List of operations

1987-2002

Compartment 1 (4.0 hectares)

1991 

• Inspection tracks cleared

1993 (Jan, Feb) 

• Forest fences removed and north and south rides widened

1994 (Jan) 

• East forest fence removed

1997 (Jan) 

• Poplar and hawthorn removed to widen ride

1997-2002

1 a The Plantation

• Select and mark 40 oak per acre (96 per hectare) which is one every 11 paces. Do minimal thinning around each tree to allow crown to develop. Out of the 40 select 10-12 with broad crowns and remove other trees around them to allow crowns to grow and spread. The sub-compartment is divided by the inspection racks into 4 areas, these have been numbered i, iii, iv. It is planned to start work in during winter 2000/01. Remove poplar on the edge of R2.

• Remove all sycamore over a period of 10 years (aim to remove half the sycamore during the 5 years of this plan), treat stumps with Garlon 4 in diesel or paraffin.

1 b

• Remove large sycamore and treat stumps with Garlon 4. Selectively coppice mature hazel. Coppice small ash along edge of ride (R2) to prevent them shading out the ride and remove sycamore from field boundary hedge.

1c

• Remove sycamore from edge o f ride (R1) to widen and make it more irregular. Remove all sycamore within compartment. Treat all stumps with Garton 4. Coppice large willow in west corner by main ride.

1d

• Remove sycamore along edge of ride to widen ride.

Rides and inspection racks

• R1 & R2      Mow rides 1 to 2 breed width in late June and mow inspection rides at the same time. Mow rides to full width in September.

Compartment 2 (4.7 acres)

Compartment 2a

1995 

• Second thinning

Compartment 2b

• Annually      Bracken and bramble mown

1996/97    

• Second thinning

1996/97    

• Willows coppiced

1997/98    

• Coppice hazel and willow scrub on south-west side of pond Re-cut willow on north-west side and treat stumps with Garlon.

1997-2002

2a

• No work in this plan period.

2b

• Continue thinning programme on strip of woodland between management ride (R4) and NW boundary. Thin to favour oak/ash leaving a scattering of beech. Leave Scots pine on boundary. Mow bracken and bramble under trees at SW end of compartment (the bluebell area) annually in July.

2c

• Extend thinning programme into 2c from 2b on both sides of ride R4 for about 50 metres. Remainder of 2c and 2d no work in this plan period.

2d

• No work in this plan period.

Rides

• R3 Access track to be mown in late June and September, remainder of ride to be mown back to woodland edge in September.

• R4 Mow 11/2 breed width in late June and full width in September. Create two good embayments on NW side of ride for butterflies and other invertebrates - mow in September.

• R5 To maintain a wide ride, coppice boundary scrub in sections as required over the next 5 years. Mow centre of ride 2 breed width in late June. Mow sides of ride back to boundary scrub on an alternate of staggered cutting regime every other year in September.

Pond

• Coppice remaining hazel and willow scrub on SW side of pond winter 1997/98. Willow scrub on NW side to be re-cut and stumps treated with Garton 4. Pond to be slubbed out during 1998.

  ---

 Compartment 3 (4 hectares)

1987       

• Coppice plots were established round the edge of the compartment and have since been cut in various rotational patterns.

1993 (Feb, Mar) 

• Coppice plots cleared of brambles

1997-2002

3a

• Check if there are any sycamore in this compartment. If mature trees ring bark and treat the cut with Garton 4 in diesel. Remove any small sycamore from this compartment.

3b,c,d,e

• Some hazel in these plots may be suitable for sale as thatching spears. Re-coppice hazels along the edge of the ride to widen ride. Bramble control by cutting in July may be required in these plots if it starts to re-dominate bluebell areas.

3g,h

• Bramble control may be necessary on these three plots to prevent it growing over and pulling down recently planted hazel and oak.

3i

• Hazel and understorey species to be coppiced winter 1997/98. Thin out canopy of trees selecting and retaining about 50 standards per ha (20 per acre) with as complete an age range as possible, generally oak as standards. Sycamore stumps to be treated with Garton 4 in diesel oil. New hazels and oak trees will be planted as necessary and protected with spiral guards and plastic tubes respectively.

3j   

• No work in this plan period.

3k

• No work in this plan period

Rides

• R6 For the most part this is a narrow ride and will be mown to its full width in late June except along part of the dyke bank where it is wider and this will be mown 11/2 breed width in late June and to its full width in September - see comments on ride widening under 3b,c,d and e. Bank on edge of ride between compartments 3 and 4 to be flail mown as required to control bramble.

•  Eliminate any remaining sycamore by ring-barking mature trees and treating with Garlon and removing saplings

• Re-coppice hazels along the edge of the ride to widen it. Bramble control by cutting in July may be required in these plots if it starts to re-dominate bluebell areas.

• Bramble control may be necessary in other parts of the compartment to prevent it overwhelming recently planted hazel and oak.

• Hazel and understorey species to be coppiced winter 1997/98. Thin out canopy of trees selecting and retaining about 50 standards per ha (20 per acre) with as complete an age range as possible, generally oak as standards. Sycamore stumps to be treated with Garlon 4 in diesel oil. New hazels and oak trees will be planted as necessary and protected with spiral guards and plastic tubes respectively.

• Mow ride 6 to its full width in late June except along part of the dyke bank where it is wider and this will be mown 11/2 breed width in late June and to its full width in September. Bank on edge of ride between compartments 3 and 4 to be flail mown as required to control bramble.

  ---

Compartment 4 (1.4 hectares)

1997-2002 

• It is proposed to build a bridge across the ditch during the next 5 years to make this compartment more accessible for management purposes. No other work is planned for this compartment.

  ---

Compartment 5  (1.0 hectares)

1994/95

• Coppiced and thinned

1997-99    

• Control bramble 

1997-2002

• No other work is planned for this compartment.