In the 1980s the site of Rosie’s Wood was a ‘pick your own’ farm owned by Tony Raybone. His wife, Rosie, was a leading light in the parish of Slimbridge, involved with many community groups such as the Slimbridge Variety Show Group. When she died young, Tony decided to create Rosie’s Wood in her memory
The site of the wood is very nearly an island, lying between a new cut for the River Cam and the original course of the river.A pond was dug and,in 1992, volunteers helped plant 4,000 oak, ash, holly, yew, maple and fir saplings.
Rosie’s Wood was formally opened in 2002 over the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Weekend, following the formation of a trust dedicated to caring for the woodland. An Open Day held to mark the opening and featured a performance by Patsy Gamble’s Jazz Band – The foundation of the popular ‘Jazz in the Wood’ events.
In the 2000s the Slimbridge – Vièvre Twinning Society used the wood for events with residents of St Georges du Vièvre and amongst themselves, including pétanque, bar-b-ques and Easter egg hunts.Jazz in the Wood became a popular annual event for members of the parish, gradually growing from one stage to two with increasing numbers of bands.
By 2020, the old line of the river was heavily silted and in danger of disappearing. The Trustees decided to have it dredged and the silt spread in the wood. The immediate effect looked bad, but nature quickly reasserted itself, particularly benefitting from the nutrients in the silt.
The Covid pandemic years (2020 – 2022) saw the wood being particularly well used by walkers, or those just wanting somewhere outside to sit and relax away from the stresses of the time. It has always been popular with dog walkers, including those from the local pet rescue centre and nearby campsite.
By the early 2020s many of the ash trees were suffering from ash dieback. Since 2022, the Cotswold Canal Trust logging team have been helping thin the wood and remove diseased trees. They sell the harvested wood to help with the restoration of the Stroudwater Navigation. In 2022, two elm trees were planted at the northern end of the wood and in 2023, Gloucester County Council provided saplings, including crab apple, blackthorn, hawthorn and lime to replace diseased trees. Tony Raybone donated a large hornbeam that was planted near the bridge to Ryalls Lane. The wood now had a wide mix of vegetation types and ages that benefited the wildlife.
Also in 2022, facilities for Jazz in the Wood were upgraded with a new Stage 2 obtained from a water festival in Worcester and a redesigned bar.