The ancient woodland left untouched for 100 years

In a city with a population of almost 600,000 people, even if it prides itself on being one of the UK's greenest, it is rare to find places untouched by human activity - but an ancient woodland in Sheffield is home to just such an area, unofficially dubbed "No Man's Land", which has been left to go wild for almost 100 years.

Covering 346 acres (1.4 sq km), Ecclesall Woods are to the south west of Sheffield, close to the border with the Peak District, and they form the largest semi-natural woodland in South Yorkshire.

Nearly a century ago, 42 acres (17 hectares) of the woods were fenced off and the area has been allowed to lie pretty much undisturbed by human visitors ever since so flora and fauna can flourish there.

By contrast, according to a history compiled by volunteer group Friends of Ecclesall Woods, whose members care for the site in partnership with Sheffield City Council, the rest of the woodland has seen a lot of activity, not only in the last 100 years but even before.

Archaeological evidence of Neolithic rock art has identified a human presence in the area from pre-historic times.

People were attracted to what eventually became known as Ecclesall Woods not only for the timber, but because it also had a second valuable resource: water, in the form of the Limb Brook, which skirts around it to the south west.

The woodland features on maps dating back to the 1600s and was used even earlier for grazing and hunting.

Meanwhile, during Sheffield's industrial development, charcoal from the timber was used for smelting iron, while coal was extracted from quarries in the woods.

Jon Dallow, a woodland and countryside manager for Sheffield City Council who has responsibility for looking after Ecclesall Woods, among other sites, explained: "If you think about Sheffield's rich heritage, the woods have always been managed. They've always had people doing stuff to them.

"In Grenoside, there used to be clogmakers using the wood to make clogs. The steel industry links into the use of timber, making steel, pit props, all sorts of stuff.

"Woods have always been managed, so there have always people going in there."

In the 19th Century, the rise of imported softwoods and exotic hardwoods overtook the market for local timber and ancient woodlands like Ecclesall Woods became unprofitable and were threatened with development for housing.

But in 1927, the city council - then called Sheffield Corporation - with help from local philanthropist J. G. Graves, bought Ecclesall Woods from Earl Fitzwilliam to use as a recreational space or an "amenity woodland".

Shortly afterwards a bird sanctuary was established in part of the woods, and, in an effort to protect the birds from human disturbance, an area was fenced off.

Before the sanctuary was created, the number of bird species breeding in the woods was 41. By 1980, that number had risen to 61 species.

Even in the area outside the sanctuary, the overall bird population in the woods also increased.

David Bocking, who writes for outdoor online magazine Its Looking a Bit Black Over Bill's Mother's, has had the privilege of being taken into the sanctuary.

He said when he was there, he was struck by the richness of the bird song he could hear.

"There are blocks of Ecclesall Woods that look very similar to this bird sanctuary, but I thought I could hear more going on," he recalled.

"It just feels wild. It's amazing."

The trees in Ecclesall Woods are mostly oak, but other species native to the area, like alder, ash, elm, field maple, hawthorn, hazel and rowan, are also found there.

Species not native to the area, such as beech, hornbeam, larch, Scots pine, sweet chestnut and sycamore, were introduced there in the 19th Century.

Dallow said managing woodlands had to be a long-term project.

"You've got to think in100-year blocks because trees grow slower than us," he said.

"There's the big word we use - biodiversity - which is the idea of all the different species, but these woodlands are ecosystems or habitats and they take years and years to grow.

"Having that vision to think - what could it be like in 100 years time? - is really important."

For Bocking, the sanctuary makes a vital contribution to helping local bird populations.

Birds of prey, in particular, like places without people in them to bring up the next generation.

"Buzzards are huge beasts. They fly around and make an incredible noise around the woodlands all over the city but they nest in quiet places," he said.

"So, they nest in places like that wild bit of Ecclesall Woods, but they don't like folk or dogs blundering past them and they won't nest if there are lots of folk around - so they need these wild little patches."

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