Woodland

The AA’s home in Dorset is located in the middle of a 350-acre working woodland known as Hooke Park. 

Classed as an Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland, there is evidence of an established forest having existed on the site since at least 1086, when it is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The estate has a rich ecology and provides timber in a range of formats for student projects as well as fuel for the site’s biomass heating system, and presents a unique setting for students to explore land-based design projects. The forest itself hosts an increasingly diverse mixture of tree species – the main Beech and Norway Spruce compartments planted in the 1950s having been complemented by Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Corsican pine, oak and many others. In addition to the densely planted forest is a rich variety of woodland landscapes, including recently felled clearings, hidden river valleys, an ancient willow coppice and broadleaf groves of ash, hazel, alder and poplar.