Time was running out when it was suggested that we contact The Duchy of Cornwall which owns land locally and the usual begging letter was sent. With less than a month to the start of the Centenary celebrations we had a meeting with the Duchy’s estate surveyor and came away elated with the prospect of a site at Newton St. Loe, near Bath.

Once the euphoria had died down it was “all hands to the pumps” to sort out a formal agreement, agree a planting plan, liaise with Woodland Trust who were to supply the trees, etc etc. the list goes on. Even Ordnance Survey was contacted as we hoped to have the wood formally named as The Scout Centenary Wood on OS maps.

The October 2007 school holidays saw us planting nearly 2,200 trees and shrubs on the site to a plan dictated by The Duchy of Cornwall, with each District having their own planting day. Members and their families and friends of all ages came along and helped to plant, the youngest being less than 2 years old and the oldest (who would admit to it!) being well into their eighties.

Apart from some working parties to ensure that the trees had been planted deep enough into the ground and had remained upright, 2008/9 was a quiet time on the site. A licence to use the site “for scouting and recreational activities” was drawn up by The Duchy of Cornwall and, after some negotiations by the tenant farmer and ourselves, was formally signed by all parties.

We were given an oak finger post, engraved with the logos of The Scout Association, Woodland Trust and Veolia (who kindly paid for the trees) and we had the words “Centenary Wood” added before installing the post during one of the working party sessions.

Ordnance Survey came back to us, after lengthy correspondence, to confirm that we could have the wood named as Scout Centenary Wood on large scale (1:10,000) OS maps. (The site is too small for the wording to be added to the smaller scale maps). Further negotiations, this time with the farmer and the water company, led to a water standpipe being installed on the site in late 2009.

The site is now ready for use, with the first campers using the site in September 2009.

As well as a campsite for a weekend or longer, the site lends itself to many activities for young people of all ages, so if you want a ‘base’ for your section, group or district Barbecue, Adventure Day, Teddy Bears Picnic, Easter Egg Hunt, outdoor badge activities, etc. why not give the Centenary Wood a go?

Three areas of the camp site have been left free of trees so that they can be used for camping, either individually for patrols or together for larger numbers. There is a water supply on site but no mains sanitation – a real green field site!

Although not far from Bath, the site is on the side of a valley in quiet countryside, reached by narrow country lanes. At night, with the lack of background light, the stars are clearly visible and the lower part of the valley is on the flight path of the rare greater - and lesser- horseshoe bats. At various times during the day deer, pheasants and rabbits can be seen in and around the site and buzzards and kites nest in the mature trees so the natural world is on the doorstep, just waiting to be investigated.

Around the site there are a number of local footpaths, with a section of the Wansdyke Way amongst the things that you can do and see locally.

Bookings are now being taken and as an added incentive, there will be no site fees charged for Scouts for 2010!

If you’d like further information on Centenary Wood please contact Avon Scouts County Office via centenarywood@avonscouts.org.uk or call County Office on 01454 613006.