In 1987 the most powerful storm in 200 years hit Southern England uprooting millions of trees. The following year I got a job as a National Trust Warden clearing and replanting the storm damaged woodlands at Toy's Hill the property at the epicentre of the storm where 95% of the trees were flattened. Last weekend I took the opportunity to visit Toy's Hill and see how it had changed. Toy's Hill covers about 450 acres most of the area was cleared using tractors, bulldozers and huge bonfires that burned for weeks on end. Afterwards the bare scraped soil was replanted with a mixture of oak and beech but it also was thickly covered the next year in birch seedlings. Those seedlings are now 21 years old.
This area is now pretty much like any other 20 year old secondary woodland growing on a heathland site, a not uncommon and not tremendously diverse habitat.The most interesting area though is the 50 acres which was left as a "non intervention zone"
Here just a few yards from the main footpath and 20 miles from central London it is possible to get a true sense of exploration and it is a very interesting woodland.
More pics and discusion on my blog here http://greenwood-carving.blogspot.com/2009/09/20-years-after-great-storm.html
This area is now pretty much like any other 20 year old secondary woodland growing on a heathland site, a not uncommon and not tremendously diverse habitat.The most interesting area though is the 50 acres which was left as a "non intervention zone"
Here just a few yards from the main footpath and 20 miles from central London it is possible to get a true sense of exploration and it is a very interesting woodland.
More pics and discusion on my blog here http://greenwood-carving.blogspot.com/2009/09/20-years-after-great-storm.html