Category: Environment

Tree walks

Those of you who enjoyed our tree warden’s fascinating talk last year about the extraordinary riches of Dallington Forest will be glad to know that Doug is working on plans for some guided walks through the forest when conditions are a bit less muddy. Watch this space for further details in due course. Meanwhile, there is an opportunity to join a historic woodland walk in nearby Mountfield led by Peter Miles. Details below:

THROUGH TREES & TIME
Explaining our local landscape

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
Sunday April 22nd, Friday April 27th,Sunday April 29th, Sunday May 6th, 2018
Start: 9.30 am            Distance/Time: Only 2 miles, minimum 3 hours.
Terrain: Easy but brambles and mud so wellies; lots of standing as well.
Start: Mountfield Village Hall. Free parking. Loos available at start/finish.

Following the success of this walk the last four years, Peter Miles will be repeating it this year. The walk is based in a small area of Mountfield off rights of way, deep in private woodland, with features ranging from pre-1250 to the 20thC. Trees and plants provide extra clues. This is history under your boots. The main purpose of the walk is to explain why our local High Weald landscape looks as it does and will cover details such as woodland archæology, medieval earthworks (wood banks, 13thC moated site), other industrial remains (mine pits, quarries, kilns),woodland crafts (coppicing, sawpits, charcoal platforms), plus botanical clues including a rare plant population and an even rarer tree, foraging (with recipes), and more. One underlying theme is the network of old roads across the Weald including the old Sow Track from Penhurst’s Tudor furnace to Robertsbridge Forge. This year, rewriting local history: a visit to a newly discovered, very secret, unexcavated R***n iron site. Above all, the emphasis will be on fun.
Well behaved dogs on leads welcome. Not really geared for children, even if on leads. Take home info pack. Cost £10.00 per person — profits to All Saints Church. First come, first served…

To book, or for more details, contact Peter on
[email protected] or 01580 880 614.
Walk sponsored by Darwell Area Conservation Society

Dallington Forest Ancient and Veteran Tree Survey

The comprehensive and detailed survey of the ancient and veteran trees in and around Dallington Forest has recently been published. It was carried out by Jamie Simpson and John Smith and  funded by the Peter William George Smith Charitable Trust, and it can be downloaded from a page on the High Weald AONB website http://www.highweald.org/high-weald-aonb-management-plan/evidence/420-home/research-reports/2316-dallington-forest-tree-survey.html

This report highlights the importance of ancient and veteran trees at Dallington Forest. The study is the result of an extensive project aiming to establish and promote the ecological value of the area and advise on best practice in managing the landscape.

The research has confirmed that high numbers of veteran and ancient trees are characteristic of the Dallington Forest area, a well-wooded area with a long history of woodland management that is typical of the High Weald AONB.

A total of 1014 individual trees and 15 groups of trees were recorded (987 alive and 27 dead). There were 22 species of tree and shrub, with beech (41%) and oak (33%) dominating. In terms of age class 49% of the trees were veteran and 6% were ancient.

Many of the trees, particularly those in woodland, require sympathetic management to remove competitive growth (haloing) following the cessation of traditional woodland management. This will benefit species associated with veteran and ancient trees, particularly those that utilise decaying wood (saproxylic), as they require some light and warmth.