VITAL funding has enabled the Woodland Trust to promote Skipton Woods to younger visitors.

The charity has been working with local schools, training teachers and developing educational resources linked to the Castle as well as the woods.

And, it invited staff from various funding bodies to visit to the woodland to see how their money has helped restore, develop and improve the site for visitors.

Paul Taylor, executive director at The Veolia Environmental Trust, Hilary Hicks from the Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber and Angela Pease, community projects manager from Yorventure, were given a tour to see how the charity has used more than £100,000 of funding over the past two years.

Other work has included preserving the many historic dry-stone walls, improving accessibility for visitors, installing a number of new signs and waymarkers, building a new footbridge across the river and improving paths and signage.

The funding has also enabled the Woodland Trust to carry out a large amount of restoration work in the woods.

Alistair Nash, Woodland Trust site manager, said: “We would not have been able to carry out much of the work without financial support from grant funders so we’re delighted to show them how we’ve put their funding to use.

“Ancient woods like Skipton are rare and irreplaceable and we hope visitors will be able to appreciate our ongoing work to conserve and restore both this and other woods in the region.”