Above: A contractor demonstrates a radio-controlled rough grass mower on the South Downs.
Last week I attended a two day National Trust workshop expertly led by South Downs Countryside Head Ranger Charlie Cain.
Above and below: South Downs Countryside Head Ranger Charlie Cain discusses scrub management with the group.
We visited a number of sites within the South Downs portfolio to consider and share various approaches to shrub and scrub management.
So what is scrub management?
It’s a variety of techniques to promote and preserve diverse wildlife habitats within the landscape. We discussed where scrub is viewed from the perspective as being of value to numerous wildlife habitats where it is to be encouraged or maintained, through to being reduced or eradicated as it invades on more important vegetation.The ‘more important vegetation’ in question here was the conservation of chalk grassland. I couldn’t help but admire predominance of Devil’s-bit Scabious in one of the downland areas we were looking at.
How does this relate to the work we’re doing at Uppark House and Garden?
We’ve been gradually thinning the woodland over the past five years. We’ve also been carrying out viewpoint restoration to open up views from within the woodland. The resultant regrowth requires follow up work, failure to do this leads to what could be described as secondary woodland. Secondary woodland is the term given to woodlands that have regrown on abandoned or neglected ground that had previously been used for agriculture, grazing or development of towns, villages, industry and roads. Some sections of the woodland are steep and machinery access can be an issue, as is operating machinery on slopes. This is where the remote control mowers come into their own. So plenty of options to consider!
We’ve got some decisions to make to decide what our woodland management objectives are. We know our primary objective; it’s the maintenance of safe access to and from the site all year round in line with our strategy of being open 7 days a week.
The deeply wooded North and South access drives need to be maintained, the priorities here are to:
- remove deadwood overhanging the drives.
- remove/make safe any structurally unsound trees
- thin out the woodland to promote robust trees lining the access routes more able to withstand the impact of high winds. This work will also provide more light to the woodland floor which will encourage greater bio-diversity of flora and fauna.
I’d also like to see greater access throughout the woodland in the coming years so more people have the opportunity to enjoy this landscape.
Uppark Garden 