Brilliant video, absolutely fantastic to see such rich archaeological heritage we have surrounding us. As for the woodlands, ANY forestry work looks shocking and mindless devastation . Sadly human occupation and our usual interfering with nature, has left people as the next generations of custodians in a bit of a problem situation. It's been known for too many years that natural habitats within a particular environment such as an ancient woodland, has seen the reduction of ALL woodland species, of both plants and animals. Generally speaking its been due to poor human interference ( lack of conservation management) in the past and over use of farming chemicals, affecting all levels of the natural food chains having knock on effects. People are now bound to the land because we just couldn't leave it alone in the first place, we are bound and oblidged to keep trying to put right what the enviromental impact the first settlers to this area have done. Thankfully, the displacement of the woodlands animal wildlife is a temporary one, and should the woodland management plan actually get it right, with the rejuvenation of a wider spectrum of smaller habits and the establishment of British Broadleaf and native tree species coming from 'healthy' stock, would in the long term, not in our small blink of an eye presence here, but a legacy woodland surviving and supporting an abundance of plant and animal diversity for generations to come. I'm glad to know the felling is not due to roads, rail or building development, but a rejuvenation of our wild and natural spaces (even though public access to this area is prohibited)
And I'm going to say this...I believe in Open Spaces being Public Spaces, but as things stand, the Came Estate as PRIVATE landowners can basically do as they please. If they chose to pull up every living plant on their private land and tarmac the lot, that's their choice, and yes people may protest, but money wins and the rape of the land will always go ahead. However they are not. Public notices had been put up as Clair read in the video. There is transparency. There's a lot of folk who do not understand woodland management and the rejuvenation of wild areas so will kick off, and make ominous and threatening sounding statements such as Peters response to my reply above. I get it it all does look like an environmental catastrophe, but the Came Estate ARE putting time effort and a lot of funds into preserving our archaeological heritage and managing the woods (appropriately). All I'm saying is sometimes there's more to any picture than the initial evocation of anger and sharing a video to trigger more of an anger response, when there's a lack of some very important information missing, there is no need for it. The video from the archaeological perspective and appraisal is spot on and fantastic. So again, many thanks for sharing.
Thank you Peter. Communication often missing and it would help to allay anxiety if rationales for felling/clearing etc were transparent and considered. When such things happen it is devastating and if done without openess there is an understandable suspicion and upset about motives. Timimg in this case seems careless and inexplicable though...
To be fair they did similar forest management up at Hardy Monument a few years ago. Looked horrible when they were doing it, but it has recovered well and looks a lot better now. I wasn’t aware there was a long barrow in those woods, I will have to go up and take a look. Thanks for highlighting.
Such s shame to lose the tree's, lets hope its not just a backdoor way of increasing the area available for glamping/ camping through the summer, and it truly will be replanted. The areas cleared did look to be nicely flatened a smoothed off in the video.
I can fully appreciate the work being done to conserve the historic Barrows but what has happened near the golf course is truly tragic and devastating for the local wildlife. I acknowledge that replanting will create future repopulation - had such clearing been done here in Manchester there would soon be a new housing estate in its place. ☹️ Surely the woodlands have coped well enough over the centuries without our intervention. If you're likely to be killed by a falling tree in an area you shouldn't be in in the first place then surely a few well placed warning signs would have been sufficient. 🤔
It is always sad when woodlands are cleared, especially at this time of the year when the sap is rising, if not for any other reason than hardwoods should normally be felled when they are dormant from a timber quality point of view. Any coppice regrowth will also be significantly retarded. It is a shame about the ash though as I could have used a couple of lumps to make some new handles for my axe and other gardening tools. We must also remind ourselves that from a landowner’s point of view, harvesting and restocking is quite an expensive operation, so some form of financial return is also desirable. Fortunately restocking grants can help to a certain extent, but the land owner won’t see a return on investment in this lifetime, and the reason we have so few native woodlands is because we don’t rely on native hardwoods to the extent that they would have been managed and utilised in the past. So really the best thing we can do for the environment is to use more sustainably sourced products from our own woodlands in my humble opinion. It is quite exposed up there on the Ridgeway, so leaving individual trees could have caused more problems with windblow if you are removing a significant proportion of the mature trees as these would have lost their mutual support, especially if the woodland hadn’t been regularly thinned. The normal practice is to clear to a wind firm edge, which it looks like they have. However restocking will involve more environmental disturbance with ground preparation such as scarifying, chemical weeding for probably about three or four years or until the new trees have outgrown the competition, rabbit and deer fencing (or 6’ tree tubes), possibly some insecticides etc. I wonder if they will be monitoring natural regeneration? I know that is unreliable and patchy and you don’t always get the correct or desired mix of species, but if the next rotation is more for aesthetic or conservation, rather than for a commercial crop, then I would have thought that managing for natural regeneration by leaving some desired seed trees and perch trees could have been a cost effective option, even if they did blow over eventually. The neighbouring trees will provide some sources of seed, depending on wind direction, although you could end up with nothing but sycamore. On the plus side though, at least the age structure for the woodland as a whole will be improved and will provide a greater variety of habitats for flora and fauna in the future.
Brilliant video, absolutely fantastic to see such rich archaeological heritage we have surrounding us.
As for the woodlands, ANY forestry work looks shocking and mindless devastation .
Sadly human occupation and our usual interfering with nature, has left people as the next generations of custodians in a bit of a problem situation.
It's been known for too many years that natural habitats within a particular environment such as an ancient woodland, has seen the reduction of ALL woodland species, of both plants and animals. Generally speaking its been due to poor human interference ( lack of conservation management) in the past and over use of farming chemicals, affecting all levels of the natural food chains having knock on effects.
People are now bound to the land because we just couldn't leave it alone in the first place, we are bound and oblidged to keep trying to put right what the enviromental impact the first settlers to this area have done.
Thankfully, the displacement of the woodlands animal wildlife is a temporary one, and should the woodland management plan actually get it right, with the rejuvenation of a wider spectrum of smaller habits and the establishment of British Broadleaf and native tree species coming from 'healthy' stock, would in the long term, not in our small blink of an eye presence here, but a legacy woodland surviving and supporting an abundance of plant and animal diversity for generations to come.
I'm glad to know the felling is not due to roads, rail or building development, but a rejuvenation of our wild and natural spaces (even though public access to this area is prohibited)
Thanks for your comment… we are watching the situation…
And I'm going to say this...I believe in Open Spaces being Public Spaces, but as things stand, the Came Estate as PRIVATE landowners can basically do as they please.
If they chose to pull up every living plant on their private land and tarmac the lot, that's their choice, and yes people may protest, but money wins and the rape of the land will always go ahead.
However they are not.
Public notices had been put up as Clair read in the video.
There is transparency.
There's a lot of folk who do not understand woodland management and the rejuvenation of wild areas so will kick off, and make ominous and threatening sounding statements such as Peters response to my reply above.
I get it it all does look like an environmental catastrophe, but the Came Estate ARE putting time effort and a lot of funds into preserving our archaeological heritage and managing the woods (appropriately).
All I'm saying is sometimes there's more to any picture than the initial evocation of anger and sharing a video to trigger more of an anger response, when there's a lack of some very important information missing, there is no need for it.
The video from the archaeological perspective and appraisal is spot on and fantastic.
So again, many thanks for sharing.
Thank you for giving some context to this situation. The poor judgement ref timing makes me wonder about alleged care for flora and fauna alike 😢
Thanks for your comment. Members of the Public are watching the situation…please share the video wherever you can…
Thank you Peter. Communication often missing and it would help to allay anxiety if rationales for felling/clearing etc were transparent and considered. When such things happen it is devastating and if done without openess there is an understandable suspicion and upset about motives. Timimg in this case seems careless and inexplicable though...
Thanks for your great comment… we are watching how this goes forward…
To be fair they did similar forest management up at Hardy Monument a few years ago. Looked horrible when they were doing it, but it has recovered well and looks a lot better now.
I wasn’t aware there was a long barrow in those woods, I will have to go up and take a look. Thanks for highlighting.
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Thank you for a very informative video. Its a pity so much devastation has occurred in the cause of forest management.
Thanks for your comment Julie… we are watching what happens next…
Knew about the WWII D-Day evidence back in the early 80s, I am surprised that Historic England wasn't aware.
Thanks for your comment… Claire told me she knew too…
Such s shame to lose the tree's, lets hope its not just a backdoor way of increasing the area available for glamping/ camping through the summer, and it truly will be replanted. The areas cleared did look to be nicely flatened a smoothed off in the video.
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👍👍
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I can fully appreciate the work being done to conserve the historic Barrows but what has happened near the golf course is truly tragic and devastating for the local wildlife. I acknowledge that replanting will create future repopulation - had such clearing been done here in Manchester there would soon be a new housing estate in its place. ☹️
Surely the woodlands have coped well enough over the centuries without our intervention. If you're likely to be killed by a falling tree in an area you shouldn't be in in the first place then surely a few well placed warning signs would have been sufficient. 🤔
Thanks for your great comment… we are watching the situation and doing more research…
It is always sad when woodlands are cleared, especially at this time of the year when the sap is rising, if not for any other reason than hardwoods should normally be felled when they are dormant from a timber quality point of view. Any coppice regrowth will also be significantly retarded. It is a shame about the ash though as I could have used a couple of lumps to make some new handles for my axe and other gardening tools.
We must also remind ourselves that from a landowner’s point of view, harvesting and restocking is quite an expensive operation, so some form of financial return is also desirable. Fortunately restocking grants can help to a certain extent, but the land owner won’t see a return on investment in this lifetime, and the reason we have so few native woodlands is because we don’t rely on native hardwoods to the extent that they would have been managed and utilised in the past. So really the best thing we can do for the environment is to use more sustainably sourced products from our own woodlands in my humble opinion.
It is quite exposed up there on the Ridgeway, so leaving individual trees could have caused more problems with windblow if you are removing a significant proportion of the mature trees as these would have lost their mutual support, especially if the woodland hadn’t been regularly thinned. The normal practice is to clear to a wind firm edge, which it looks like they have. However restocking will involve more environmental disturbance with ground preparation such as scarifying, chemical weeding for probably about three or four years or until the new trees have outgrown the competition, rabbit and deer fencing (or 6’ tree tubes), possibly some insecticides etc. I wonder if they will be monitoring natural regeneration? I know that is unreliable and patchy and you don’t always get the correct or desired mix of species, but if the next rotation is more for aesthetic or conservation, rather than for a commercial crop, then I would have thought that managing for natural regeneration by leaving some desired seed trees and perch trees could have been a cost effective option, even if they did blow over eventually. The neighbouring trees will provide some sources of seed, depending on wind direction, although you could end up with nothing but sycamore. On the plus side though, at least the age structure for the woodland as a whole will be improved and will provide a greater variety of habitats for flora and fauna in the future.
Thanks for your great comment! We are closely watching the situation all the time. We will update the news of this moving forward…
Environmental armageddon
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No. One. Cares.
Thank you for your view… it seems people do…1561 views… 25 comments… questions asked ‘high up!’ … situation being watched by authority…