FORESTRY work is to take place in some of Cumbria's woodlands.

National Trust rangers will be working in the woodlands near Keswick over the next couple of months.

The work is being carries out because it will improve the health of the woodlands, according to the National Trust.

The work follows a ten year Woodland Management Plan which the National Trust wrote earlier this year, which has been approved authorised by the Forestry Commission.

The plan includes an operations plan of the work required to maintain or improve the health of the trees, they say.

A spokesperson from National Trust North and West Lake District said: "We know woodlands near Keswick matter to many people.

"They are also good for plants, animals and home to rare mosses and lichens so we need to look after them well.

"As part of our management plans, some of our rangers will be carrying out ride management works over the next couple of months.

"This will involve thinning the woodland around the immediate path edges and also creating ‘scallops’ or small clearings, in certain designated areas.

"This can look dramatic at first but improves the health of the woodland in the longer term.

"The work, agreed with the Forestry Commission, will take place at Castlehead Wood and Cockshott Wood.

"The team will be removing some of the smaller trees from the sides of the path and around those small clearings to allow for natural light to penetrate through to the ground level of the woodland.

"This helps to create a mix of habitats within the wood, which is better for biodiversity, especially insects.

"A larger number of species inhabit the first 10 metres of a woodland edge than inhabit the rest of the woodland.

"Some of the timber taken out will be left in the Woodland to create ‘Woodpiles’.

"These small piles of timber will be a valuable habitat for insects and for the mosses and lichens that grow in this environment."