A Woodland - Not a Project!
Over the three years I have got to know and experience Bel's Wood I have named special places & special trees. I have adopted the language of 'zones' to develop the planting plan to apply for a woodland creation grant and communicate clearly what work I wanted the various contractors who have helped prepare and then plant the land to complete. Now that the trees are in the ground I want to change back to calling places by their 'found' names. I have drawn out the areas below and will describe the areas of the wood and the trees that have been planted there. I've highlighted named trees and a few special locations.
Home (lower part of Zone 1) 80 trees planted
This is where the access gate is from the road that runs along the bottom of the wood on the east side and runs parallel with the River Gilpin. There is an apron of rising grassy land which was previously engulfed in bracken but there is little evidence of that now.
I have planted 75 Aspens here in a single stand so they can be enjoyed by passers along the road. Aspen leaves flutter in summer which is known as quaking. The leaves turn a wonderful golden colour in autumn and there are male and female catkins in spring. I was donated 100 aspen from Cumbria University as part of the BOOM (Back On Our Map) project https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/business/projects/south-cumbria-species-restoration/.
I have planted half of these mixed with Northumbrian Aspen by the roadside as this could mean that pollen from this stand may find Aspens from other stands by being wafted along the road by passers by and vehicles and so help the genetic mix of other Cumbrian Aspens. They also establish themselves quickly and grow all year round which gives them a head start. They do tend to take over by putting up suckers and creating large stands. The apron area has barriers on 3 sides; the beck, the road and the wall & fence with the neighbour. The fourth side has well established hawthorn and a rocky barrier so I am hoping they will remain ‘bounded’.
Having the concept of this area being 'Home' started last Spring when I needed a place to plant 4 Wayfaring Trees which had been donated to me. Traditionally these are found on paths hence their name and it felt like the one path I always needed to define was back to the access point on my way home. I thought I hadn't heard of Wayfaring Trees but a friend reminded me of the Wayfaring Fairy:-
Above the rocky outcrops an open grassy area (and brackeny). To the north is the fence with the neighbour’s land which is used to graze sheep and occasionally these handsome cattle. (The land is currently on the market so maybe someone will plant trees there in the coming years).
On the south boundary runs the Beck and The Sylvan Corridor (see below section).
I have seen a pair of hares here regularly but have never been quick enough to photograph them. I did recently pick up an image of one of them on the camera by the beck and also found many of their distinctive footprints in the snow this winter.
This is an area that can take large trees. There are no views to protect nor any of the large older trees that I want to give their own space. It is quite a steep hill and lends itself to becoming quite a dense wood creating a boundary with the neighbouring land once I get these trees away.
The trees planted here are Hornbeam, Wild Cherry, Rowan, Common Alder and I have planted 50 of the 100 precious Wych Elm in this area. These are all native trees which last many years and provide habitats for wildlife. I am partiuclalry happy to introduce Wych Elm to this piece of Cumbrian land. It was hard to locate saplings. The ones I purchased were well established and 3 years old and so I hope they will establish themselves well.
Sylvan Corridor already established woodland
This is a wonderful place to spend time. It creates a corridor either side of the beck and it is dominated by silver birtch and hawthorn with some hazel and a few oaks. There is plenty of honeysuckle climbing into the canopy. It is mature woodland with an interesting understory and little bracken and wild flowers grow here. I am hoping that as the newly planted areas mature they will blend with this established woodland and the flora will spread.
Sunshine coming through the Sylvan Corridor
Top Gate (Zone 2) 400 trees planted
This is at the top of the site to the north where there is a gate - so not the most imaginative name! It was covered in tall gorse and I hadn’t been able to explore it fully until that was removed. Some large rocky outcrops were excavated which has been enjoyed in the summer sunshine.
This is quite a steep slope and a great view from the top.
There is a fence to the north and east and the beck to the south. One of my favourite oaks resides here (Cecilia the Sessile Oak) and there is a stand of half a dozen mature oaks around her.
There is also a very boggy area which could in time become a scrape with the aim of having standing water all year round. Already the wildlife there is different from other areas so I have not planted on this except transferring some self seeded willows from my garden at the edge which should be happy there.
Scots Pines grow well alongside Downy Birch and so these have been planted together with 4 times as many Scots Pines as Downy Birch. Maybe this will become known as Red Squirrel Corner once the trees are established although it will need a concerted effort in the valley to control the grey squirrels which are common here. Scots Pines don't grow well in tree guards so I am hoping enough survive the interest of hares and other mammals to create a dense stand.
All planted and matted in the sunshine!
Butterfly Rides (Zone 3) 1125 trees planted here
This is the middle of the wood running from the beck south. It is rocky with some steep ground and the bracken is still thick here and it cannot be mechanically cut. It also undulates as you work your way south creating lovely places to sit and picnic. The butterfly rides are bounded by the new planting. The rides run in two parallel lines running north south with a rocky steep slope separating them. The trees lining these rides are shorter such as spindle and dogwood as these will give a graded height from bracken/ grass to shrub to trees behind. These create protection from the wind and ground space which the sun can warm which is ideal for invertebrates. The New Forest Guide provides this graphic which I have used in the design.
Ref: https://newforestguide.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Guide-to-managing-woodland-rides-and-glades-for-wildlife.pdf
They also advise planting with a scallop shaped edge and not removing all growth from the rides to avoid creating a wind tunnel.
I have planted a wide variety of tree with the emphasis on the smaller trees. There are Aspen, Downy Birch, Small Leaved Lime, Crab Apple, Wild Cherry, Common Alder, Rowan, Willow, Hazel, Spindle, and Dog Wood. Of these Spindle, Dog Wood and Hazel and the most common and all of the Crab Apple are here (50). The trees are mixed up except the spindle and dogwood which line the butterfly rides to give the gradation of height that works best.
Agnes Outlook (Zone 6) 375 trees planted
This is a flat grassy area at the top of the site bounded by a neighbouring wood and the beck to the north with a rocky outcrop to the south. Atop this outcrop is a lovely old hawthorn tree which I have named Agnes https://belswood20.blogspot.com/2023/11/national-tree-week-my-favourite-hawthorn.html with a lovely view across the valley which I have preserved by not planting around her.
The flat grassy area has a flush running through it making it wet all year round. This is the second Aspen stand; they love these wet conditions. The area is fairly well bounded so I am hoping that the aspen won’t encroach on other areas and take over.
The Armpit (Zone 4) 575 trees planted
This is flat area at the top with a tight triangular shape bounded by a neighbouring wood with conifers (to the right below) and scrubland next door where another neighbour is planting trees. There is a rocky lump in it and a wet boggy area. It was previously densely populated by gorse which has been removed.
The planting rises up the slope to the top of the site (The Gin and Tonic Terrace) and avoids the lovely old sessile oak (Cecil-B) which has a swing in it.
This stand of conifers will connect with those at the Top Gate through the neighbour's established wood. I can only hope that red squirrels find the wood.
Gin and Tonic Terrace - cleared of gorse no new trees planted
I coined this name when I first got to know the land. There are great views across the valley towards Morecambe Bay. When the sun shines it felt like a lovely place to hang out and I imagined it as a cocktail terrace. It was covered in dense gorse and the views were only just visible from a few places. Since the gorse has been removed it has opened up beautifully.
Mags' Stone is on the way up to the G&T Terrace and was called that when my friend slipped on it on a cold wet December day a few years ago! All of that gorse has now been removed anti is an open slope - I have kept the path in the same place in honour of this being the first piece of the land to be named. The right hand picture shows how this area has opened up.
Ankle Alley - footpath through gorse and bramble
And yes this is where I fell over and broke my ankle 2 years ago! I have widened this path and keep it clear of brambles as far as possible.
Maydor
Route connecting the Butterfly Ride to Ankle Alley and the Gin & Tonic Terrace
This has proved a useful place for the camera which has picked up badgers, hares, domestic cats, mice and before the fence was erected was a popular route for deer.
https://belswood20.blogspot.com/2024/02/wildlife-feeling-change-of-season.html
Starnthwaite Stand (Zone 5) 1,225 trees planted
This is the bottom and south section running along the road and the neighbour’s land to the south which is grazed by sheep. It is over the road from the hamlet of Starnthwaite Ghyll and in the past the hazels were coppiced and I have been told there was a kitchen garden there. It feels domesticated and that it belongs to the hamlet unlike the other parts of the wood which feel more wild.
This area can take the tall trees where the good soil and flat areas are and so that is what I have planted there. This has a wide variety of tree with the emphasis is on the larger ones. The list is Downy Birch, Hornbeam, Field Maple, Small Leaved Lime, Wild Cherry, Common Alder, Rowan, Willow, Hazel, the other 50 Wych Elm and all of the 200 Sweet Chestnut. I couldn’t buy any Horse Chestnuts this year. I have propagated 4 at home and will plant these in this area and next year plant conkers directly into the ground where any of these planted trees have failed.
Orchard 12 trees planted (so far)
I knew I wanted to plant a damson orchard and the woodland creation grant does not fund fruit trees. Damsons are the local specialty of the Lyth Valley which the Gilpin Valley leads into. Last century it was a major crop for farmers but the trees last only about 80 years and have not been replaced systematically. There is work being done by the Westmorland Damson Society http://www.lythdamsons.org.uk/ to re-establish damson orchards with some success. In spring the valley is a delight with blossom.
I have planted 12 donated trees onto a south west facing slope which damsons need to ripen their fruit in late summer. It faces the road so the blossom will be seen by passers by. I hope these will come into leaf and maybe a few will flower this spring. I hope to acquire some more trees this year to add to the orchard. I know a few of those planted have been nibbled by deer and others have suffered in the storms so will need replacing.
Woodstore
This has been a useful place which stores wood, deckchairs and cooking equipment. There are some self-seeded oaks here which need moving. I think they have come from Gandalf my oldest oak.https://belswood20.blogspot.com/2023/11/national-tree-week-introducing-3-mature.html
Camp1 space for about 50 trees
Camp1 is where I have fires and eat and sleep out. Below this there is a nice sloping area, engulfed in bracken.
I am using this to take any random trees that I am donated or that I find growing on the land in ‘the wrong place’ ie too much shade, too close to one of the big oaks or on a path. I am getting quite a nice variety of trees down there and so far have planted:
2 self seeded ash trees from my garden; donated trees including black poplar, wild cherry, hazel, Worcester apple, rowan,, crab apple & downy birch.
There is still space available and I have propagated about 30 Rowans from seeds collected in Autumn 2022, 5 crab apples, 4 horse chestnuts and 2 oaks to move there. I am going plant these in this area and may transplant them in future years where any newly planted trees fail. I think they will thrive better at the wood than in pots in my garden so this area will act as a bit of a nursery.
If I have the time and energy to do it I will move the ‘captured’ trees from across the site into this area as well until they are needed elsewhere. Planting trees makes a change from mat laying which remains my top priority. The warm wet weather in February may lead to an early spring and the mats need to be down before the grass and bracken really gets moving and also the trees need to be planted while they are dormant.
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