A SOUTH Yorkshire woman who was a regular visitor to the Yorkshire Dales National Park has left a large legacy in her will to pay for the planting of a new wood.

Jean Staples, a single lady from Doncaster, loved the Dales so much that she left the national park £23,566 in her will when she died aged 69. It will be used to plant a broadleaf wood at a site still to be found - park officials are hoping that a local landowner will denote an area of land for the wood.

Geoff Garrett, the park's trees and woodland officer, said there was likely to be a reduction in tree planting by other organisations in coming years and the money will be spent on creating a much-needed wood within the National Park.

"At the moment there is very little broadleaf woodland in the park - it amounts to just 1.6 per cent of land cover and we want to double that by the year 2020," he said. "The legacy presents the opportunity to make a significant contribution to new woodland planting, as well as providing a lasting memorial to Miss Staples."