My favourite place name in the whole of Warrington. Spud Wood is a woodland planted on agricultural land in the village of Oughtrington, near Lymm, alongside the Bridgewater Canal.
The land was acquired by The Woodland Trust in 1997 a part of the Woods on your Doorstep project, with an aim to create 200 new woods across England and Wales to celebrate the new millennium.
The fields were planted with potatoes at that time, hence the charming name, chosen by local people. The local community was heavily involved in raising money to buy the land, design the site and in planting the trees. It is truly a community woodland. Oughtrington’s name is Old English and it is suggested the place existed over a thousand years ago.
The wood is being created by planting native trees and shrub species, which also give the greatest benefit to wildlife. The plants are quite small because the smaller they are the quicker they grow and are therefore the best value for money. Around 60% of the site is covered by trees, with parts of the remainder being managed as a series of wildlife meadows.
The photos here were taken on 30 January 2007. I will revisit over the years to record the progress.
Have a look at the Woodland Trust site for Spud Wood
Directions
The wood is located on Oughtrington Lane, ¾ of a mile from the main A56 (follow the turn off for Lymm High School) and ½ a mile from the A6144 out of Lymm (turn off at Sandy Lane and right into Oughtrington Lane at the bottom of the road and over the Bridgewater Canal at Lloyd Bridge).
Check with Warrington’s Own Buses for up-to-date information on bus timetables.
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