October

The start of Autumn and time for  woodland activities to crank up a gear. The season's first trailer load of firewood negotiates the steep track down onto the Ride successfully, then out to the road via the bottom gate. 

Mushroom season has started, with the first edible finds shown below: two ceps (Boletus edulis) a bay bolete (Boletus badius) and a handful of hedgehog mushrooms (Hydnum repandum). 

A much more unusual find was a small group of violet webcaps (Cortinarius voilaceous) growing in the birch in OC1. These are rare in the UK, though rather more common in some parts of mainland Europe . 

Ride-side thinning

Just completed quite a large section of the Old Copse 2 Ride that was choked with holly and birch, and so dark that nothing could grow underneath it. Unfortunately a 'before' picture wasn't taken, so must remember to do this next time. Now the fledgling oaks, beech, rowan and cherry can stretch out and grow properly. There is also a very impressive Scots Pine that escaped the 1987 storm, and with a bit more clearance around it will soon  be seen in all its glory. The site is now cleared of timber and tree tops, and the logs stacked on bearers to season for a year, and sell, or, preferably, to barter. We have learned the hard way to be properly businesslike about the sale of firewood, as our first contractor removed several cords, damaging the Ride in the process, and then 'forgot' to pay us.

Post storm news

Recently returned from an Autumn trip to Cyprus staying with friends. Wonderful food, marvellous weather,  26 degrees and not a cloud in a brilliant blue sky. In the Troodos mountains we found Greek Strawberry trees which have a remarkably cold and hard bark (but no strawberries).

Back in England we went to Old Copse to check out any damage following the storm on 28th October. None at all except for a large fallen oak at the south end which is now lying gracefully across the Pond.

On the OC2 ride the stalkers have put up a deer seat which surveys the large scallop in the birch that they created recently, and also the pink deerlick,  now much licked. The nearby rutting stands are showing evidence of use, and we caught sight of a white stag with large antlers.

Still managing to find mushrooms, (but fortunately no Romanians) despite the storm.

Still shifting the firewood pile on the OC1 Ride, and moving it near the gate.  It will so much  easier to process  firewood once Sarah gets her chainsaw qualification....    

Winter comes early

4th of December and after four days of snow and freezing temperatures, the thaw has come and we are back above freezing. Visits to the wood have been out this week due to icy roads. The snow has now gone but all is raw, damp and dripping.

Over the autumn we have made slow but steady progress, with at least one day's work being done every week. Thinning on the east side of the ride is just about finished, although there will always be more to take out. With the leaves gone,  the results of our work are clear to see. The crowns of the young oaks are free from encroaching birch.  At the other end nearer the gate there are fewer oaks and we have not thinned back so far. The wood here is narrower and we need to leave growth between the ride and the road.

Disposing of the cut timber is now more organised. The cut timber is neatly in the cords awaiting the firewood man. The brash is now off the ride, in loose heaps out of sight and the excess has gone on the bonfire or into the dry hedge. We have enjoyed several bonfires, and are amazed at toughness of the rhododendron which refuses to burn away despite a roaring birch fire on the top of it.
At last we have our permissions and can start work on the rest of the wood. The plan for the winter months is to work on three areas:

• clearing the willow grove of birch 
• creating a new ride down to the pond
• thinning the west side of the ride 

Wet conditions are likely to hamper work in the main body of the wood, so when it is too wet to work on the slope we will thin from the ride - thinning around the trees we want to keep, and then reviewing.

During the autumn we have met several unexpected visitors who were very curious about what we were trying to do. One of the most interesting was an elderly man, out walking three dogs. He had known Old Copse since he was a boy, and remembered it from before it was sold by the timber company, when it was full of magnificent mature beeches. He also remembered the charcoal burners who set up camp in what is now the Forestry Commission  car park. They would stay for months, burning the charcoal in a large metal kiln.