The fungal disease known as Ash Dieback (Chalara fraxinea, now renamed Hymenoscyphus  fraxineus) is spreading rapidly across the U.K. We had noticed its arrival in Lime Kiln Wood some time ago, but Susanne Watkins conducted a visual survey on 24 June 2021. There was insufficient time to get a good view of all the 1154 mature ash trees counted in 2010, but Susanne looked at 229 specimens distributed fairly evenly across the wood. The sad news is that only 31 of these (13.5%) appeared to have normal leaf cover. Of the rest, 18.8% appeared to be slightly affected by dieback, 45.9% were severely affected, and 21.8% had already died. It is not known what proportion of the diseased trees will die, but experience elsewhere suggests that the majority will eventually be lost. However, some of the living trees are likely to be tolerant of Chalara, and the wood contains literally millions of ash seedlings, some of which will also probably be tolerant when they mature. The situation may therefore not be a total catastrophe, but there is no doubt that the character of Lime Kiln Wood will have been changed for the foreseeable future. It has not yet been decided what to do with the affected trees, but they may be left as standing dead wood to act as a resource for species such as woodpeckers.

Update and Summary of 2021 AGM

The virtual AGM – Covid 19 of course meaning Zoom came in handy – allowed the members to identify not only the excellent work carried out this last 18 months under trying circumstances but also the potential going forward.

Walls and Fences had been repaired promptly and on the whole we were able to keep up with the gaps thanks in the main to Mike Burke and Jack Ellerby.

Professional Tree Survey had identified a small number of trees that might pose a risk to the public and these had been dealt with by Christmas. The remaining one was tackled during February by Jack Ellerby and colleagues.

Glade completion. Thanks to Barkers we have managed to complete the glade we had planned towards the upper end of the wood. This “clearing” we hope will encourage a resurgence of ground cover plants which we will attempt to protect from the rampant bramble population. It is felt that we have enough brambles at present and whilst they are a vital part of the wood they do get a bit pushy sometimes. We will do a detailed species study on the glade to monitor program

Species Monitoring. Members have agreed that a new species survey for flora would help us understand the progress in diversity, if any, that has been made. It remains a core intention to try to improve diversity within the bounds of the natural environment that the wood offers.

Bird Boxes will continue to be added to the wood where practical and hopefully encourage a greater variety and denser population of song birds.

Covid restrictions remain in force and visitors are reminded to abide by the appropriate laws and guidelines when visiting the wood.

Peter Davis

With thanks to Gordon Emery for this version.

Consolidated list of all plant species recorded in Lime Kiln Wood from 1999 to 2020
Common name Genus Species
Alchemilla Alchemilla sp.
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Bank Haircap Moss Polytrichum formosum
Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis
Beech Fagus sylvatica
Birch (Downy) Betula pubescens
Black Bryony Tamus communis
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Bracken Pteridium aquilinum
Bramble or blackberry Rubus fruticosus
Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata
Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum
Bush Vetch Vicia sepium
Chalk Comb-Moss Ctenidium molluscum
Cleavers Galium aparine
Cock’s-foot Dactylis glomerata
Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana
Common Field-speedwell Veronica persica
Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa
Common Nettle Urtica dioica
Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
Common Sedge Carex nigra
Common Tamarisk-Moss Thuidium tamariscinum
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster horizontalis
Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens
Crosswort Cruciata ciliata
Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis
Currant (red) Ribes rubrum
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Dog Rose Rosa canina
Dog’s Mercury Mercurialis perennis
Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana
Elder Sambucus nigra
Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana
European Barberry Berberis vulgaris
European Fly-Honeysuckle Lonicera xylosteum
False Brome Brachypodium sylvaticum
False Oat-grass Arrhenathrum elatius
Field Maple Acer campestre
Field Rose Rosa arvensis
Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata
Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys
Glaucous Sedge Carex flacca
Gooseberry Ribes uva-crispa
Common Sallow Salix cinerea ssp oleifolia
Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum
Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea
Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus
Hart’s-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Hazel Corylus avellana
Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica
Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia
Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum
Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium
Holly Ilex aquifolium
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus
Horse-chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum
Ivy Hedera helix
Lady Fern Athyrium felix-femina
Larch Larix europaeus
Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria
Lime sp Tilia sp
Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum
Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas
Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris
Moss Dicranum sp.
Moss Hypnum cupressiforme ?
Moss Tortula ? sp.
Norway Maple Acer platanoides
Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula
Pignut Conopodium majus
Polypody Polypodium vulgare
Primrose Primula vulgaris
Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
Ramsons Allium ursinum
Raspberry Rubus idaeus
Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata
Rough Meadow-Grass Poa trivialis
Rowan Sorbus aucuparia
Scaly Male Fern Dryopteris affinis
Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris
Sessile Oak Quercus petraea
Silver Birch Betula pendula
Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis
Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum sp.
Spindle Euonymus europaeus
Sweet Vernal-Grass Anthoxanthum odoratum
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus
Traveller’s-joy Clematis vitalba
Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum
Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica
Wild Cherry Prunus avium
Wild Crab-Apple Malus sylvestris
Wild Plum Prunus domestica
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa
Wood Avens Geum urbanum
Wood Crowfoot, Goldilocks Ranunculus auricomus
Wood False Brome Brachypodium sylvaticum
Wood Melick Melica uniflora
Wood Sedge Carex sylvatica
Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella
Wood Speedwell Veronica montana
Woodruff Galium odoratum
Wych Elm Ulmus glabra
Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum
Yew Taxus baccata
Yorkshire-fog Holcus lanatus
Total species = 113