Heath Wood

The Wood was originally the old gravel pits which were owned, along with the surrounding land, by the Greengrass family in the 16th and 17th centuries. The 1558 will of William Greengrass states: “I give to the reparations of the King’s highway in Troston, where the most need is, 20 loads of gravel”.

Two hundred and fifty years later the inhabitants were still repairing their own roads, and in 1807 the pits were designated to the village by the commissioners at the time of The Enclosures. In 1892, they were taken over by the Thingoe Union when it became responsible for the upkeep of local highways.village history book, it was discovered that the pits had already been given to the village back in 1807, and so the land was transferred to Troston free of charge!

The Borough of St.Edmundsbury subsequently inherited the task from Thingoe and in 1991 offered to sell it to Troston Parish Council.  However, with research carried out for the village history book, it was discovered that the pits had already been given to the village back in 1807, and so the land was transferred to Troston free of charge.

In recent times the Wood has been maintained by villagers as an environmental space for the enjoyment of local residents. The intention is to develop the Wood into an asset that will benefit a wider community - the Youth Club run “survival events” and the local school can use the space for their “Forest School”. Workshops to learn green-wood working skills are conducted by the Greenlight Trust.

Suffolk County Council’s Woodland Advisor believes: “Troston Wood is a very interesting wildwood. Its woodland habitat value is increasing. Removing deadwood both standing and fallen in low risk areas will reduce the wildwood feel and habitat value. It is important, therefore, not to commit to too much woodland work”.

In Spring, the wood has a splendid display of foxgloves among the first new leaves of oak and hawthorn. In Summer, the wood becomes a cool retreat, where it is possible to listen to the birds and observe the activities of roe deer and muntjac among the silver birch. In the Autumn, there is an abundant supply of blackberries, wild raspberries, crab apples and other wild fruits, which encourage creatures to the area. Even in the dormant months of winter, the woodland takes on another beauty of its own when the bare branches of the ancient trees are viewed against a setting sun.

 Click here and here to see maps of the wood.

 Click here to see a table of the many species you can find in the wood.

Click here to see a map of the woodland sculptures.