The work being done by the Woodland Trust to thin the trees is an important part of the maintenance of the wood. The objective is to remove most of the non-native trees and encourage the return of species which would naturally grow there.

One down-side of the thinning work is that the ground is covered with brash for several years until it rots down. At the same time the more open canopy encourages the growth of brambles. This brash and overgrowth can conceal interesting archaeological features and suppress the growth of the bluebells for which the wood is well known.

To ensure, as far as possible, everyone’s continuing enjoyment of the wood, volunteers have been moving the brash from the more important areas.

Hopefully this will enable the flora to recover sooner and the archaeology to be appreciated.