norman's website
  • Home
  • Blogs
    • Scraps of life blog
    • Creative Academic >
      • BYOD4L BLOG
    • Garden Notes
  • Books
  • Change
  • Creativity
  • Professional services
  • Contact me
  • CISC
  • NTU
  • creativejam
  • CRC
  • GMIT
  • BNU STUDY VISIT
  • AIT
  • portsmouth
  • DIT
  • TLC
  • BERA
  • ICOLACE4
  • PDP
  • OUC
  • MMUni
  • Derby
  • dmucreatives
  • Chester
  • Brighton
  • Buckinghamshire
  • Hallam
  • St Marys
  • LIMERICK
  • kingston
  • UWL
  • SEDA
  • MACAO
  • Beijing
  • IFIUT
  • CRA seminar
  • FBSEworkshop
  • birmingham
  • Creativity in Higher Education
  • graduatestandardsprogramme
  • MAKING MEANING
  • Untitled
  • Blogs
  • SURVEY

Three acre wood

18/6/2018

0 Comments

 
The wood is a wondrous place. In spring it is so green that it hurts your eyes. But it’s also a fearful place when he wind blows and he trees creak and branches fall. Two or three times a year the when the winds are high trees either snap or are uprooted. Then we have to get a man skilled in the art of felling trees.

According to historical records 150 years ago, in 1868, the wood was populated with mature broad leafed native trees. Then it was nearly 4 acres (compared to 3.2 acres now). According to the London Wildlife Trust who examined it in 1995, it is likely that the woodland was part of a much larger ancient woodland. The wood was once worked for wood (coppice with standards) and it could date back to the 14th century. An ash coppice or underwood was cut back to ground level when it was between 7 and 15 years old and the poles used on the land. The timber trees, or standards would be felled in their prime between 70 and 150 years old. A substantial number of trees in the wood must be of this age.
​I maintain the pathways, a circular path around the edge and a diagonal that I cut across the woods.
A spring line rises in the top of the woods within about 5-10m of the northern boundary. When we have had a lot of rain there is surface water and it ponds near the southern edge. Sedges grow in the area that is wettest.

Trees identified in a 1994 survey include Ash (dominant), Field Maple, Oak, Sycamore. Wild Cherry, and Willow. Shrubs include: Hazel, Elder, Blackthorn, Dogwood, Buckthorn and Buddlieu. There are also climbers – ivey, old man’s beard, sweet byrony, bramble and woody nightshade.

The herb layer contains stinging nettle, coltsfoot, forget-me-knot, gromwell, sauide, creeping buttercup, figwort, bedstraw, sedge, cuckoo pint, dogs mercury, burdock, self-heal, medick, penny royal, thistle, sorrel willow herb and bluebell. Fungi include clouded agavic, cramp apple, dryads saddle, antley and pinwheel.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Garden Notes
    My garden keeps me busy. Although it can inflict pain from time to time it also gives me the exercise I need to keep fit. More than anything else it gives me a lot of pleasure and happiness. It enables me to express myself creatively and draws my attention to the beauty and ecology of life. In this blog  I am telling the story of my garden and my involvement and experiences in it through photos, movies, music, paintings and other artefacts - it inspires me to create. I know that one day soon I will not be the custodian of this beautiful landscape we call our home. I must make the most of it now and preserve its presence in my memory knowing that it will carry on long after I am gone. When someone else will call it their home.

    Picture
    Useful Links
    Wildlife Garden Forum
    Surrey Wildlife Trust 
    Habitat Network
    Plant Identification UK




    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed