Bombs proved to be for the crater good.

Byline: By Tony Henderson

Visitors are sure of a big surprise in one of the region's most accessible woods, says Environment Editor Tony Henderson.

It was probably not the uppermost thought in their minds at the time, but the Luftwaffe crew who dropped their bombs on the night of October 12, 1941, were contributing to the future attractiveness of a North-East woodland.

The German bomber left three craters in Chopwell Wood, which filled with water.

They are now known as the Bomb Ponds and are a site of nature conservation importance.

It was a highly unorthodox way of woodland pond creation, but then Chopwell is an exceptional wood.

For a start, it is on the edge of the Tyneside conurbation, 10 miles south west of the centre of Gateshead. Covering just under 1,000 acres, it is a mixed woodland of around 750,000 trees spread over 60 varieties.

Designated as a Woodland Park in 1993, the Forestry Commission has made conservation and recreation a firm priority over timber production. About 180,000 people a year visit Chopwell Wood for activities such as walking, cycling and horse riding, or to enjoy features like its sculptures.

It is not only bombs which had an impact. Farms and mines have also left a legacy, as have the railways which crossed the woodland.

A mineral line was built between 1893-96 to transport coal from collieries at Chopwell and High Spen. At least 3,000 tons of coal a day came through the wood.

The line closed in 1961, and now the track has become the Old Railway footpath, spanned by the 1894 stone bridge which carried the Chopwell-Rowlands Gill road across the track.

The Friends of Chopwell Wood have installed restored coal railway wagons on the route.

They have also reconstructed a stretch of railway track on a line which served the Victoria Garesfield mine on the fringe of the wood, and have added several small tubs which transported coal underground.

Mining has figured large in the area's history. In the 17th century two waggonways ran from the northern side of Chopwell Wood to Stella on the Tyne. By 1724, there were seven bell or drift mines in and around the wood. Villages around the wood, such as Victoria Garesfield and Chopwell, were pit communities.

The Pitman's Ride in the wood was the route once used by miners on their way to work, and a commemorative seat is to be installed.

As well as the bombs, war touched the wood in other ways. German PoWs, who were held in a camp at High Spen, did forestry work and one painted a watercolour of the 1831 Chopwell Gate Cottage which still stands at the main entrance to the wood. Chopwell Wood House was leased to a Squadron Leader Blackadder, who fought in the Battle of Britain.

In the First World War the drive for more home-grown food saw land from the wood converted to allotments at Chopwell village, which are still in use.

The wood has four waymarked walks ( the Old Railway path (1.4miles), an easy access trail (0.3 miles) and the 4.7-mile Boundary Walk.

The River Walk of 3.3miles takes in the scenic Derwent Valley. It follows crags over the river, where the wood's oldest trees grow. The difficulty of felling trees in such a location means that the oaks here have survived for around 200 years.

The wood was the location for a pounds 51,000 pilot health walks project, with referrals from local GPs' surgeries. Walkers can also take in the a tree trail, with over 30 named specimens. Two beeches are the fattest trees at Chopwell with girths of more than 12ft and there are Douglas Firs over 120ft high. Other species include Atlas Cedar from North Africa, Giant Californian Redwood and Weymouth Pine with its six-inch cones.

Nearby Strother Hills is a site of special scientific interest for its alder woodland.

Liz Searle and husband Jeff, who live in Victoria Garesfield, were founder members of the Friends, set up in 1991. Jeff is secretary and Liz serves on the committee. Liz loves the mix of trees, saying: "Chopwell has always been woodland. It is more or less our back garden.

"It is on the doorstep of the conurbation and is very accessible for people. It is recognised as an introductory forest, in that people who enjoy it may go on to sample other forests further afield."

The Friends aim to promote the conservation, recreation and educational attributes of the wood, which has a forest classroom with adjacent wildflower meadow and pond.

Nature puts on a show for visitors with 95 recorded bird species, 170 different types of fungi and common spotted orchids along the roadsides. The red squirrel population is down to a handful of individuals while, says Liz, the greys have "exploded" in numbers in the last year or two.

Two annual events reinforce the role of Chopwell as a wood to be enjoyed by people. There have now been 13 Forest Festivals in July, attracting up to 7,000 visitors over a weekend. It is the biggest woodland festival in the North.

The Friends also sell between 4,000 and 5,000 Christmas trees, with the proceeds invested back into the woodland.

"There is a lot of variety in Chopwell Wood, and it is very close to my heart," said Liz.

* Chopwell Wood will feature in the next series of TV's Wire in the Blood after night-time filming around a Stonehenge mock-up.

Chopwell Wood can be reached via the A694 from Gateshead, turning on to the B6315 in Rowlands Gill.

Drive up the hill towards High Spen and look for the brown tourism signs for the wood.

For more details ring the Forestry Commission on [phone].