Frome Community Woodland
Somerset, England
Frome Community Woodland is the town’s largest new public green space; planted by the community, for the community. Initiated as a personal project by James in collaboration with Frome Town Council, the woodland was planted in remembrance of James’ friend Moko Sellars (1982-2022), made possible by an incredible crowdfunding campaign championed by her friends and family.
The woodland is designed to connect people and place. It will serve as a key destination along the proposed Frome-to-Bath cycleway, developed in partnership with the local community group Frome’s Missing Links.
Status
Completed (woodland)
Client
The Frome Community
Contractor
Frome Town Council
Contractor
Wessex Working Horses
Photographs
Thomas Whitcombe, Tom Eaglestone
Response to Site
The woodland’s design works in harmony with the land. As the lower, south-western slope naturally holds water in the winter, tree species were carefully chosen to thrive in these wet conditions. The planting reflects the adjacent woodland and features the Black Poplar (Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia), one of the UK’s rarest native trees.
At the heart of the woodland glade stands a single, multi-stem Birch (Betula utilis subsp. Jacquemontii); Moko’s Memory Tree.
Working with Communities
The meadow understory was seeded in Autumn 2025 using traditional heritage methods thanks to the impressive Shire horses of Wessex Working Horses and Oakwood Clyesdales. The trees were planted in March 2026 during an extraordinary seven-day community effort. Over 650 volunteers, including children from many local schools, came together to lend a hand, with students participating in a vote for the woodland’s future play equipment.
To manage hundreds of volunteers efficiently, the site was mapped into 10m x 10m squares. Each group was given the exact GPS coordinates of their square plot, allowing families to return, watch their trees grow, and share the sense of community ownership.
Plants in Use
3,800 native tree and hedgerow species were planted, each tree secured with a bamboo stake and protected with biodegradable tree guards. Ongoing management of the woodland by Frome Town Council and Frome volunteers.
Alnus glutinosa and Salix caprea thrive in wet conditions and commonly found by riverbanks; they have been planted on the lower part of the site where the site is susceptible to flooding. Carpinus betulus was chosen as a companion tree to Quercus robur (English oak), which together support a wide range of wildlife. Acer campestre is considered a sub-dominant species, planted across the site to unify the whole woodland.
