23rd May, 3-4pm at Glaisters Bridge Community Woodland Site, near Corsock.
D&G Woodlands and Upper Urr Environment Trust are welcoming all to a short and fun event on 23rd May as we ‘reveal’ the three stunning new benches installed on the Glaisters Bridge Community Woodland near Corsock:
You might have heard of the site or possibly even visited previously – it is a ‘first-of-its-kind’, with developer Foresight Group and forestry agent EJD Forestry working with UUET to establish a 20-year lease on part of a woodland creation project. This partnership approach has opened the door to community and wider benefits. Paths and wildlife scrapes are now established, community tree planting days and a range of public events have been held over the last 12 months. The site is already being used by locals as a community asset and it can act as an exemplar for similar schemes elsewhere.
As part of this work, three evocative and unique benches were commissioned from local craftsman Phil Daube. The bench contract was generously funded 50% by EJD Forestry/Foresight Group and the other 50% by The Glenkens & District Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Glaisters Bridge Community Woodland is a great example of adding community benefits to woodland creation projects and is one of three sites in the wider ‘Woodlands Plus’ project, all exploring different ways to add community, biodiversity or local employment value to woodland sites. For more info about the ‘Woodlands Plus’ project, visit: https://dgwoodlands.org.uk/woodlands-plus/.
The event will allow Phil to give us a snapshot and background to the process of making the benches, drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape – and yes, it will include a chance to sit on the benches! We’ll also be telling the story of how the partnership came about and the benefits it has delivered.
The event is open to all. No need to RSVP, but feel free to contact mcnabb.laurie@dgwoodlands.org with any accessibility queries. Please obviously dress for the weather on a relatively upland Galloway site in May.
Date: 23rd May 2025
Time: 3-4pm
Location: Glaisters Bridge Community Woodland Site, by the River Urr above Corsock – What three words location: https://what3words.com/lofts.plausible.bends
Travel: Best by bike or car – car sharing encouraged. Parking available along the side of the public road at, just beyond and just before the site itself.
Our thanks to everyone involved in the project so far.