Ashdown Forest

Roughly 40% of the Forest area is managed as woodland. Within the area of the Forest which remained after the enclosures associated with the Duchy Decree of 1693, there is no Ancient Woodland as recognised by English Nature. This is not surprising as any woodland not managed for the iron industry would have been ravaged by the Commoners!

However, the 1000 hectares of woodland on the Forest is still valuable and management is carried out to improve its value for ecology, amenity and commerce.

Coppicing

Sweet Chestnut is coppiced to provide material for barriers and fencing on the Forest; unused wood is used to heat the Forest Centre. Hazel is coppiced in Cackle Street. There is no reliable market for the small round wood but the reduction in Oak standards provides saw wood for use on the Forest. The Hazel coppice wood provides habitat for Dormouse and also supports a number of rare plants including Butchers Broom, Twayblade, Helleborine and early Purple Orchid. Alder coppicing is carried out at Newbridge; the wood produced has no saw value (it was once used for clog-making) but makes good firewood after seasoning. It also survives for a long time submerged and can be used as a base for trackways across wet areas.

Birch wood thinning

Removal of poor specimens of Silver Birch and Oak from thicket-stage woodland can lead to better quality trees. This kind of work improves access and may produce saleable wood in the future. The thinnings used to be sold for “turnery”, that is domestic produce such as banisters, wooden spoons, brush heads and toys but the local factory closed.

Pollarding

Where there are grazing animals among the trees, coppicing fails due to grazing of the re-growing shoots. To avoid this damage, the cutting is carried out above browsing height - this is called “pollarding” and was used in the Forest area to produce small round wood from beech trees. The beautiful beech pollards in Legsheath or Five Hundred Acre wood have not been pollarded for perhaps a hundred years and would not survive being cut at this late stage. Experiments are being carried out to establish whether there are methods of bringing these trees back into a pollarding scheme without permanent damage.

Planting

There is no new tree planting on the Forest with the exception of the occasional memorial trees, which are planted in closely controlled areas. Experience has shown that introduction of trees from outside the area is less effective at creating woodland than leaving areas to develop to woodland in a natural succession.

Dangerous tree management

The Conservators have some responsibility for the safety of visitors, local properties and traffic on the roads. For this reason, dangerous trees have to be made safe, either by removal of unsafe limbs or by felling. The Conservators recognise that decaying trees, with rotting wood, actually support some of the most important wildlife, particularly invertebrates and fungi. Only trees which present a real danger are interfered with.


		Woodland Conservation Roughly 40% of the Forest area is managed as woodland. Within the area of the Forest which remained after the enclosures associated with the Duchy Decree of 1693, there is no Ancient Woodland as recognised by English Nature. This is not surprising as any woodland not managed for the iron industry would have been ravaged by the Commoners! However, the 1000 hectares of woodland on the Forest is still valuable and management is carried out to improve its value for ecology, amenity and commerce. Coppicing Sweet Chestnut is coppiced to provide material for barriers and fencing on the Forest; unused wood is used to heat the Forest Centre. Hazel is coppiced in Cackle Street. There is no reliable market for the small round wood but the reduction in Oak standards provides saw wood for use on the Forest. The Hazel coppice wood provides habitat for Dormouse and also supports a number of rare plants including Butchers Broom, Twayblade, Helleborine and early Purple Orchid. Alder coppicing is carried out at Newbridge; the wood produced has no saw value (it was once used for clog-making) but makes good firewood after seasoning. It also survives for a long time submerged and can be used as a base for trackways across wet areas. Birch wood thinning Removal of poor specimens of Silver Birch and Oak from thicket-stage woodland can lead to better quality trees. This kind of work improves access and may produce saleable wood in the future. The thinnings used to be sold for “turnery”, that is domestic produce such as banisters, wooden spoons, brush heads and toys but the local factory closed. Pollarding Where there are grazing animals among the trees, coppicing fails due to grazing of the re-growing shoots. To avoid this damage, the cutting is carried out above browsing height - this is called “pollarding” and was used in the Forest area to produce small round wood from beech trees. The beautiful beech pollards in Legsheath or Five Hundred Acre wood have not been pollarded for perhaps a hundred years and would not survive being cut at this late stage. Experiments are being carried out to establish whether there are methods of bringing these trees back into a pollarding scheme without permanent damage. Planting There is no new tree planting on the Forest with the exception of the occasional memorial trees, which are planted in closely controlled areas. Experience has shown that introduction of trees from outside the area is less effective at creating woodland than leaving areas to develop to woodland in a natural succession. Dangerous tree management The Conservators have some responsibility for the safety of visitors, local properties and traffic on the roads. For this reason, dangerous trees have to be made safe, either by removal of unsafe limbs or by felling. The Conservators recognise that decaying trees, with rotting wood, actually support some of the most important wildlife, particularly invertebrates and fungi. Only trees which present a real danger are interfered with. You are Here Home - Introduction to Ashdown Forest - Woodland Conservation

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