Stapleford Woods
| Stapleford Woods | |
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Stapleford Woods
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| Geography | |
 Stapleford Woods
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| Location | Lincolnshire, East Midlands, England |
| Coordinates | 53°05′57″N 0°42′54″W / 53.099217°N 0.714969°WCoordinates: 53°05′57″N 0°42′54″W / 53.099217°N 0.714969°W |
| Status | Working forest, accessible to visitors via marked woodland paths |
| Established | pre-1600s |
| Governing body | Forestry Commission |
| Website | www |
| Ecology | |
| Forest cover | 750 acres (300 ha) |
| Dominant tree species | Scots pine, Corsican pine, Silver Birch, Rhododendrons |
Stapleford Woods are an area of ancient woodland and forest in Stapleford, Lincolnshire, England. The boundary of the ancient woods marks the county boundary between Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
Left in ancient times to Trinity College, Cambridge, the 750 acres (300 ha) site was clear-felled during the early stages of World War I to supply local industry. Left unplanted between the wars, the grounds were used as a British Army camp and training grounds during World War II.
In September 1943 No. 239 Squadron RAF had moved to RAF Ayr to train as a night fighter unit, and re-equipped with the De Havilland Mosquito. It then moved to RAF West Raynham, Norfolk to join No. 100 (Bomber Support) Group, participating in night time operations against enemy Nazi-Luftwaffe fighters. On 27 October 1944 during fighter affiliation training with No. 49 Squadron RAF, a Mosquito piloted by F/Lt J.H.Roberts and accompanied by Flight Engineer Sgt. A.M.Ashcroft, stalled and crashed in the woods, with the immediate death of both pilot and passenger.
After the cessation of hostilities, in late 1945 the woods were bought by the newly formed Forestry Commission. Along with a lot of woodland within the River Trent valley, in the 1950s the site was extensively replanted with both Scots and Corsican pine, chosen to supply local industry.
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Wikipedia