Burghley Park is named by The Woodland Trust as the first site for a woodland to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Burghley Park has been named as the first location for a 70-acre woodland to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Woodland Trust aims to create 70 such sites across the country to mark Queen Elizabeth’s time on the throne.

The park is already home to a 60-acre wood which was created in 2012 for her diamond jubilee.

The new project will see up to 40,000 trees planted at a number of sites across the estate.

Head forester Peter Glassey said it is a privilege to repeat the successful collaboration with the Woodland Trust from a decade ago.

“I love planting trees and The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful vehicle to provide a lasting legacy of Her Majesty’s reign,” he said.

“But it is also a recognition of the importance trees and woodlands play in trying to address many of the issues affecting the UK and the world.

“We wish to plant more woodland to help mitigate the loss of our existing woods and plant with a more resilient species mix which will grow and fill the landscape for the next 200 years.”

The trees will be planted across a number of sites and the species will vary depending on the locations chosen.

Peter said: "The mix will be determined by what is suitable not just in terms of landscape, but also what can be achieved in terms of resilience to disease and climate change."

Planting will start towards the end of the year and will be carried out by estate staff and contractors.

The public will also be invited to take part on some of the sites,

Executive chairman Miranda Rock said: “It is a great honour for Burghley to be a part of this exciting and important initiative.

“Commemorating this historic moment in a way that will positively impact our community, landscape and wildlife is an opportunity we simply couldn’t miss.

“We are especially proud to be the first to announce the planting of a jubilee woodland. It is a marvellous legacy project which will celebrate the supreme dedication of our Queen to her country during her long reign.”

The Woodland Trust is also encouraging people to plant their own trees for the jubilee under its Queen’s Green Canopy project.

The planting season runs throughout March, and from October until the end of the jubilee year.