In 2002 Stockton Borough Council purchased two adjoining woodland areas of approximately 188 acres on the boundary between Stockton and Sedgefield, known as Brierley and Tilery Woods. These woodlands are a 35 year old conifer plantation of mostly Scots pine, Corsican pine and Lodgepole pine with a few pockets of broad-leaved trees.

Brierley Wood is known to have been an ancient woodland that was clear-felled to form the current plantation woodland by the forestry commission who leased the land, from the Wynyard Estate, for a period of some 40 years until 1986/87.

The Wynyard Estate, owned by the Londonderry family, was sold to Cameron Hall Developments (the company founded by property tycoon Sir John Hall) in 1988. The ancient Brierley Wood was divided when Cameron Hall sold part of it to the country park, the remainder (to the east of the walkway), including what is left of the woodland area of Black Squares, remains the property of Cameron Hall and forms part of the Wynyard Village development.

There are still boundary markers visible in Brierley Wood showing a letter B on one side and L on the other which presumably delineated those area owned by the Londonderry and Brierley familys in years gone by.

Running through the heart of Brierley Wood is Brierley Beck, a natural watercourse, which flows into the lake next to Wynyard Hall. The main footpath through Brierley Wood forms part of our sculpture trail with imaginatively sculpted woodland seating. A bridleway also cuts through the wood westwards from Pickards Meadow before turning north and meeting the A689 close to Beacon Hill Farm.

Stockton Borough Council, in partnership with the Tees Forest, aim to manage the woodland in such a way as to increase their value for wildlife whilst opening up further opportunities for access and recreation. The long-term goal is to restore it to largely native broad-leaved trees and to have it designated as a Local Nature Reserve along with Tilery Wood.