Shenley Wood

History

The history of this site goes back much, much further than Milton Keynes. As you walk, you’re following in the footsteps of people who have been here for over 2,000 years.

  • Roman and Saxon connections: The woodland and the wider Shenley area have been home to people since at least Roman and Saxon times, and there are traces of those early settlements in the area.
  • A Domesday Book entry: Shenley Wood is one of the very few ancient woodlands in Milton Keynes mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name “Shenley” comes from an Old English word meaning “bright clearing”. This tells us that even a thousand years ago, this was a special place—a clearing in the forest that people settled in.
  • Medieval and Norman times: Just north of here, you can find Shenley Toot, the earthwork remains of a medieval motte-and-bailey castle that was built around 1239 AD. The resident lords who once lived here would have relied on this wood for resources like timber, fuel and for hunting.

Managing a modern city’s heritage

The woodland is now managed by The Parks Trust, working to protect and enhance this ancient woodland for everyone, carrying out traditional practices like coppicing and tree thinning, which helps more sunlight reach the forest floor. This management helps the woodland plants to thrive. All the ancient woodlands in Milton Keynes have a 10-year management plan approved by The Forestry Commission, which oversees the UK Forest Certification Group (UKFCG). The woodland is split into 18 blocks with 1-2 blocks on an annual thinning cycle. The Yearly Management per block:

  • The upper canopy will be thinned to a maximum intensity of 20%.
  • The middle canopy will be thinned to a maximum intensity of 50%.
  • The understorey will be coppiced in sections creating small coups (the small areas designated for coppicing), while not exceeding 50 % of the compartmental area
  • Non-intervention belts dictated by thicker scrub and woodland edge areas will be left, as will selected tree species to grow on and form the next canopy.
  • Within the coups we will look to replant trees to diversify the woodland cover with the loss of trees from Ash dieback.

Replanting these blocks with native species includes Field Maple, Hazel, Blackthorn and Hawthorn.

Today the wood is 24.1ha (59.5 acres) whereas in 1690s it was almost twice the size at 43ha/105 acres, at a height of 92 metres above sea level at its high point.

The threat of Ash Dieback: Recently, the woodlands have faced a new challenge with Ash Dieback disease, which is killing many of the mature ash trees. To combat this, The Parks Trust is running initiatives to plant new oak trees; it is a reminder that this is a constantly changing, living landscape.

 Geology and Soil

Shenley Wood is an ancient woodland with a distinctive geological and ecological character that shapes everything from the trees to the delicate wildflowers

  • A damp, clay base: Much of the Milton Keynes area, including Shenley Wood, sits on glacial boulder clay. This means the soil is heavy, has poor drainage, and holds water easily. It’s a key reason why much of this wood is characterized as a “wet woodland”
  • Water features: The Parks Trust has established several ponds to collect rainwater and provide habitats, and the ancient woodland itself has several streams and ditches carrying water down the hillside. The poor drainage results in seasonally wet conditions that influence the types of plants that can grow here.
  • Woodland type: Following the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) system, Shenley Wood is described as ‘W8: Ash–Field Maple–Dog’s Mercury Woodland’. The presence of ash and field maple, along with indicator plants like Dog’s Mercury, is typical of wet woodlands found on clay soils.
  • Dominant canopy tree species: The woodland canopy is dominated by Pedunculate Oak, Ash, and Aspen, though the Ash population has been significantly impacted by Ash Dieback disease.
  • Understorey and ground flora: Below the canopy, you’ll find a lively understorey of Hazel, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Goat Willow which is regularly managed by coppicing to allow light to reach the forest floor. In the spring, the ground is famous for a stunning display of Ancient Woodland Indicator (AWI) species like Bluebells, Wood Anemone, Black Bryony and Primrose.
  • Other features: In addition to the main woodland, The Parks Trust manages surrounding habitats, such as the meadows at Shenley Toot which support wildflowers for pollinators, the area around the south entrance car park, and is now establishing itself along the SUDS ponds to the east .

In summary: All of this–the clay soil, the seasonal wetness, and the centuries of continuous tree cover—creates the special, diverse, and slightly damp ancient woodland you’ll experience today. The ground we stand on dictates the plant communities that thrive here and makes Shenley Wood a unique and irreplaceable natural treasure in Milton Keynes.