Coppice Restoration Commences: fences, trees and smiles all round!
Work to transform the neglected coppice coupe in Little Wittenham Wood began in earnest in the autumn of 2024. With the growing season coming to an end – for both the woodland and its wildlife – the plans for reinstating the once productive site were put into action.
This 4.4 acre plot had been left to nature’s own devices for some time; the brambles had almost completely taken over, choking out much of the other flora, and the resident deer population made short work of any new shoots that did manage to push through. So, the first critical task was to improve the protection for the coupe.
Enter our Land Management weekly volunteer groups who set to work in the welcome warmth of September’s end, and continued on through the chill days of late autumn and into winter, clearing pathways through the scrub, removing the old failed fencing and installing robust new deer, badger and rabbit proof fencing around the entire perimeter.
Clearing the fence line
Preparing new post holes
Tamping in the posts
Protecting and nurturing native trees
This new fencing will provide protection for the 650 new trees due to be planted, the foundation of the plans to revitalise the coppice. English oak, hornbeam and small-leaved lime for their biodiversity benefits, alongside two species for coppicing: 460 hazel trees for hedgerow stake production and 130 sweet chestnut trees for fencing posts.
All native British trees, this mix of five different species has been carefully chosen for their suitability to the soil in Little Wittenham Wood, future climate resilience and ecosystem value. They will help to create a woodland area that will provide a wide variety of habitats than can support a diverse range of insects, from comma butterflies to lime hawk moths, as well as providing a future source of income for the charity from timber production.
English Oak: can live up to 150 years. They support more life than any other native tree species in the UK, thanks to the yellow hanging catkins in spring that turn into those iconic acorn fruits come autumn. It is able to withstand freezing winters and blazing summers.
Hazel: usually lives up to 80 years but if coppiced, it can extend to several hundred years. The flexible stems are a valuable tool in traditional hedgelaying where they are used for stakes and binders. Its catkins are an early food source for bumblebees, and the nuts, the favoured food of hazel dormice that we hope to attract.
Hornbeam: with almost full year-round leaf cover, this tree supports wildlife through every season. In autumn, its leaves turn from a brilliant grass green to bright yellow to burnt orange, putting on a dazzling display for lucky passers-by.
Sweet chestnut: part of the oak and beech family, this species was introduced to Britain by the Romans, perhaps here by the inhabitants of the Roman villa at the foot of the Clumps? The favoured roasted treat immortalised by Dickens in A Christmas Carol.
Small-leaved lime: the rich, heady scent from this tree’s flowers are a magnet for pollinators of all kinds, but especially bees, and its leaves are food for moth caterpillars. One widespread in English woodlands, it has become a rare sight today.
With the new fence successfully completed in early January 2025, tree planting could begin.
Ranger Charley Scales briefs the team on the stakes, guards and matting combination for each sapling on the first planting day. It may have been a dour and drizzly start but a day spent deep in the woods soon saw smiles breaking out amongst our volunteers!
Judith starts digging the first hole, just another 649 to go!
Barbara and Susan carefully position the tree inside the guard…
…before securing protective wool matting with bamboo pegs
Embracing tradition, enriching biodiversity
This exciting project is set to bring multiple benefits, from ecological restoration to community engagement.
Once the coppice coupe is established, it will feature a mosaic of habitats that will be able to support a rich tapestry of flora and fauna. With regular coppicing, light will flood in and the woodland floor will burst into life, the basis of an ecosystem that will in turn support butterflies, birds, and small mammals.
The local community will be able to gain hands-on experience in woodland management, with the coppice acting as an outdoor classroom to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards, and a place to demonstrate sustainable practices and traditional crafts through workshops and classes.
Through active woodland management, and the reinvestment of income from coppice products and events, Earth Trust will ensure the long-term vitality of this precious woodland habitat. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment coming soon!
Read more about the project here.
We are very grateful to Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment for their funding for this special project.
