One time gardener buys his own wood thanks to his Lotto win

When Ted and Marilyn Newton scooped £7.9MMillion as part of a family syndicate, they had no idea their jackpot would net them a 15.5 acre wood – complete with it’s own unique postcode.

Marilyn, from Wootton, Kent, said, "The usual list of things people buy are cars and houses. We never expected that ours would be a wood – or that it would become a wonderland for the whole community!"

The couple scooped the money in July 2009 as part of a family syndicate with their three grown up children. Marilyn said, "Ted bought himself a Land Rover Discovery, which he had always wanted, and we found this four-bedroom house in the Kent countryside.

"The house is beside a beautiful wood where we walked our dog Poppy twice a day. It originally belonged to a hermit who lived in a caravan in the wood. Peter, our neighbour cared for him, and inherited the wood. When he decided to sell it in 2014, we knew instantly we wanted it.

"We wanted to make sure it was enjoyed by the whole community. Because Park Wood had a caravan in the middle it even has its own postcode!"

Gardener

This modest couple are not given to impulse buys. Retired foreman Ted, said, "We always ask ‘Do we need it, and is it necessary,’ before we make any purchase. We did the same with the wood.

"I knew from the start just how much work it was going to be, because when I first left school at 15 I worked as a gardener. I loved my job, but changed it to work in the building trade so I could save enough to marry Marilyn.

"I always missed working with plants and this wood was never a novelty buy. When you take on a wood, it’s like adopting an animal. It needs full-time care. I told myself ‘I am not taking on the wood for myself. It is for someone else in 30 years or 100 years.’"

Labour of love

For the past 16 months, Ted has devotedly cleared the wood. Marilyn said, "It’s a labour of love. The trees are mainly Ash, Elm, Silver Birch and Chestnuts, which we collect in autumn. Ted will also plant Larch and Beech.

"As he has cleared the brambles, other flowers have pushed through. Incredibly, we never heard birds in the wood but now we can hear them all the time."

While wildlife has returned to Park Wood, so too has the local community. Marilyn said, "We invite the local school down, and the cubs and scouts who camp there. Last week we joined the cubs for meatballs outside their tent. The local crèche asked if the children could have an Easter Egg hunt there – and we said yes.

"People walk their dogs there, and we love nothing more than seeing the woods come alive."

Ted added, "Our own grandchildren love the woods. Last week they took a picnic, built a camp and spent the whole day down there.

"We have spent money on a living gift for everyone to enjoy – and as the wood changes and evolves, we are loving every minute."