There are approximately 600 acres of woodland on the Abbeystead Estate, more than 40 acres of which have been planted since the estate was purchased in 1980. In 1981 some 30,000 trees were planted, since when between two and five acres have been added each year.

In 2006, for example, 12,000 new trees were planted, mainly native hardwoods such as Oak and Ash with Crab-apple, Birch, Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Mountain Ash included to provide food and shelter for a variety of birds.

Generally the foresters at Abbeystead seek to maintain 20% of open ground within a wood, mostly achieving this by enlarging naturally-forming glades in order to provide a diversity of habitat for all sorts of wildlife.

The woodland provides important linkages to the different habitats scattered throughout the estate, with the open ground within woodland providing highways for wildlife movement and important foraging areas.