New England Wood Trust is a charity formed in 1980 to raise funds to buy and support New England Wood as a nature reserve for the benefit of the people of Cuckfield and the surrounding area.In 2022 the charity converted to a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) to simplify trustee administration.

The wood is maintained by a group of volunteers including some of the trustees who meet most Mondays throughout the year and most Wednesdays during winter months.

To improve access and usability for visitors we maintain 13/4 miles of paths, approximately 20 bridges and 200 steps. We also coppice and maintain clearings to provide environments for increased diversity of species.

Since early 2023 we have been felling ash trees weakened or killed by a fungal infection that causes die-back making them potentially dangerous to visitors to the wood.

Although die-back has devastated the ash tree population, we are working to turn this into an opportunity by increasing open space and planting a wider variety of trees with a focus on providing habitats to attract more species in general and more butterflies in particular.

Recent works 

Monday 01-Sep-25

Step build completed on Badger Bypass.

Monday 08-Sep-25

Work started on a flood management project to be implemented in conjunction with the Ouse & Adur River Trust (OART) as part of their Adur Adaption Project. The first task is for Woodlander volunteers to clear the stream beds and banks of debris and undergrowth in preparation for "leaky dams" to be built. Once clearance work is complete Woodlander and OART volunteers will build the dams.

Monday 15-Sep-25

Planned works cancelled due to risk of falling trees and/or branches as a result of high winds.

Monday 22-Sep-25

Stream clearance work.

Monday 29-Sep-25

Path clearance in the northeast of the wood and glade clearance in Chestnut Grove to encourage Sweet Chestnut saplings planted in previous years to flourish. We also manufactured oak posts for use in future projects.