Local campaign aims to save ancient Ruscombe Wood through community purchase

People living in Stroud and nearby villages have started a fundraising campaign to buy Ruscombe Wood, an ancient forest on the town’s edge. Volunteers have just a year to raise the needed money, with the objective of preventing development and preserving its ecological importance for future generations.

Ruscombe Wood, designated as ancient woodland, is a forested area that has persisted without interruption since at least 1600 AD. Such sites are scarce in England and valued for their high biodiversity, containing native trees, ground‑cover flora, and a variety of wildlife, including several bat and bird species that depend on the mature canopy. Local conservation groups stress the wood’s function as a carbon sink and a green corridor connecting other Cotswold habitats.

The fundraising push began after the landowner declared an intention to sell the plot, raising concerns that a commercial purchaser might clear parts of the forest for housing or other projects. In reaction, a coalition of village societies, environmental charities, and individual volunteers set up a steering committee to organise donations, events, and grant applications. Their target is to collect roughly £250,000—the seller’s asking price—within the coming year.

Support has already taken shape through various activities. Community bake sales, guided nature walks, and a series of local concerts have been arranged to both generate funds and raise awareness of the wood’s value. The group is also pursuing matching contributions from regional bodies such as Gloucestershire County Council and national programmes like the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which frequently backs projects that protect natural heritage.

Specialists point out that purchasing ancient woodland is an increasingly common method for safeguarding vulnerable sites, especially when public bodies lack the resources to buy them outright. By transferring ownership to a community trust, the land can be managed under a stewardship plan that emphasizes ecological health, public access, and educational use. Similar models have succeeded elsewhere in the UK, converting threatened woods into locally‑run reserves that benefit both nature and nearby residents.

Should the fundraising goal be achieved, the trust would acquire legal ownership of Ruscombe Wood and implement a long‑term management plan overseen by ecologists and volunteers. The plan would likely involve controlling invasive species, monitoring key wildlife populations, and creating low‑impact pathways for public enjoyment. If the required funds are not raised, the woodland could remain vulnerable to private development, a scenario many locals argue would diminish the character of the Stroud countryside.

As the deadline draws near, the organisers stay hopeful, citing a rising public desire to protect green spaces amid wider worries about climate change and habitat loss. The result will not only decide Ruscombe Wood’s fate but also act as a benchmark for community‑led conservation initiatives throughout the region.