Forever learning

I love your enthusiasm, and think it's great the thought going into this. One thing strikes me, you already have barn owls in the area, your plot is too small to make an influential woodland, and planting as a woodland will almost certainly discourage the barn owls. Your wildflower meadow is far more valuable. How about keeping the wildflower grassland, plant a hedgerow around the edges, and some well spaced specimen trees, parkland style. A water source, as mentioned by others is so valuable. Make the most of the superb asset you already have. Cheshire has many pockets of small woodland, and also tree disease (Birch seems to be badly affected at the moment, the forestry commission are aware, but no definitive answer as to which fungus as yet), wildflower meadows are few and far between. Just my thoughts.

Previous management, e.g. use of chemicals, cropping, planting etc. Species present Neighbouring land use Light, e.g canopy density, rides Presence of invasive Species People pressure Anything there take your fancy?