Reclaiming Wildness: The Kielderhead Wildwood Project
The Kielderhead Wildwood Project is one of the most ambitious and inspiring rewilding initiatives in the UK.
Spearheaded by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, it aims to transform a remote upland valley into a thriving native woodland — a living, breathing ecosystem that reflects the landscape as it may have looked hundreds of years ago.
This isn’t just tree planting; it’s ecological restoration on a bold scale. With a vision to reconnect fragmented habitats and reintroduce lost species, the project brings together science, conservation, and community action in a way that feels both urgent and hopeful. It’s a rare opportunity to witness nature reclaiming its place — slowly, patiently, and powerfully.
Nestled in one of the most remote valleys in England, where the Scottish Borders hover on the horizon, this bold ecological experiment is quietly taking root. The Wildwood is reintroducing something long absent from the uplands — native woodland. As the filmmaker documenting this process, I had the privilege of capturing not only the environmental transformation but the people and partnerships making it possible.
Rebuilding What Was Lost
The vision for Wildwood is rooted in the idea of restoring what’s missing from the upland picture: woodland. Inspired by the ancient William’s Cleugh Scots pines, this isn’t just about replanting trees — it’s about reviving a habitat mosaic that includes blanket bogs, heathlands, rocky flushes, and interconnected forests.
Every tree planted at Wildwood has a local origin. Volunteers collected seeds and scions from the valley, which were then propagated in local nurseries and reintroduced to the land. Some trees are direct genetic descendants of the Williams Cleugh pines, preserving a rare and important lineage.
A Project Powered by People
Volunteers have been vital to the project’s success. From hauling materials across boggy, uneven terrain to digging in saplings by hand, their energy and dedication have shaped every part of the Wildwood’s progress. Some travel hours just to spend a day planting. As one volunteer put it, “I come out because it’s absolutely beautiful… and because it’s satisfying to know I’m part of something that will still be growing long after I’m gone.”
The Kielderhead Committee, Forestry England, and partners from Newcastle and Cumbria universities have all played a role, making this a true collective effort. It’s a model of partnership — not just between organisations, but between disciplines: ecology, land management, history, art, and education working in concert.
Wildness as a Concept
Throughout the project, one question kept surfacing: What does wildness really mean?
For some, it’s a place untouched by human hands. For others, it’s complexity, unpredictability, or simply the presence of life that exists beyond human control. The Wildwood is not only a site of ecological recovery — it’s a space for cultural reflection, shaped by contributions from artists, writers, scientists, and volunteers. Each perspective helps expand the definition of “wild” and invites new ways of seeing and understanding the land.
The Long View
Over 30,000 broadleaf trees have been planted to date. Mammals and birds are being tracked. Volunteers are returning season after season. The woods are beginning to take hold.
But Wildwood is only at the beginning. The hope is that in 30 or 100 years, this will be a dense, diverse forest — not because we keep planting, but because the ecosystem is self-sustaining. As one contributor said: “We won’t have to come back and plant 100 more trees — there’ll be 100 trees self-seeding.”
About the Film
This documentary captures the scale, ambition, and emotion of the Kielderhead Wildwood Project — from the heavy lifting and muddy boots to the philosophical questions of what wildness truly is. It celebrates a growing community of people committed to restoring nature and rethinking our relationship with the land.
🎥 Watch the full film and explore more of my nature and environment documentaries at:
👉 alanfentiman.co.uk/vimeo-videos/nature-films