A WOODLAND buffer zone next to the A419 has been planted by Nationwide employees as part of a £1.25m project.

Around 3,000 saplings were planted on Pack Hill in between Wanborough and the A419 and Great Western Hospital, shielding the nearby Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty land next to the village.

Once fully grown Manners Wood, named after the farmer who donated his land to the project, will join with nearby trees to create what is hoped will be an easily accessible woodland for future generations to reconnect with nature.

Joe Garner, CEO of Nationwide, came to cut the ribbon to officially open the forest and help plant a seedling.

"I think this is a fabulous initiative," he told the Adver, "I'm very grateful to the wildlife trust and the people of nationwide who have been working extremely hard to make this happen.

"The contribution that this makes on the physical environment is very significant but it's also important for us to keep a connection to the natural world, both for mental and physical health."

Farmer David Manners said he was pleased to see the woodland planted to carry on the family name.

"I hope the woodland will be a lovely area for the general public to come and visit," he added.

"The environment and the wildlife was especially important, what with all the building going on round here."

The efforts by pupils in local schools in Wanborough and the Nationwide volunteers meant the charity had to go and buy more than 300 saplings after the first day of planting.

Rebecca Speight, the CEO of the Woodland Trust, said: "The children were fantastic, they did a really good job, we have had to bring in extra trees.

"These trees will help people to reconnect to the many benefits trees bring, from reducing stress, providing places for adventure and recreation – and of course there are the natural benefits such as providing new homes for wildlife and soaking up harmful carbon."

The Woodland Trust and Nationwide Building Society launched their partnership in 2016. By 2020, several new woods will be created across the UK, containing 60,000 trees.