A new area of woodland near Truro was among the winning entries in the 2017 edition of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association’s woodland competition.

The results were announced at this year’s show for the five competition categories with Lady St Levan, this year’s show president, presenting the awards in the main ring.

The judges praised Lesley and Simon Trehane, the winner of the ECC International Perpetual Trophy for the best new woodland planted since 2002 for their “well established but already productive” woodland at Pencoose, St Erme near Truro.

They added that the well-designed woodland worked well on a small scale so the owners could keep a close eye on detail, meeting its objectives of producing firewood, encouraging wildlife and creating an attractive landscape.

Chris and Penny Gregory from St Cleer were awarded the Silvanus Perpetual Trophy for the best restored woodland for Gilly’s Wood at Trethinnick.

There was stiff competition for the Duchy of Cornwall trophy for the best woodland established for nature conservation, landscape or recreation. This year the winner was the Woodland Trust, for Half Moon Wood at Stithians.

The wood was established in 2000 with the help and support of the community. It is easily accessible and well used by the people of Stithians and the judges agreed that it “most closely met the criteria for the class.”

The Duchy of Cornwall’s woodland at the Restormel Estate, Lostwithiel won the class for the best woodland established primarily for timber production, picking up the Lord Falmouth trophy.

The Davis family from Wadebridge picked up the Cornwall County Council trophy for using and adding value to round timber produced in the county

The Eucalyptus planting at Treworder Barton is based on the very successful silvicultural systems employed in Spain and South America which the judges felt was a “bold attempt to address the wood supply issue in the south west.”

The Davis’ used the plantation to feed into their existing wood fuel business which produces high quality kiln dried firewood and woodchips.

The woodland competitions will run again in 2019. Full details will be available on the Royal Cornwall Show website nearer the time: www.royalcornwall.co.uk