top of page
All photos below taken 22 January, 2023. Photographer: N HOFFMAN
View looking west towards 2023 clearing.
Bracken & gravel in foreground is from 2014-2017 clearing.
Felled native Scots Pine.
Felled native Scots Pine with other pine.
Unfelled woods next to clear felled area.
Felled vs unfelled woods.
Majority native Scots Pine felled with other pine.
Felled native Scots Pine.
Devastation.
The trail has become a mud pit.
View looking east.
This used to be a beautiful natural cathedral.
A small area of felled oak, beech & birch.
The entire horizon, left and right, was filled with trees.
View SW towards Woodgreen.
More felled native Scots Pine.
Native Scots Pine.
The trail is deeply tracked and such a mess that walkers have to navigate through the heather.
Machinery has doubled the trail width to 11m. 
It is now in very poor condition.
Note the felled timber piled onto one of the few areas of healthy heathland.
A view looking north of the trees to be felled in Phase 2.
Trees used to fill this view. 
Is this timber worth what has been lost?
Gorse that has been 'managed' by burning. The dead wood is left and is a fire hazard. Horses eat gorse in winter.
 
View looking west. 2005-2014 heath restoration on the right. 2002-2005 heath restoration on the left. 
Close up of the failed 2002-2005 heath restoration with only bracken & baby gorse growing.
View of another area of the 2002-2005 heath restoration effort. Only rocky grass remains.
View looking NE of the 2014-2017 clear felled area with Phase 2 in the background. Gravel & bracken dominate.
Another view looking SE of the 2014-2017 clear felled area with bracken & grass dominant. Bracken is very poisonous to horses and cattle. 
Machinery was driven through a rare area of restored heath. An alternative grassed route was nearby.
Looking NE at the 2005-2014 cleared area. It is barren with ruts and gravel (and a few burnt birch trees).
Looking north with Phase 2 in the background. In front is the 1985-2002 felled area. The heather was intentionally burned a few years ago and has not come back.
What healthy heathland looks like! This area was felled between 1985-2002. 
bottom of page