John Morris, Director A registered charity based in the Chilterns - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

John Morris, Director A registered charity based in the Chilterns AONB office in Chinnor

History and Archaeology Of Woods and Commons

Medieval wood pasture - commons www.chilternsaonb.org/woodlandweb • Illustration by Richard Allen

Hawridge & Cholesbury Common Ray Hill 1907 – now wooded

Burnham Beeches – 1875

Cattle grazing – Burnham Beeches Wood pasture 2011

Veteran tree – Whipsnade Heath

Beech coppice – Chinnor Hill

Low Scrubs – former commonland

Low Scrubs – one beech!

Low Scrubs – now National Trust • Coombe Hill & Low Scrubs were common land until 1805 • Low Scrubs used by villagers for the provision of fuel • Inclosure Award - 2 May 1805 • Formed two charities representing the ‘poor inhabitants of Ellesborough’ • For the cutting of ‘Furze, fern & other fuels

Ancient woodland • Existed as woodland for at least last 400 years • Variety of tree types • Old pollards – former wood pasture • Semi-natural if not planted.

Ancient woodland indicator plants

Updated the 1991 ancient woodland inventory in the Chilterns • Survey finished in April • Edited report published and launched at event at Pigotts in July • Chilterns AONB – main report • Wycombe District • Chiltern District • Dacorum Borough • South Bucks District • (each has own appendix)

Recent or secondary woodland • Has developed from open land in the last 400 years, may be of recent origin due to lack of grazing etc • Typical trees include oak (planted by Jays) • Birch – wind dispersed onto bare land • Scrub species – spread by birds etc

Jeffreys map 1770

Bryant map 1824

Archaeological features – old tracks

Bank Types Lynchets are formed by ploughing. Woodbanks were dug for a purpose.

Ancient woodbank - Rumerhedge Wood, Checkendon

Internal bank, need to follow linear features

Naphill Common pond cutting bank shown on 1875 map

Remains of old brick kiln, quarries & mines, Cadmore End Common.

Cadmore End Common - pond

Sawpits are a feature of ancient woods in the Chilterns. • Use described by Pehr Kalm in 1748 – A Finnish visitor to the Chilterns

Sawpit at Frieth in 1900

Common boundary bank, Pigotts Wood – covered in Dogs Mercury

Wood banks • R. Davis in 1794 in the Hampden Estate record says” The succession of young trees in beechwoods is much injured by admitting sheep and cattle into them – some improvement might be made in keeping better fences, particularly against commons where a wide ditch is an essential part of the mound”

Potash / Lye pit • Circular pit with stoke hole to burn bracken etc into fine ash.

Beware of holes! • They could hide an old well • Mine shaft • Bell pit • Rubbish • Or bomb!

Veteran oak – Cadmore End Common

Tree Health Pests and Diseases and Risks

Tree health and safety • Old beech with recently broken branch • Signs of decay – note the black weeping spots on the trunk

Storm damage – safety felling

Risk assessment • Damaged cherry which fell across a bridleway • Relatively low risk • Clear away fallen branches

Risk assessment • Dead beech over bridleway and close to road • Fell as soon as possible • NB avoid emergency call out fees for tree surgeons if possible.

Roadside tree safety • Assess level of risk By roads and property = higher risk • Regular inspection eg annual • Keep records / evidence may be needed in the event of incident / insurance claim

Tree diseases • Horse Chestnut • Pines and Larch • Oaks • Ash is the second most common tree in the Chilterns and is now threatened by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea

Horse Chestnut leaf miner

Woodlands – pests and diseases Red band needle Oak processionary blight moth larva Acute Oak Decline Phytophthora ramorum Chalara dieback of ash

Woodlands – pests and diseases Edible dormouse Squirrel damage Deer fraying

Grey squirrels strip bark

Bark damage by grey squirrels • Strips of bark removed in May and June • Most native broadleaved trees are damaged • Beech, oak, birch and maples suffer

Scars in timber from “healed” squirrel damage on felled beech

Glis glis – fat or edible dormouse

Ash Dieback Chalara fraxinea  Causes leaf loss and crown dieback  No cure  Does not affect Mountain Ash (Rowan)

Marlow

Ash dieback - Chalara fraxinea • Ash is the most important young broadleaved tree in the Chilterns • May be 10 million trees in the AONB • Ash timber and firewood is of considerable financial value

Ash dieback - Chalara fraxinea • Originated in Poland in 1992 • Spread across Europe • Some infected young ash trees imported by tree nurseries and planted across UK • However also seems to have spread to older woodlands in Kent, Norfolk and Suffolk in last few years, assumed on wind

Symptoms of ash dieback

Ash dieback - Chalara fraxinea • Caused by wind blown spores • Annual travel 40kms + • May have been here 3 years or more • Cannot stop it • Here to stay

What happens next ? • The spores spread in summer only - no new threat until July 2013 • Inspect your woods • Remove young infected (planted) trees • Do not fell older trees • Record your outbreak – AshTag • More research needed

Mature ash – retain if possible

Young Ash thinned for firewood

Silver Lining • Trees may die slowly – no rapid change • 1 - 20% or more may be resistant! • Will provide an abundant source of firewood and other timber • Dead wood is an important habitat • May help regenerate beech woodland

Chilterns scarp near Chinnor