A stand of exceptionally straight oak trees known as King’s Wood has been crowned the best managed broadleaf woodland in South Wales.

The trees are part of a larger block of woodland managed by Forestry Commission Wales called the Hendre Woods, to the west of Monmouth.

The oaks were planted in the early 1940s and are particularly special due to their unusual straightness and form as a result of good management and forest stewardship over many years.

FC Wales local area manager Richard Gable, who has looked after the oaks since 2002, was delighted to see King’s Wood rule the awards for broadleaf trees at the Royal Welsh Show.

He said, “There has been a history of good management in these woodlands over many years in order to provide environmental benefits both now and in the future.

“We’re extremely proud of the quality of the oak trees which, in another 30 or more growing years, will produce a stand of very high value veneer quality trees.”

In addition to the gold award in the category for a woodland with over 40% broadleaves over 40 years old, King’s Wood also claimed the Milford Silver Medal awarded to the best entry for all broadleaf classes from new planting, up to 40 years and 40 years of age and over.

The Hendre Woods adjoin the old Rolls of Monmouth estate which was once an historic deer park before being turned into what is now a famous golf course.

The woods themselves are over 300 hectares in area (approximately 800 acres) of predominantly broadleaf trees.
The majority of the oak trees growing in the Hendre Woods were planted from the early 1930s through to the 1950s. However, there are a number of exceptionally old veteran oak trees scattered across the woodland that date back five or more centuries to a time when Henry VIII was on the throne.