local sawmilling, chipboard, pulp and wood fuel customers. A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards Sawmill process A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of 100 years ago a log enters Wood pulp is a dry fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating the fibers which make up Wood. Most of this volume comes from clearfelling areas, an increasing percentage however is sourced from stands harvested under continuous cover silviculture systems. Clearcutting or clearfelling is a Forestry / Logging practice in which the clear majority of all trees in a forest sector are cut down Selection cutting is the Silvicultural practice of harvesting a proportion of the trees in a stand Clearfelled areas are replanted with a mix of coniferous and broadleaf tree species, opportunities are also taken to increase the proportion of open space and to improved the riparian habitat. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group "Riparian" redirects here For the legal doctrine see " Riparian water rights. As with all Forestry Commission woodlands timber is independently certified under the Forest Stewardship Council scheme. The Forestry Commission (established in 1919 is a Non-ministerial government department responsible for Forestry in Great Britain. The Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC) is an international non-profit multi-stakeholder organization established in 1993 to promote
Environment
The forest contains a number of sites of special scientific interest, primarily associated with the upland moorland environment. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. A programme of restoration of Border Mires is ongoing. The forest is one of the last English strongholds of the European red squirrel, and provides excellent habitat for many species of raptors. The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris) is a Species of Tree squirrel ( Genus Sciurus Birds of prey are Birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing using their keen senses especially vision A large population of roe deer are actively managed. The European Roe Deer ( Capreolus capreolus) is a Deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions Many archaeological remains can be found within the forest and are an important cultural link to the often turbulent history of the area. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo - Scottish border ( Border country) for nearly three hundred years from the late 13th century
Recreation
Kielder Castle Visitor Centre is an 18th century hunting lodge built by the Duke of Northumberland, which has been converted into a visitor and information centre. The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It is located on the edge of Kielder Village at the head of the River Tyne valley. Kielder Village is a small settlement in Northumberland, England. The River Tyne is a River in England. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers the North Tyne and the South Tyne.
The Castle serves as a hub for the growing number of recreational facilities on offer, walking and cycling trails, picnic areas and a forest drive.
The forest contains a number of art and architectural installations including a Skyspace[2] designed by James Turrell and Wave Chamber, a camera obscura in a stone cairn by Chris Drury. James Turrell (born 1943, Los Angeles) is an artist primarily concerned with Light and Space.
The forest also contains Kielder Observatory which is an astronomical observatory. Kielder Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, England. An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial and/or celestial events
References
- ^ Forestry Commission - England - North East - Managing our woodlands
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000918/ai_n14341450 Jay Merrick in the Independent on the Kielder Skyspace
- Burlton, B. Jardine, D. O'Hara, J and Probert, C. , "Kielder Forest Park, Guide Book" 1996, HMSO, London, ISBN 0-85538-273-2
- Field, J. "Learning Through Labour: Training, unemployment and the state, 1890-1920, 1992, University of Leeds, ISBN 0-900-960-48-5
External links
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