2025.01.26 Netheridge NR coppicing
Part 4 of a four part task at Netheridge, (1 Dec 2024, 15 Dec 2024, 29 Dec 2025 and 26 Jan 2025) coppicing a stand of hazel including stacking the usable timber and burning the brash.
The weather was very much against us, as is often the case, but we soldiered on regardless.
2024.12.29 Netheridge NR coppicing
Part 3 of a four part task at Netheridge, (1 Dec 2024, 15 Dec 2024, 29 Dec 2025 and 26 Jan 2025) coppicing a stand of hazel including stacking the usable timber and burning the brash.
Being the last task of the year we marked the occasion with potatoes baked in the embers and cake.
2024.12.15 Netheridge NR coppicing
Part 2 of a four part task at Netheridge, (1 Dec 2024, 15 Dec 2024, 29 Dec 2025 and 26 Jan 2025) coppicing a stand of hazel including stacking the usable timber and burning the brash.
2024.12.01 Netheridge NR coppicing
Part 1 of a four part task at Netheridge, (1 Dec 2024, 15 Dec 2024, 29 Dec 2025 and 26 Jan 2025) coppicing a stand of hazel including stacking the usable timber and burning the brash.
Clearing the last pond
Sun 26th Nov ’23
Back in October the Gloucestershire Vale Conservation Volunteers worked on clearing a series of ponds in a nature reserve at Churchdown. We didn’t get time to finish the last pond, so we returned today.
Great crested newts live in this pond so it’s an important habitat to maintain and it can only be done in the winter months.
This was full of rushes – no water soldiers like the other ponds. There were three of us – two in the water and one on the bank.
The vegetation near to the bank had to be cut with shears, but further inwards the whole plant could be pulled, including root.
Before the clearance began
Working from the middle out
See the difference now!
It was difficult because the pond was much deeper than the others, and the plants were heavier to drag out into piles. We had a near miss when Anthony slipped, but luckily his head didn’t submerge. We were pretty done by then so we started to wrap up.
We did however clear the whole pond, apart from some tougher plants in the deep middle. It was very satisfying to see such a huge pile of biomass at the side – means that won’t be rotting in the pond floor and starving the pond of oxygen and life next year.
The Churchdown Council rep said she was very happy with the work we carried out, which is always the sort of comment like to receive.
2023.11.12 Hailey Wood coppicing
A new site for the Gloucestershire Vale Conservation Volunteers today helping to coppice hazel in a wood on the Bathurst Estate. This is part of a larger project that FWAG South West is working on the estate. This particular part of the wood had a lot of hazel clusters which will be managed on a 20 to 30 year coppicing rotation.
The forecast for the day was pretty wet, so it was waterproofs from the start. The strategy was to sweep out in a semi circle around the clearing, coppicing the hazel with hand tools. For the larger, gnarled stems, Ed was on hand with the chain saw.
The “inner semi circle” got coppiced and you can see the next layer that needs to be done ….
We wanted to save the best, straight cut stems as product that can be sold locally to hedge layers
Product for bundling and selling to hedge layers
The unusable chunks were set aside for creating charcoal in the kiln which is on-site next year. The brash was used to cover the hazel stools over to give them some protection from passing deer.
Looking out to the track, kiln used to make charcoal can just be seen.
The idea was to cut the multi stems as low as possible. This is done by first cutting down to about a foot and then hand finishing the stumps to a sloped shape to allow water to run off. We kept a maximum of four younger, flexible stems which can be layered down with pegs into the floor which will encourage re-sprouting of the tree in a new spot.
Hazel stool cut low to the floor
Some stands needed heavier tools
2023.10.15 Drystone walling at RAU Cirencester
On 15 October 7 GVCV volunteers worked at dry stone walling at the RAU Cirencester. The brief given was to form a 6 foot wide opening in an existing stone wall and face up the cheeks. Also repairing the top courses of some sections which had become damaged.
We had expected the warden to be on hand to give detailed instructions, but he did not show so, full of confidence (ha ha), we carried on regardless. We located the wall easily enough with the general directions given to us but our first problem was that we found two locations where a start had been made on forming an opening. We made an executive decision to open up the gap nearest the weather station and to infill the other.
We cleared away the stone down to ground level, stacking it for re-use. Then began the process of forming the cheeks, i.e. return faces on the wall. The initial courses were laid using carefully selected stones to form clean right angles at the corners and straight lines between. We then laid successive courses above, tying in to the adjacent existing section of the wall. We built the two outer skins and packed the centre of the wall with small stones and dust as we progressed so as to give the wall mass and stability. Occasional “through” stones linked the outer skins with the centre fill. We used builders lines to ensure our new build continued the line and coursing of the existing wall and steel pins to ensure verticality.
A second squad concurrently tackled the infilling at the second location using the same construction techniques.
Morning coffee sitting in the sun.
Unfortunately the whole exercise came to a halt in the afternoon because we ran out of material. We had used everything we found, including stone which we found buried below ground including a convenient concrete slab, but the wall had obviously been “robbed” at some point and much of the stone removed.
We therefore placed a layer of random stone across the top of the fill to stabilise it, cleared all the loose stone into a tidy pile and headed home for a hot shower / bath to ease aching backs.
The weather was kind to us all day, ideal for working. Everyone learned something about drystone walling and we finished up with an end result, which though incomplete, fairly reflected the effort we had put into the task.
“lest we forget them” – a carpet of red poppies in an adjacent field.
A tired but happy band at the end of the day
2023.02.12 Prestbury Hill – Scalloping gorse
Gorse is a wonderful habitat and source of food for all sorts of mammals, birds and insects but my, it does spread.
Our task on 12 February, working with the Butterfly Conservation warden, was to scallop a bank of gorse on Prestbury Hill. This involved carving out a “bite” at the perimeter of the bank, cutting the stems down to ground level. New growth will shortly appear in this cleared area and the object of the exercise will have been achieved – to produce a mix of new and old gorse all in one area so as to attract a greater range of insect and bird life.
The warden leading by example
Next part of the exercise is to cut out another scallop further down the bank, leaving old growth in between. Once the areas processed have re-generated then the areas of old gorse previously left can in turn be scalloped. Process repeats ad infinitum.
Gorse, as is it’s wont, grows mainly on steep banks so accessing and working on it were slightly awkward. Oftimes the answer was to simply sit down next to a clump and work on it from a stable position.
We had been warned of the possible presence of Adders so we had to keep a wary eye out when working in case we disturbed them
We tried an experiment, using a pole saw to slide in and slice off the stems at ground level. It worked beautifully, very fast, very efficient. Problem was it would only work on level ground, using it on a slope twisted the delicate blade making it useless. Well you don’t know unless you try.
Trying out the pole saw technique
Discussing the effectiveness of the pole saw with the warden
All of the cut material was dragged off and burned on an established fire site adjacent to the work area. A measure of control and care was required here as gorse burns fiercely and tends to spread easily to adjacent grass, scrub etc. Our fire was kept to a manageable size with a beater to hand to deal with any errant sparks etc.
Burning the brash whilst NOT whistling “smoke gets in your eyes”
It is great to work on a task where we can stand back at the end of the day and clearly see the result of our efforts.
The scallop we formed in the gorse
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08/01/2023 Hempsted Infill Site tree planting
Landfill site operator Enovert own the 350 acre landfill site at Hempsted, which they closed in July 2019 and capped off with topsoil.. Their plans for the restoration of the area consist of turning it into an Energy Park including a solar panel farm, and with the potential for wind and biomass power generation in the future – an Ecopark. The site extends from Llanthony road to the River Severn.
Part of the site remains in use as a Household recycling area, operated by Ubico, and around 14,000 tonnes of garden waste from here is processed annually on an adjacent composting area for re-use or sale. A planning application has been made for the Solar Farm element which may eventually deliver 15MW of Green energy. Gloucester City Council are backing the whole scheme as it would make a significant contribution towards Gloucester City Council plan to make the whole area carbon neutral by 2050 and will bring new jobs and investment to the area.
The site prior to July 2019 Image source, Getty Images
Planting has already commenced to create a new woodland area of around 250 acres, Hempsted Woods, which will eventually total more than 100,000 trees to provide a new natural amenity for local people, as well as fuel for biomass coppicing and providing opportunities for businesses to offset their carbon though planting trees
As a part of this in January 2022, GVCV planted some 300 sapling trees. Unfortunately we then had a record breaking heatwave in the summer and a number of the tree died, basically of thirst, notwithstanding that each tree had been mulched around in an attempt to protect them.
GVCV task on 08 January 2023 was to replace the trees which had died, to tidy up the trees and supports which had been displaced by the strong winds in this area and to add further trees to extend the planted area all under the hands-on guidance of the GWT warden.
The site as it is today – dramatically different from the pre 2019 picture.
As can be seen from the picture the volunteers needed to be well wrapped up, the absolute temperature was not too low but the strong wind swept across the whole site throughout the day But give it 10 or 20 years and we will have produced an effective wind break.
The intention was for random planting, to imitate nature, but there was a degree of selection locating high canopy trees such as Oak and Hornbeam, interspersed with lower height Field Maple and Cherry and with moisture loving Hazel on the slope down to the stream. Each tree was given a supporting cane and a protective sleeve to deter rabbits, deer etc. Unfortunately there was no compost available to mulch the roots,
A newly planted whip, duly supported and protected and with the grass cleared away from the base.
Lunch al fresco
We are programmed to return to this site in April and, if we are to produce a forest, on many other dates.
GVCV October 2022 Tidenham Chase Residential –
Heathland restoration work at its best.
On the 9th / 10th October 2022, GVCV spent a weekend at Tidenham Chase.
Located just outside Chepstow and a stone’s throw from Offa’s Dyke, Tidenham Chase contains the largest remaining fragment of lowland heathland in Gloucestershire. Gloucester Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Forestry England, manage the site’s heathland restoration project.
The heathland is an important habitat for small birds and some of the UK’s rarest reptiles, including adders. Tidenham is also well known for the wide range of mushrooms found onsite including the distinctive Fly Agaric. The heathland is maintained through conversation grazing and tree clearance.
Over two days a group of 12 from GVCV cleared tree saplings from an area targeted for restoration. As well as being important to habitat management, tree clearance results in large bonfires which were thoroughly enjoyed by the group and bought out the competitive nature in some individuals.
After several hours of enjoyable work in the October sunshine the group also invented a new term ‘doing a Dave’ or ‘dave-ing’ to describe trees that wouldn’t be easily felled.
Staying locally the group enjoyed some social time together in the evenings and got to try out the local Gurkha restaurant – the Woolaston Inn.
Fly Agaric in Tidenham Chase
The group hard at work
Heading back after day 1
Tree mid ‘Dave-ing’
Roger showing how its done 😊
