On 4th December 1999 several Gayton villagers gathered on a cold crisp morning to plant out a mixture of oak, ash, hazel & maple with a mixed hedge of hawthorn, blackthorn, crab apple & dogwood in a half-acre of land bequeathed to the Parish Council – and our Gayton Millennium Spinney was created. The trees were planted at a high density to encourage straight growth and allow for any that did not make it; however, thanks to the hard work of all the villagers the majority of the trees have now made it to 25 years of age. The trees are now quite overcrowded, they are competing for space to grow to their full potential, and the canopy is far too dense. Some thinning is required to encourage healthy tree growth & ensure the trees have sufficient space, light, & nutrients to grow and develop a better shape & are more resilient; thinning will also create openings in the canopy to allow more light in and encourage a greater diversity of plants to grow & flourish.

The planning of the Millennium Spinney was all done by Garry Keal, PC Chairman, Rod Poxon, Deputy Chair and Rita Poxon, Chair of the Gayton Millennium Planning Committee.