The Green Corridor

In January 2023 Wellington Town Council took over the management of an 64 acre area of land known as the Green Corridor on a 150 year lease from Somerset West and Taunton Council.

The area of land stretches from Fox’s Field at Tonedale Mill through to The Basins and then over to Rockwell Green and Hilly Head and, when the railway crossing is open, links into the field off Linden Hill that the Town Council purchased in 2022. This then links the land to Westford bringing the total land area of the Green Corridor to 66 acres.

Working with partners our aim is to ensure that the land remains available for public use and that it is used it to promote recreation, healthy lifestyles, local food growing and the development of arts and cultural spaces. We will ensure that the land is maintained and developed in a way that promotes biodiversity and improves wildlife habitats. The Town Council and these partners form The Green Corridor Advisory Board meet bi-monthly to discuss the future of the land and explore projects and funding that can be implemented.

Much work has been undertaken in the past two years from improving accessibility to working to create better habitats and corridors for wildlife. The main paved route from The Basins to Rockwell Green was made fully accessible in autumn 2024 through the installation of a ramp on a bridge and by removing kissing gates at either end of the route. Beginning in December 2024, the Town Council worked in partnership with The Woodland Trust to plant 3300 trees in the Green Corridor, creating new areas of woodland for leisure and wildlife.

Town Council Commitments

Click here to view the commitments that Wellington Town Council is prepared to make in relation to the management of the Green Corridor land as part of a 150 year lease with Somerset West and Taunton.

Land Management Plan

Click here to view the Council’s Management Plan for the land.

The Green Corridor Advisory Board

The Green Corridor Advisory Board is a steering group consisting of Town Councillors and representatives of interested Community Groups. The Board meets monthly to discuss the ongoing development and delivery of the management plan for the land.

The Green Corridor Woodland Creation Scheme

In the 2024/25 tree planting season, Wellington Town Council worked in partnership with The Woodland Trust to plant over 3000 trees over 2 hectares of the Green Corridor. 75% of this scheme was funded by The Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods* Scheme with the remaining 25% funded by the Town Council. The planting was done entirely by volunteers from the local community and through a few “corporate days” by EDF Energy, The Environment Agency, and Somerset Council.

*MOREwoods is funded by Lloyds bank.

Why create woodland here?

One of the most important ambitions of the Green Corridor Advisory Board is to increase the area’s biodiversity. Increasing numbers of native trees is a great way to achieve this. These fields in the past have been used relatively intensely for agriculture and we know that before this the area would have had more woodlands. One ancient oak tree who may have been part of this woodland survives in the Green Corridor and is lovingly known as “Old Friend” by locals.

We have carried out ecological surveys throughout the Green Corridor and can see that trees are trying to spread now the agricultural grazing and mowing has stopped. We know this because a few saplings from nearby ash trees have taken root naturally and woodland indicator species such as celandine are present in areas such as great meadow. Planting trees will give these natural processes a kickstart and help things to happen more quickly. We have used the ecological surveys, and local knowledge of the site to tell us where the best places to plant trees are.

What species were planted and why?

Entirely native species were used in this project, many of which were already present in the Green Corridor. The wildlife that calls this area home will benefit greatly from more native tree species and more wildlife may even appear as the trees mature. Native species are hardy and have evolved to thrive in our environment and should remain resilient even in the face of climate change. We planted a mixture of trees and shrubs throughout our planting areas to create habitats with different heights so that a complex woodland structure would be encouraged to form.

All of the trees planted as part of this project were sourced from UK nurseries by The Woodland Trust. This was done to limit our impact on climate change and to reduce the risk of introducing new diseases to the area. The trees have been grown to the Trust’s own plant health standard, UKISG (UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown).

Please see our graphic below to see a list of the species we planted:

Where were trees planted?

Trees were planted in Great Meadow, Marsh Mead, Watersman Hill, and Great Oak Field. As mentioned earlier, these areas were chosen as the land was already showing sings that it was ready to return to its natural state as woodland. Consideration for existing sight lines to Wellington Monument and Rockwell Green Water Towers were taken into account as well as sewer pipes and power lines. Along with this, roundels were planted in Riverside Meadow, Fox Cub Field, and south of the waterway in Great Oak Field. Roundels consist of a central oak tree surrounded by shrubs. This works with the tree’s natural ecology and helps the central tree grow. The shrubs will be removed after 30-40 years and in the distant future we will hopefully see more lone oak trees like Old Friend.

You can see a rough map of the main planting areas below:

Why did the community do the planting?

We have really appreciated how the public have engaged with us since we took on the Green Corridor. The site was purchased for the people of Wellington and Rockwell Green (and beyond!) to enjoy as a free open space. We wanted the local community to feel connected to the site and what better way to forge a connection that being part of shaping the land’s ecology? Community tree planting has been a fantastic way for people to forge new friendships, learn more about the area, and feel like they are making a difference in their locality. Our volunteers throughout this project have been outstanding, some of them are real tree planting machines!

What are the plans for the future?

Now that more than 3000 trees and shrubs have been planted in the Green Corridor, we have a job ahead of us to look after this developing woodland. Our Woodland Trust contact Rosie is a Wellington local and member of the Green Corridor Advisory Board so will be with us every step of the way when it comes to managing this land going forward. The freshly planted saplings each received a bamboo cane to keep them steady, a plastic guard to protect them from animals, and were all tucked in with a few shovelfuls of mulch. In the coming months and years we will be regularly inspecting the trees, straightening canes, replenishing mulch, and eventually removing the plastic guards when the trees are more mature. This will again require voluntary effort, so keep an eye on this page and on Wellington Town Council’s social media profiles for opportunities to get involved.

Aerial Footage of the Green Corridor