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Print articleTop Lodge at Fineshade Woods is an ambitious partnership redevelopment project, which has used local and natural materials and the latest renewable energy design, to develop 18th-century buildings into a state of the art recreation and information complex. The site offers visitors a unique opportunity to get inside the local environment, to explore it, to see local wildlife up close, and learn about local crafts and the heritage of the area.
The project falls at the heart of the River Nene Regional Park (RNRP) initiative and has been delivered by Forestry Commission England alongside local and national partners, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Rockingham Forest Craft Guild. It has been supported by Communities and Local Government funding.
Speaking about the project, Lord Clark said:
?This magnificent set of buildings deliver important sustainability principles in every fibre, and the use of natural materials and sympathetic development ensure it is in keeping with the surrounding ancient woodland. It is the perfect gateway to the unique Rockingham Forest. Top Lodge shows how we can work responsibly and sustainably with the environment, and yet produce enticing and exciting results to draw people in to explore, experience and enjoy the natural world around us.?
The vast majority of the materials used for the development were local and naturally sourced, including green oak and ash timber from sustainably managed ancient woodlands. Sheep's wool has been used as eco-friendly roof insulation material. The site also has one of the biggest reed bed sewerage systems in the country, with an organic five-tier cleansing process, as well as a rainwater collection system, and a wood-fuelled heating system supplied from the surrounding forest.
Kevin Stannard, the local forest manager, adds that the building is just the start, with one of the key drivers of the project being to encourage more people to get outdoors and be active in the countryside. He said:
?Woodlands offer a brilliant green and safe space for people to enjoy, and Top Lodge will help us deliver our commitment, as part of our Active Woods campaign, to get more people out, active, and benefiting from the fresh air, offering them the space to run, walk and let off energy. With more than 26 kilometres of cycle trails and walks through the forest, all-ability access into the woodland, and all the things on offer, we hope people will come back time and again. So far we have had more than 2000 people using the site, and that is before it has been officially launched. Now we want to really put Top Lodge on the map.?
Many of the trails which snake through the oak, ash, beech and pine trees of Fineshade take visitors through sites where iron smelting, coppicing and charcoal burning happened centuries ago. Information and interpretation specially developed for the site tells the story of the area's rich heritage, and the Craft Guild will bring that all back to life and celebrate those local traditions with regular demonstrations in the converted barns at Top Lodge.
The project which is 9 miles from Corby and 15 miles from Peterborough has been developed through ?950,000 funding from the River Nene Regional Park (RNRP). RNRP works with local authorities and partners to develop sustainable communities across Northamptonshire and Peterborough ? an area highlighted for growth in the latest round of Government community and housing planning.
Jason Longhurst, Director of the RNRP said:
?Top Lodge is great, another excellent facility for the communities of East Northamptonshire, Corby and Peterborough ? delivered on time and to budget by a strong partnership. The quality of the workmanship on the site is matched only by the quality of the natural and historic landscape in this part of Rockingham Forest. It is great to see national partners such as the RSPB and Forestry Commission working together with a new social enterprise, the Craft Guild for the benefit of both current and future generations of local people. This development provides the north of the regional park with a facility to match Salcey Forest?s award winning Tree Top Way in the south.?
