The wood hasn't always been a wood, and it hasn't always belonged to the village. How it came to be Gordon's own is a story worth telling.
Before the wood
For generations the ground here was farmland, grazed by sheep and cattle. Around 1990 it was bought by a forestry consultant, who drained the land and planted it up over the following years — laying down the young woodland you can still see growing today. There was already a patch of older woodland in one corner, which remains the most mature part of the wood.
Saving it for the community
In 2000 the wood — then known as Kircal Wood — was put up for sale, and local people grew worried it might be lost to development. In May 2001 a notice went up on the village board and a handful of residents got together to talk it over. From that meeting came an idea: what if the village bought the wood and kept it for everyone?
A community consultation followed that autumn, with survey forms taken round every door and a public meeting in the village hall. The answer was clear — almost everyone was in favour. With that mandate, and with support from the Borders Forest Trust and the Scottish Land Fund, the campaign set about raising the money.
The wood was bought in April 2002 for around £90,000, three-quarters of it funded by the Scottish Land Fund and the rest by grants, donations and local fundraising. The community woodland was officially opened that September. The Gordon Community Woodland Trust had been set up just beforehand to hold the wood and look after it — and it has done so ever since.
Building the wood we know today
The years right after the purchase were busy ones. Volunteers, with help from partner organisations, set about making the wood a place people could enjoy: footpaths and an all-abilities trail were laid, three car parks built, a pond and jetty created, and a cabin put up to serve as a classroom and event space. Drainage and a boardwalk were added along one of the main paths, along with picnic tables, benches, signage and that much-loved willow stag.
A small new area was planted to mark the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and the planting and felling of Norway spruce for Christmas trees became a yearly rhythm. The wood has settled into a quiet, well-loved routine — survey evenings, school visits, family events and the steady work of keeping paths clear and trees healthy.
How it's run
The Trust has no staff. Everything is done by volunteers through its Management Group, which meets regularly and is open to anyone who'd like to come along. Over the years the group has worked closely with the Borders Forest Trust and New Caledonian Woodlands, who have brought expertise, volunteers and a helping hand.
More than two decades on, the wood continues to grow — and so does the small, dedicated band of people who look after it.