This dataset comprises Alpha diversity and functional metrics estimations of soil bacterial and fungal communities and soil chemical properties (pH and electrical conductivity) in samples collected from 60 broadleaved woodland restoration sites from Central Scotland (2021) and English Midlands (2022). A further six wildcard sites made up of ancient woodlands (2 in Scotland and 2 in England) and rewilding sites (2 in England) were visited, and soil samples collected using a 10cm soil corer. Information on site characteristics were collected, including age of the restoration site, former land-use and features of the surrounding landscape. DNA was extracted from the soil and sequenced for metagenomic analysis. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/a21b8ed1-124b-4b2a-adb4-c3fdcc9f95a2
