Restoration work is taking place at Clanger Wood, on the eastern side of the A350 between Trowbridge and Westbury, to help the growth of native broadleaf trees and plants.

As a result of the work, which is expected to finish at the end of November, part of the Woodland Trust-owned site has been closed off to the public for health and safety reasons.

The on-going restoration process began when the trust acquired the wood in the 1980s and now requires 10 hectares of its non-native Norway spruce trees to be thinned out.

The trees, which were planted in the 60 hectare woodland before the trust took over, in the early 1960s and 1970s, have disturbed the native growth of the natural broadleaf species and wildflowers.

Woodland Trust manager Sarah Stebbing said: “We are extracting one in three of the spruce. When the work is finished, towards the end of November, the timber will be removed and the debris cleared.

“The woodland floor will then start to regenerate and we expect to see bluebells, wood anemone and wood sorrel coming back.

“I also expect the native tree species already here to gradually spread into the cleared areas.

“The trust regrets having to close part of the wood, but I am sure the public appreciate the need to protect their safety with such hazardous work going on.”

The work at Clanger Wood is part of a national project, called Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites.

A £2.9m Heritage Lottery grant will enable the Woodland Trust to start work during 2014 at ten more major forests across the UK.