General outlook


Wurthymp Wood is a 17 acre / 6.9 hectare plot, divested from a mixed woodland 30 acre farmland project planted by others in 2006.

From 2014 it has stood as a stand-alone woodland conservation project in a wider landscape mosaic.
The woodland is privately owned and funded and is run on a break-even sustainable basis, resources are shared with the Meadowcopse Orchard Project a few miles to the north.

The primary objectives are mixed:-
a, Wildlife habitat conservation (trees, grassland and ponds).
b, Rotational coppice woodland management (thinning, regeneration, rural craft materials and firewood).
c, Selective long-term forestry tree management (coppice with selected standard trees left long-term).
d, Community, education & research engagement, (the promotion and understanding of wildlife & sustainable conservation in a wider landscape context).

Saturday, 30 September 2017

2017 September - Road Gateway replacement base


No, the site isn't being developed, just a 'duty of care' to keep the gateway safe and minimise the risk of mud going on the road...
Although not obvious, the overall woodland plot has three different owners, each within their respective boundaries with no overlap of involvement, other than neighbourly good-will and general habitat / tree and wildlife considerations for the landscape mosaic as a whole.
For myself, the access gateway is shared halfway for the plot behind and together with the neighbour we work towards access safety and a gradual move towards a safe roadside sight-line, balanced against reinstatement / replanting of hedge and verge wildflowers etc.




For whatever reason, random additional non-owner vehicles in the gateway have disrupted what little stone bed was of use, so a new limestone base has gone in.
Over the last year quite a bit of liaison work has gone on with academics and woodland experienced folk with respect to the overall habitat and appropriate forward management.
I've spent nearly 30 years in various ways and with various groups, folks and activities regarding woodland management, particularly balancing sensitive sustainable production with wildlife habitats and conservation (I spend a lot of time visiting other sites).

The woodland has had a few invited visitors this year, particularly ecologists, conservationists and wildlife observers.
This is to establish what species (plants, mammals, reptiles, birds, insects) are on site, so that appropriate tree and grass land management goes in the most beneficial direction.
Part of the work below is to make things safer for visitors, particularly for those travelling and not familiar with the locality.


Materials were ordered in from Loweroak on the Wrexham Industrial Estate and equipment hired from Broxton Gates - I'm a big fan of supporting local business and the local economy...



Risk assessments and site briefing, groundwork and crushed limestone delivery out the way, time to get the base rolled down and finished.



A damp October and now frost has held up some of the splay replanting, but some hedging plants and wildflowers already in...

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