Knightwood

This project is focused on restoring Winding Shoot and its associated wetland habitats, a small tributary stream of the Black Water which flows through Knightwood Inclosure in the heart of the New Forest.

Issues on site

This watercourse has been artificially modified through straightening and over deepening, and the floodplain hydrology has been further disrupted by numerous side drains associated with the plantation crop.

Spoil banks along the length of the watercourse are preventing natural floodplain interaction, while several culverts further restrict flow.

Together, these alterations have degraded the wetland habitats and changed the site’s natural hydrology, leading to the encroachment of conifer and birch regeneration along the riparian margins.

Muddy, waterlogged woodland track at Knightwood, with standing water and leafless trees on both sides

Work being carried out

Restoration work is underway to improve this watercourse and its riparian habitats.

Earlier this year (2026), felling removed encroaching non-native trees and those on spoil banks to prepare the area for wetland restoration.

This summer, the wetland restoration work will take place and will aim to repair eroding areas, infill over deepened sections of the channel, infill side drains, remove spoil banks and revert the watercourse back to the lowest point of the floodplain.

This work will reconnect the channel with the floodplain, slow water flow and enhance the surrounding wetland habitats.

'The initial felling work has really transformed the area. With the trees removed, the landscape now feels naturally open, giving a glimpse to what the area would look like in the absence of drainage and altered hydrology. We're hopeful the wetland habitats will fully recover once the wetland restoration portion of the project has been completed'

Suzi Egleston, HLS project manager at Forestry England

Straight drainage channel running through woodland with leafless trees and brown bracken on the banks

Pre felling at Knightwood

Reducing shading to the stream channel will encourage macrophyte (freshwater plant) growth, essential for river invertebrates and helping support higher densities and diversity of species compared to unvegetated channels.

A stream running between grassland with several large logs to the left and trees in the background

Post felling at Knightwood

Opening up the floodplain habitat will also support the recovery of ground flora, creating better conditions for insects, birds and grazing animals.