As with all organisations change is both healthy and inevitable. Richard Scott has done a super job as Chairman over the past 4 years and has continued the momentum through some difficult times. Well known in the area by anyone connected with the various organisations involved in Woods and National Park matters, Richard has decided to step back from the limelight (no pun intended) and Mike Burke has taken up the challenge. So we start the new year with renewed enthusiasm to continue working through the Management Plan (see that section on the Website for more details).

Many of you who use the wood regularly will be aware of the recent changes being instigated at the top of the wood. As part of the Management Plan we have always believed that the wood needed different types of habitat to encourage the greatest variety of Flora and Fauna. You will have already seen the coppicing of some of the overgrown Hazel and we are delighted that this seems to have encouraged an increase in the birdlife in the wood.

In an effort to diversify even further the next phase is to open a 30 meter wide Glade (large open area) which will allow more light onto the woodland floor. This may encourage suppressed flora to appear (other than just more brambles) and once again may increase the diversity in and around the newly opened area.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience but we are hopeful the work can be completed before too long and we get the benefit of this year’s spring to start the monitoring of any changes.

Whilst thinking of Brambles…. We will also be experimenting in the lower part of the wood, nearer the road, by clearing some of the brambles on a regular basis over the year and monitoring the results to see if this tedious task has any impact on the understory of that small area. We cannot possibly eliminate the brambles everywhere of course, and do not want to, but it will interesting to see if removing them from a small area has a noticeable effect.

Finally we are planning to update and increase the number of information boards by putting a third one at the top gate and updating the information on the two original boards.

Thank you all for your continued interest in our wood and may we wish everyone happy walking in 2020.