About Hows Wood

Hows Wood is situated in upper Eskdale and covers 8 hectares. We bought the wood from the Forestry Commission in 1987 to restore the ancient native woodland and as a way of showcasing the way forward for managing woodlands. Visit the wood to take a gentle stroll in this quiet part of the Lake District, see the bluebells in spring and listen out for the cuckoos in summer.

Our work here

With the assistance of a Woodland Grant from the Forestry Commission the conifers were removed in 1994. The boundaries were restored to keep out livestock and deer by re-building the dry stone walls, a bark peelers hut (pictured) was conserved and a circular walk waymarked. Our volunteers help maintain the walls, paths and remove any stray conifers that appear!

In 2024, we commissioned the second of two multiple capital reports to find the true value of Hows Wood in relation to the benefits it provides to people, nature, access and heritage for example. The report, compiled by Prof. Lois Mansfield, found that this wood delivers around £2.28m worth of benefits. You can find both reports in our resources section here.