28 June 2007
Ancient woods celebrated in word and print
THE LEGACY and the renaissance of the Wye Valley’s unique ancient woodlands are being celebrated with a new publication and expert seminar this week (June 28)
A new booklet by Dr George Peterken, one of Britain’s leading woodland experts, highlights the unique history and ecology of the Wye Valley woods, while a Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) seminar will attract woodland owners and professionals to discuss how the woodlands can best be restored.
Capable of growing into thousand-year-old giants, the trees of the Wye Valley are living ancient monuments that have powered an industrial revolution, inspired poets, left travellers in awe and shaped the landscape. The value of those that have survived is stressed by Dr Peterken, who writes: “They’re now regarded as one of the most important concentrations of semi-natural ancient woodland in Britain.”
As well as being a unique mix of trees, the ravine woodlands of the Wye Gorge are also remarkably dense, blanketing almost half the landscape and making the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) one of the most wooded places in the country.
“Walking from Goodrich to the outskirts of Chepstow one need hardly leave woodland, save for a couple of river crossings and a short, furtive traverse along tree lined hedges,” writes Dr Peterken in ‘Woodlands of the Lower Wye’ published by the Ravine WoodLIFE Project.
What’s also ‘astonishing’ is how long the woods have survived, many existing continuously since the last ice age despite being logged for boat building, harvested for charcoal and flayed for their bark for centuries. Without the trees, the Wye Valley’s early industrialisation, starting with brass and iron wire in the 16th Century, would not have happened.
Today, a walk through the ancient woodland can reveal the hundreds of different species of plant and animal thriving in this valuable landscape, as well as offering a sense of how the woods have changed through the centuries.
Alongside the publication of ‘Woodlands of the Lower Wye’, which details the origins, history and management of the woodlands, the Woodland Trust and AONB Office are organising a seminar in the Wye Valley. It will look at how best to restore ancient woodlands that were planted with conifers during the 20th Century – of which there are a significant number in the Lower Wye.
Tim Hodges of the Woodland Trust, an expert in restoring these sites, will be speaking at the seminar. He says: “Between the 1930’s and 1980’s, hundreds of thousands of hectares of ancient woodland were replanted, mostly with commercial conifers or a mixture of conifers and broadleaved trees. Research shows that in the next 10 years most of the conifers planted on ancient woodland will reach maturity. If they are felled and replaced with more conifers the wildlife dependent on ancient woodland will not survive.”
Restoration of plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) is now seen as a “Top Priority” by the Trust which has just launched a free how-to-do guide to restoring these sites; downloadable here An example of extensive restoration work is continuing in Cadora Woods between Bigsweir Bridge and Redbrook where giant veteran lime trees are being gently freed from the shade of conifers.
Also being celebrated is the long-term ancient woodland restoration work carried out over the last seven years by The Woodland Trust at Cadora Woods, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Parallel to this, the three year Ravine WoodLIFE Project, a £1.3m European Community funded programme which has enabled the Forestry Commission, Woodland Trust, English Nature/Natural England and Countryside Council for Wales to rejuvenate other Wye Valley woodlands. Work carried out has involved increased deer management, including erecting thousands of metres of fencing to provide medium-term protection against deer damage. Dormice have been surveyed, non-native species controlled and tracks built and improved, allowing trees to be thinned, conifers removed and for acres of woodland to be returned to traditional coppice.
For media enquiries contact:
Rory Francis (Coed Cadw/Woodland Trust) in English or Welsh on 01766 832563 or 07760 171174 or Mark Bristow (Wye Valley AONB) on 01600 710846 or 07904 436719, or
Or The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodland-trust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121
Notes for editors
Woodlands of the Lower Wye, Origins, History and Management is available through the Wye Valley AONB Unit. It was published on behalf of the Ravine WoodLIFE Project match funded by the European Community in partnership with WWF, Natural England, Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission, the National Trust, Wye Valley AONB, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust.
The conservation and restoration of plantations on ancient woodland sites – A guide for woodland owners and managers is available through Woodland Trust/Coed Cadw. Publication was supported by Forestry Commission Wales and sponsored by UPM Tilhill.
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.coed-cadw.org.uk The Trust adopted its Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
