Woodland Conservation Group (Fridays)
Jack Wood
2nd October 2026
Our first October session of the year and the sun was still shining! Temperatures were in the 20s – way above average for the time of year – so our volunteers made the most of another beautiful day in the woods. After spending the previous couple of sessions in Oxleas Wood, preparing the next stretch of the coppicing area for the season, we returned ‘home’ to Jack Wood for this session, with three key tasks on our list.
First – and arguably most importantly – we needed to clear the area beneath the bridge closest to Castle Wood Meadow before the autumn rains arrive and flood the pathway.
Armed with spades and garden forks, a team of three set to work on what initially looked like a relatively small blockage. However, the extreme weather has taken its toll on the vegetation, with trees shedding leaves and tiny branches as a result of the stress, and these had added to the build-up of material.
The pipe was well and truly bunged up, while the bridge opening was blocked by a metre-long stretch of deep, solid mud. It was certainly not a simple job! The ditch itself also needed clearing, and the team looked at ways of keeping as much water as possible within the ditch rather than allowing it to run down the hill, taking valuable topsoil with it. We’ll continue to monitor the bridge and keep it as clear as possible as the autumn and winter weather arrives.
Our second task was to reclaim the grassy slope at the entrance to Jack Wood.
Year on year, the six-foot-high bracken clumps and a huge wall of bramble have steadily advanced. There was now no visible verge along part of the stretch, while the brambles were beginning to encroach over the path. It was definitely time to take action – and our volunteers made an excellent start. Several members of the public stopped to comment and say how good it was to see the area being tackled at last, which was lovely to hear!
Finally, we continued our habitat restoration work along the adjoining stretch of Stoney Alley, as it rises up the hill, flattens out at the top and curves around towards Rose Cottage.
This week’s focus was on removing some of the many self-seeded sycamore trees that are beginning to block light from reaching the bluebell slopes. Keeping these areas open helps maintain the conditions needed for the bluebells and other woodland ground flora to thrive.
As you know, nothing goes to waste in the woodlands so, at the end, the tree poles were cut to size ready for fencing then were carried downhill to our garden storage area in Jackwood Garden ready for using elsewhere in the woods.
An excellent start was made on all three activities, but there is still plenty more to do. We’ll therefore be concentrating on this area for a little while yet!
A huge thank you to all our volunteers for another productive session – and for all the hard work, enthusiasm and care you continue to put into looking after our woodland.
