Once a hunting ground for Anglo-Saxon kings, and home to a thriving population of wolves, Stoke Woods also have a rich history of valuable timber production (You can still see traces of early coppice boundary banks which date from the Medieval period). Today the woods are sustainably managed by the Forestry Commission to produce timber, conserve wildlife and to provide for recreational use. Over the next few years the non-native conifers will be progressively removed to allow native broadleaved trees to reclaim the wood. This work has already begun, bringing about a dramatic change in the look of the woods.