Feb 11 SWOG Meeting at Clan Wood – 14th April 2012 By

2nd Phase of coppicing at Clan Wood - Nov 2011.

Many thanks Howard and Shirley Symonds of  Clan Wood, who have kindly offered to host a meeting at their wood in April.  They first mooted the  idea whilst attending a meeting last year at Julian Evans’ wood in Hampshire.  Howard has sent us a nice  introducton to the wood and some great photos. Don’t the bluebells seem a long way off, but actually it’s been such a strange mild winter, some of ours are already poking their tips through the leaf litter!

Please contact tracy@woodlands.co.uk if you would like to attend, detailed instructions will be sent out nearer the time.

Clan Wood is part of the East Hyden Wood and is part of a range of woodlands which is now in the South Downs National Park. It slopes gently to the south and is on clay with flint over chalk.  The wood contains hazel, ash and some mixed broadleaves.  The west side consists of a grass valley which has in the past been used as a shooting ride. The remainder of the wood is oak plantation and unthinned mixed broadleaves.  The area we are currently coppicing and forms part of our Management Plan is part of an area totalling 1.5ha. It is seriously overstood hazel and ash coppice with too many hazel, ash and birch standards and is being restored and managed on traditional lines.   The objective is to maintain the valley as grassland, bring the coppice into rotation and thin the plantation to improve the mix of trees. Some mature beech trees will be retained to become veterans.

Clan Wood - October 2011

View of the valley - Dec 2011

Bluebells at the top of the wood - May 2009