Trees and woodland (photo)

Trees and woodland (photo)

Photo of the south-west border of Bloomer's Field, before the hedge was planted

In the beginning, there were only 25 native trees on the two fields, comprising 8 species - Ash, Blackthorn, Elder, Grey Willow, Hawthorn, Holly and Oak. They were to be found mainly in the hedgerows.

This 1994 picture, looking east into Bloomer's Field from near Jenner's Gate, shows one of two free-standing Oaks. The wire from the fence was tight up against its trunk, with the bark growing around it, a sign of neglect.

We planted a hedge along the fence later that year. Here's a picture of it, taken from under the Oak. The hedge having grown enough, we took the fence away in 2003.

There were also some cultivated and introduced species of tree in Jenner's Field. These included Apples and Plums, three Maples and a Sweet Chestnut. None of the trees in either field is of any great age.

Since 1994, we have planted over 800 more trees and removed none. Planting has been in three main areas:

Coldharbour Copse, a 1.1 acre (0.45 hectares) small wood, halfway up Bloomer's Field

Derek Slade Spinney, a group of fifty trees (comprising twenty-eight species) planted in the south-eastern part of Bloomer's Field

the Millennium Pond and Wetland, on the surrounding bunds (see here for photographs).

In all three places, we have used species native to this part of Surrey, such as Alder Buckthorn, Ash, Rowan, Small-leaved Lime and Whitebeam, as well as the species we use in hedging (see here).

Native trees provide food and shelter for a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates. Oaks alone support over 280 kinds of insect. Where insects are plentiful, so are birds and some small mammals. See this page, on the Wildberks site (their name for it, not mine) for a list of the invertebrates that live on different tree species.

Mostly we use bare-rooted 'whips', which are young, single-stemmed trees, usually two to four foot in length, grown in a nursery.

When the trees have become mature, birds will nest as well as feed in them. Woodland species of butterflies will be present too, fluttering along the broad paths, or 'rides', that are an integral part of Coldharbour Copse. See here for pictures of the planting of this.