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
• pen land in the last

400 years, may be of recent origin due to lack of grazing etc

• Typical trees include
• ak (planted by Jays)
• Birch – wind dispersed
• nto 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
• ld 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

Acute Oak Decline Chalara dieback of ash Oak processionary moth larva Phytophthora ramorum Red band needle blight

Woodlands – pests and diseases

Squirrel damage Deer fraying Edible dormouse

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
• lder woodlands in Kent, Norfolk and

Suffolk in last few years, assumed on wind

Symptoms of ash dieback

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

Ash dieback - Chalara fraxinea

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