Rollins Wood Community
A community-owned woodland, orchard, allotments and nature space in Marple Bridge, open to all.
Rollins Wood is a 7-acre community woodland in Marple Bridge. Since early 2014 the land has been transformed. We’ve planted 1,500 trees and created an organic vegetable garden, orchard, pond and meadow. All this has been done by our 130 shareholding members and enthusiastic volunteers.
Open to visitors · Supported by members · Cared for by volunteers
What We Do
Manage the woodland
The woodland needs care to encourage the species we want and fine-tune its ecology. Our teams of volunteers might be seen tree felling, coppicing, hedge-laying and cutting back bramble and Himalayan balsam. All welcome, no experience required!
Encourage wildlife
We carefully monitor our birds, butterflies and other animals to watch their spread. The patchwork of different habitats is ideal for biodiversity and the wet, sloping lower field is little visited and a haven for wildlife.
Involve people
Through the seasons we hold community events such as our family fireworks, wreath-making and basketry, bat walks, moth trapping and wildlife surveys. We hope to inspire all ages to immerse themselves in the woodland and all it offers.
Nature and Wildlife
Our Trees
Our trees are varied in age and type: we have over 40 different native trees – some large old oaks, many smaller oak with ash, hazel, birch and hawthorn. In 2015 we planted 1,500 new trees including hazel and basket willow for coppicing and others not common locally such as bird cherry, aspen, walnut (in the picture) and scots pine.
Our Meadow
The wildflower meadow is a sunny open area which is gradually becoming more colourful, as we cut the grass for hay each year and encourage flowers such as ox-eye daisy, purple vetch, birds-foot trefoil and the tall heads of angelica.
Our Wildlife
We have badgers living on the river bank, occasional visits by roe deer and foxes, weasels and voles in the thick vegetation. Birds include the joyful chiffchaff, song thrushes, owls and jays plus rarer species such as tree sparrows.
What We Produce
Fruit and Vegetables
A dozen members share the allotment space and grow a great variety of food. The orchard has 35 apple, pear, damson and plum trees which our members prune – and share the fruit in season.
Honey and cider
From the beginning we have had bees in three hives to help pollinate the orchard – and the honey is a gift from them. They make more than they need and members always buy up the surplus!
Firewood, basket willow, hazel sticks and hay!
A productive woodland can generate half a ton of wood per acre. Coppicing is a traditional technique for growing valuable sticks and is beneficial for wildlife, too. We have several colours of willow, too, which we use for sculpture and basketmaking.
Come and visit us
We are open to everyone. Find us at Rollins Wood, 35 Compstall Road, Marple Bridge SK6 5HG.
Access open to all, on foot. No parking on site except disabled.