As part of our efforts to engage the local community, we recently arranged a visit for around 30 young children from St. Matthew’s Church of England school when the bluebells were at their best. Nicola and David led the group on a nature walk and the class learned all about the history of the woodland, and had plenty of brilliant questions to ask.
We are now very close to the start of the pathway installation – on 15 June, Boult (the council’s approved contractor) will begin the work, which is predicted to last 8-10 weeks. During this time, large areas of the woodland will be inaccessible due to safety reasons.
The initial baseline survey of the site was conducted in April, which mapped the bluebell stands and any other notable plant species found. A follow-up survey is being undertaken to identify and map any later-flowering species. The survey will then be repeated in 2027 and beyond to determine the effectiveness of the new pathway in enabling the bluebells and other ground flora to recover.
We will be working closely with the Council throughout the project and hope to arrange an official opening once the pathway is completed and handed over. We’ll keep you updated here, via our newsletter, and on our Facebook page whenever possible.
Please get in touch if you have any comments or queries!