Bluebell Field and Plantation
Date Published: 2nd May 2024
The Village Society has liaised with the site manager at The Woodland Trust who has taken on management of Plantation and Bluebell this year and who advices:
"In terms of grazing I am currently sourcing a new grazier. This will be either a local grazier or a grazier from a conservation partner. This will be in place by the end of the year so the grass will be grazed, followed by a tractor flail to knock down the worst of the bramble.
The brambles weren't tractor flailed last year and it's given them a booster. With bird nesting laws, budgets and timings it does mean the brambles will need to wait until post grazing later in the year.
I very much would appreciate the help with removing the non-natives bluebells. I'd stipulate it needs to be done sensitively and anyone voluntarily working on our land would need to be under some form of volunteer arrangement. If anyone is interested we could certainly set this up for the next growing season, as I think we may not have enough time to get this underway before the heads die off.
I am in the process of completing a woodland assessment and will be writing the new management plan shortly, making reference to the previous management plan.
We have contractors removing an invasive plant Three Cornered Leek, details in the link here. https://www.japaneseknotweedkillers.com/three-cornered-leak. This is growing next to the bus stop at Uphill Roasd South inside our fence, and also by the northeastern wooden gate between the field and woods.
If anyone spots other patches of this plant then please let me know. Hopefully we can deal with it early. "
The Society has invited the Trust to arrange a date during the next growing season when the non-native bluebells can be tackled and will advice when this is set with a call for volunteers to help. It is also investigating with the Trust the possible planting of a further tree ( a horse chestnut) in the field as part of the Green Canopy project for the village.