The Hillyfield
Just 7000 years ago the UK was completely covered in Wildwood. People co-existed alongside brown bears and wolves, within a kingdom of trees. Gradually we have chipped away at our natural habitat and now only 2% of land in this country can be classed as ancient woodland. This is defined as woodland pre-dating the beginning of man-made plantations. Ancient woodlands are our native soil. They have evolved over millennia and they are our most rich & biodiverse habitats. The areas of remaining wildwood are our equivalent to rainforests.
Currently 1133 of these precious woodlands in the UK are under threat, at risk of damage or destruction from development. HS2 is one prominent example, which is set to destroy 108 ancient woodlands. Aside from development, our wildwood also faces risk from tree disease and nitrogen pollution. Over 40% of ancient woodlands are neglected, unmanaged and uncared for because they are not seen as economically viable. This makes them vulnerable to all of the risks listed above. It also has an impact on the overall biodiversity of this country.
The Hillyfield is a rare example of a project balancing ancient woodland restoration alongside sustainable forestry. The 45 acre Woodland Farm on Dartmoor is owned by Doug & Claire who have a vision to create a woodland culture on Dartmoor. It is classed as a PAWS site, where part the original wildwood was replaced by other tree species. When the couple first bought the land there was a diseased plantation of Japanese larch which is a non-native species. They felled this diseased larch and replaced it with native broadleaf. So far 6500 trees have been planted along with 400m of biodiverse hedgerows.
After a lengthy six year legal battle Doug & Claire won the right to build three barns on their land to support their forestry business. The building started in 2019 and will continue until June 2020. To support the ongoing woodland management required, they were also granted permission for the use of two caravans on the land to host volunteers working on the project. This past year has seen a host of keen foresters coming and going periodically to help on the land. These people are learning very specialist skills, which if implemented more nationally could have very real environmental benefits. At the moment we import 70% of our Timber. By supporting forestry we can foster a more local economy and move away from plastic.
Despite all of their good work, Doug and his team face an ongoing battle to secure the future of woodlands. Ash & Oak face threats from new diseases and a lot of the baby oaks Doug & Claire planted 10 years ago have been destroyed by squirrels. How we manage and care for our trees and woodlands has never been more crucial as we face an ongoing climate crisis and severe biodiversity loss. The Hillyfield is an important case study for other small woodland owners of how to manage and care for their land. Hopefully it will inspire any budding woodlanders to properly protect these rare wild spaces;
“The Hillyfield is a bridge for people to come back into relationship with nature, to learn the skills of the land, and have a direct connection to where our wood comes from. It’s not just about sourcing home-grown timber and locking up carbon - it’s about being an integral part of a living landscape, and an opportunity to take responsibility for a healthy woodland environment for the next generation” Doug King-Smith
