Box & Colerne

The trees at Wadswick Green are doing really well in general with a survival rate of 90%, with an excellent variety of tree species, predominantly hornbeam, birch and oak trees. The trees planted under the canopy of other oak trees are not doing so well with 20% losses, mainly amongst the new oaks, but the field maple, the wayfaring tree and the birch present seem to be doing well. In one area there is a fair amount of the bramble cover, which is not stopping the trees from emerging.

Whilst Michael was there he observed a buzzard overhead, and lots of blackberries, planted previously, seems to be creating a great understory. All in all, there is no need to do anything further here at the moment.

Michael visited Grove Farm to carry out this survey on a very wet day in September, just before a yellow weather warning came into force, so he wasn’t able to appreciate the beautiful views from this site.

The species are predominantly Beech and Field Maple, with small-leaved Lime and Cherry, Hornbeam, and Crab Apple. All trees seem to be doing really well. They were surrounded by grasses and some thistle, but with no other shrub encroachment. Overall, the trees on this site had a 70% survival rate.

We planted 2000 trees here on another of our farms in the Wiltshire area near Box and Colerne to form a 500m hedgerow. Hedgerows have been disappearing in the English countryside since the 1940s, and are only recently starting to make a comeback. They act as a barrier and shelter for livestock, as well as providing food, shelter and safe passage for many species of wildlife from mammals to invertebrates, and of course the help to sequester carbon. We also popped in twelve larger trees to begin a small coppice which will expand over time.

This was all funded by our donors, and planted with the help of the Cotswold Wardens volunteers.

We have helped the Cotswold Wardens to plant trees and hedgerows on various farms in Gloucestershire to help improve biodiversity in the Cotswold area. On this farm we supported the planting of a hedgerow with 600 trees to create a valuable wildlife corridor which will also provide food and shelter for birds, mammals and invertebrates.

This farm lies just outside the AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) near Box. Their 20-year-old woodland had been badly affected by the devastating ash die-back in the last few years. In partnership with the Cotswold Wardens and their volunteers we planted a more varied mix of 500 broadleaved native trees to replace the ash trees lost. All trees were planted with stakes and guards to give them the best possible chance of thriving over the next few years. The maintenance will be carried out by local volunteers from the Cotswold Wardens.

Our planting day was cold with an early frost, but fortunately the sun came out and warmed the soil sufficiently for us to plant the saplings. Together with our volunteers we planted 240 trees and 60 shrubs, comprising: beech, common dogwood, hazel, field maple, oak, small leaf lime, hornbeam, wild cherry and crab apple. Planting this little corner between two existing woodlands helps to create a wildlife corridor for the benefit of wildlife.

A fence will be erected to protect the young saplings before allowing livestock back into the field.

On New Year’s Day some slightly sleepy volunteers turned up to plant a hedgerow on yet another farm in the Box and Colerne area of Wiltshire. Despite the late night for most, together with the Cotswolds Wardens we planted 250 metres of native mixed species hedge and some individual tree planting, a lovely New Year’s gift for the farmer.

The mix was 75% Hawthorn, 25% mix of Hazel, Dogwood, Wayfaring, Purging Buckthorn and Crab Apple at 4 saplings per metre for a stockproof hedge. using spiral rabbit guards for protection and bamboo canes for support. Other hedges in the Box/Colerne area are a similar mix.

A small coppice of larger trees was also planted which should expand naturally over time.

This was the second of two Wiltshire farms planted on New Year’s Day in conjunction with the Cotswold Wardens, a very positive start for 2022. We planted 320 mixed species trees and shrubs, predominantly hawthorn, to create just shy of 100m of hedgerow. The new saplings were protected from rabbits and other gnawing mammals by clear spiral guards and were supported by bamboo canes.

This farm is run by a charity which host farm-based residential and day visit programmes for young people in partnership with their schools and youth organisations at 7 locations across England and Wales. The young people are able to experience the countryside, work on the farm and enjoy some peace and quiet.

The hedgerow here was rather sparce so needed some infill planting. Once that was done we extended the hedgerow by a further 100 metres. We planted a mix of native trees and shrubs, protecting them with spirals and guards, creating a natural barrier for the farm, and a corridor with food and shelter for wildlife to improve biodiversity.