The Dell Woodland
The Dell Woodland by Marion Amos (Volunteer Tree Warden)
On either a hot summer's day or a frosty winter's morning, the Dell is a magical spot. Tall trees and hanging ivy compete with ferns, brambles and fungi for what little light is available in the shade created by the depth of the pit.
The canopy of the Dell, where the trees must struggle upwards to obtain light above the edge of the cutting, currently consists largely of sycamore and ash. Sycamore is dominant near the entrance and on the eastern edge, but occurs everywhere.
The oldest trees can be found on the edges and towards the northern end, where the pit divides into two spurs, forming a 'Y' shape to the observer. At one time the Dell woodland probably joined up with Weston Wood to the north and east, and this may be why a greater diversity of woodland tree species is evident here.
|
They include a few large beeches, Scots Pine and a Sweet Chestnut.
The under storey of the wood is currently too dark to provide much variety nearer the entrance, and is largely dominated by ivy, sycamore saplings and a little hazel and holly. There are obvious garden escapes, although some are natives of woodland in any case and may predate the age of garden refuse. These include wild garlic, gooseberry, hellebore and currant. Visitors will also notice the large amounts of dead wood, mosses, spring plants such as Cuckoo Pint and bluebells.
In the space created between the two arms of the 'Y' shaped cutting is a rather wider selection of under storey species such as hazel, elder, holly and ferns. The hart's tongue ferns are a feature of the Dell and grow particularly well in the stronger light available at the northern end. Wind-throws of larger trees have opened up small clearings, where the rotting wood sprouts colourful fungi. The right hand spur leads to another more open area, where many ash seedlings are evident.
|
Fox and deer are known to visit the Dell, as are bats, owls and woodpeckers. Several species of birds (blackbird, tits, magpie, robin, willow warbler) can be heard, but the dense high canopy means that at present some of them are better seen from neighbouring gardens.
The future plans for management at the wood will attempt to preserve the best aspects of the site while using selective felling to allow more light to penetrate to the slopes of the pit. This will involve removing sycamore saplings together with some of the more mature sycamore on the eastern edge.
Once the trees are felled, replanting with native species will take place to create a more varied community of trees and shrubs. This will enhance the areas' attractiveness to wildlife. Field maples have recently been planted as part of a project to reclaim the boundary near the gate.
Species for replanting throughout the wood could include oak, rowan and hazel.
|
Less work is likely to be needed in the more northerly part, where removal and suppression of sycamore growth should be enough to help achieve the objective of greater species diversity.
Care will be taken to retain as many ferns as possible, and advice will be sought on the management of the ivy on the trees. Ivy is a very valuable wildlife resource and helps to give the Dell its atmosphere, but it will need to be removed from some trees where it has reached high into the canopy - especially if these are trees exposed to wind by felling nearby.
This is a Local Heritage Initiative project
supported by
|
Main Page
The Woodland
Heritage
Photo Album
Reports
Links
Location Map