Hardknott forest is a 600 hectare conifer plantation in the upper reaches of the Duddon valley in the Lake District. It was planted in the 1930s after strong local opposition. Now, 70 years later, the forest plantations are reaching maturity. After consultation with local people and organisations the Forestry Commission has decided to restore the entire plantation into native oak and birch woodland. This initiative represents a historic opportunity to create the largest semi-natural woodland in the Lake District; linking Hardknott Forest with the existing Duddon Valley Woodlands, a series of ancient oak woodlands that snake down the valley and all the way to the coast.