Woodland 'good life' a winner

English Nature wants woodland teeming with wildlife

A couple who abandoned suburbia to live off the land in the middle of an ancient wood are among 14 award winners at this year's Royal Show.

Hugh Ross and Carolyn Church left Milton Keynes to live a truly sustainable life in the middle of Rawhaw Wood, at Pipewell, near Kettering in Northamptonshire.

The wood is an ancient semi-natural woodland dating back to Richard I.

It is used to produce a range of products including firewood, charcoal and hazel spars for stakes, binders, pea and bean sticks through the ancient practice of coppicing.

Valuable wildlife

The couple were among winners of the Government's wildlife watchdog top honours, which were announced at the UK's most pretsigious agricultural show on Tuesday.

The awards, sponsored by English Nature, are now in their sixth year.

Winners all manage sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), ranging from ancient meadows which have remained unchanged for hundreds of years to council-owned ponds.

English Nature chairman Sir Martin Doughty said: "We celebrate their success and hope it inspires other owners and occupiers and managers to manage their valuable wildlife sites with care to enable us all to once again enjoy an England teeming with wildlife and geological features."

Biggest heronry

Joe Taylor and staff at Coombe Country Park, which is managed for Coventry City Council, are also among the winners.

More than 450,000 visitors flock to this easily accessed green lung on the outskirts of Coventry to see the biggest heronry in the country.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council has been recognised for its work with local schools, visiting three geological sites of special scientific interest and for looking after one of the biggest populations of great crested newts in the UK.