Wood For The Trees

Only fragments of Britain's ancient woodland have survived until the present day: almost half of the nation's entire stock has either been cleared or converted to commercial softwood plantations in the past 50 years alone.

Only now, at the 11th hour, are the Woodland Trust and other conservation groups starting to reverse this trend, removing damaging conifers from natural woodland and planting native broad-leaved trees in their stead.

In this four-part series, starting today, naturalist Jeremy Cherfas explores the past, present and future of Britain's native woods, from London's fragile fringes, to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.

Today's programme begins in Bradfield Woods near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, an area from which native trees have been harvested since the 13th century, but which is now a nature reserve.

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