Royal Mail yesterday celebrated a new woodland in memory of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II near its North West Parcel Hub in Warrington.
The 21 acre site, which is equivalent in area to 20 football pitches, is part of Bold Forest Park, within The Mersey Forest, and was established in 2023 as part of Her Late Queen Elizabeth II’s Queen’s Green Canopy. The Queen’s Green Canopy celebrates the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee when people all over the UK were invited to “Plant a tree for the Jubilee”.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Mr Mark Blundell; Cllr Jeanette Banks, Mayor of St Helens; Sir Nicholas Bacon, Chairman of the Queen’s Green Canopy; Mr Geraint Richards, Head Forester to His Majesty the King; Mr Charles Vivian, CEO Community Forest Trust; Paul Nolan, Director at The Mersey Forest; Cllr Anthony Burns, Leader of St Helens Borough Council and others, joined Royal Mail’s Chief Commercial Officer, Nick Landon, to plant three trees from the late Queen and the King’s arboreal collection.
The new Royal trees include a tree grafted from the Ankerwycke Yew at Runnymede in Berkshire. The Ankerwycke Yew is said to have witnessed the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 and to be the location where Henry VIII met with his second wife Anne Boleyn.
Two Queen Elizabeth II Royal Oaks, also planted yesterday, come from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s collection at Windsor Great Park and were gifted by the King. Some may well recognise the symbolism of the Royal Oak and its connection to another King Charles. An oak tree provided a safe hiding place for the future King Charles II following his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Nine years later he returned to England to be crowned King and continued to both delight and bore people with the tale of his infamous escape for the rest of his life.
The Royal Mail Woodland connects two pre-existing woods at Bold Forest Park in The Mersey Forest: Clock Face Country Park and Griffin Wood. The mixed native woodland of 14,500 trees was planted by local armed forces veterans working with The Mersey Forest Team and children from St Helens Willow Tree Primary School. The Mersey Forest and volunteers have also planted native hedging, over an acre of species rich wild grassland meadow and have rewilded a pond, all of which will support local wildlife.
Royal Mail acquired the land in 2023 as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy Project, supported by The Mersey Forest and Community Forest Trust. Funding for the planting also came from The Mersey Forest’s Trees for Climate programme, funded by DEFRA’s Nature for Climate Fund, St Helens Council’s Omega Biodiversity Net Gain funding and Arbor Day Foundation.
Paul Nolan, Director of The Mersey Forest, said: “We were thrilled when the Royal Mail approached us to help find a site for them to develop a woodland. This spot, within Bold Forest Park, provided a great opportunity to link up established woodlands, for the benefit of nature, people and climate. We’ve lots of plans to get the local community involved with this site, helping to connect more people with nature as we continue to grow The Mersey Forest.”
Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail, continued: “The Royal Mail Woodland, just a stone’s throw from our Warrington Parcel Hub, aims to build on the vibrant and diverse habitat which already exists at The Mersey Forest. The Mersey Forest, DEFRA, St Helens Council, hundreds of volunteers, military veterans, local school children and Royal Mail employees have worked hard to create a lasting community space for generations to come.
“We are honoured that the King has generously gifted the Royal oaks and yew which are centuries’ old reminders of the longevity and love of the British public for trees. They also provide the Mersey community with a physical connection to the Royal Family and the Late Queen’s Green Canopy legacy.”
The Mersey Forest is monitoring the wildlife on this site and will be organising activities for the community to get involved in, including nature conservation sessions for local schools, a Bio Blitz event this summer and regular volunteering sessions.
Visit: www.merseyforest.org.uk to sign up to The Mersey Forest enewsletter and follow them on social media to stay up-to-date on activities at this site and their wider work.
