Birdwell Woods - Birdwell, nr Hoyland Nether
Site Description
The majority of the site was purchased by the Woodland Trust on the 3/4/95 with substantial contributions made by the Countryside Commission and local support. The site was extended in 26/03/2003 by a further 4.98Ha through a land swap with the Forestry Commission, which gave the Trust the adjacent mature partially ancient woodland of Miller Hill and Wigfield Woods.
This large wood occupies mainly west facing slopes offering panoramic views of the surrounding region as well as areas of seclusion. It comprises a large central woodland creation area (27.11Ha) planted over two seasons 8.62ha in 96/97 and 11.53Ha in 97/98, the remaining area managed as ride and summer meadow habitat. Additionally the site incorporates several peripheral pockets of mature and ancient woodland (6.19Ha) each of very different character. The site reflects the surrounding intimate scale landscape characterised by steeply rolling, fairly well wooded countryside with pockets of pasture scattered throughout. Birdwell Wood is part of the South Yorkshire Forest’s core extension area in the Wentworth region. Its wooded banks contribute to a forest corridor along the M1 and as such presents a prominent feature in the landscape. Stainborough hill and castle, Pilley village and Rockley Hall to the west and the outskirts of Barnsley to the north occupy neighbouring hillsides with inter-visible views. To its north the site links in with the 78Ha of Worsbrough Country Park a National Heritage Site comprising of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The park is notable for a mosaic of habitats including the swamp and carr of Rockley Dike neighbouring the Trust’s northwest boundary. Other notable woodland in the immediate area includes the extensive ancient woodlands of Old Park Wood on the Rockley estate and a collection of contiguous stands with Broom Royd Wood to the northwest. Green Springs, Potter Holes and Park Plantation lie to the south and west and Short and Wombwell Woods to the east. The nearest Trust properties include Lower Lee, Bagger, Bitholmes and Nabs Woods as well as Wantley Dragon all of which lie within 5 miles distance.
The old field edges and official public footpaths which cross the site in four places have long been popular with dog walkers, since the Trust’s acquisition a further network of permissive paths have been introduced and are maintained through twice yearly cuts. This network of paths has improved the linkage into the Worsbrough Country Park, which receives over 150,000 visitors per year. A fun day on the 31st Jan 1998 saw the completion of the woods planting where visitors and local organisations were invited to take part in tree planting, pole lathing and turning and willow weaving. Birdwell Primary School is keen to maintain an interest in the wood having been involved with the design of a bench / sculpture unveiled at the event and since installed on site. Main entrances to the site lie at its western most tip, where a Trust car park off Rockley Lane is situated, and a squeeze stile half way along its eastern boundary serving as the main village pedestrian access. As well as the links into the country park to the north, a further unofficial path leads from the southern most tip of the site into the private, rear car park of Birdwell working men’s club. The site has suffered a history of 4-wheel drive vehicles (4WD) entering from the Trust’s car park and horses are known to persistently use the site, favouring its southern half and perimeter despite attempts to discourage their damaging presence.
According to local folklore the wood and village take their name from a nearby well that never dried up at which a heron was always present. The well has since been buried by the motorway and a bench / sculpture commemorating its presence and the area’s history has been erected on site. Many of the local towns have grown up around the coal mining and iron and steel making industries, and it is known that much of the site was open cast mined in the years following WWII. The land was subsequently restored to agriculture, mainly pasture with a little low key arable production and since the 1970’s has belonged to a large local farming company. Immediately prior to acquisition the arable production had been turned over to grass harvested for silage. The ecological survey identified minimum chemical usage had occurred on site and inferred some small-undisturbed areas of ridge and furrow still remained. The pocket of woodland called Parkinson’s Spring also survived the mining activity, little is known of its particular history however the name spring could infer it was coppiced for the production of spring wood. The predominantly ancient woodland of Miller Hill and Wigfield Woods are thought to be remnants of the once extensive woodland of the Wortley Park estate, an area through which the motorway was built.
An independent landscape designer drew up the layout of the woodland creation area over a number of months in response to instruction from the Trust, South Yorkshire Forest, the then Countryside Commission, The Forestry Authority and local councils. Local people were given a number of opportunities via well-attended meetings to raise comments on the design and points raised were closely followed. Consequently the site is unusual for the Trust in that it comprises wide ride avenues for view retention, a higher than usual proportion of low growing shrubs and open meadow areas. Two small demonstration plots containing fast growing poplar cultivars and the use of pine, as a nurse species was also included as a temporary feature within the planting design. The sighting of open areas serving biodiversity requirements i.e. the many footpaths, fire breaks and meadows reflected the influence of:-
-An ecological survey which identified the more species rich grasslands, hedgerows, verges and woodlands within the site.
-Key views and established walks identified by locals. - An intricate network of utility lines beneath the site.
The pre-planting ecological survey identified several areas of species rich grassland scattered across the site, namely the central damp ditch, the stream across the north of the site, a pocket of grassland just south of New Plantation in the north east corner, a patch of ridge and furrow near the sites eastern entrance and a strip of grass extending alongside the retaining wall of the A61. The hedgerow south of Wigfield Wood was noted as being particularly species rich, as were the grassy hedge-side verges throughout the site. These species rich hotspots were left unplanted, serving an established, species rich insect population at the base of the food chain. The rest of the site considered to be fairly normal pasture was planted up to simulate National Vegetation Classification Woodland type 10 with variation reflected in slope drainage and soil type. The planting mix was dominated by sessile oak on the freer draining areas and pedunculate oak with ash in the wetter ones. The mix favoured ash on lower more calcareous clay slopes with field maple. Areas of planted scrub habitat complement the retained grassland managed as summer meadow. The site’s peripheral woodland pockets consist of the even aged ash woodland and uneven aged oak-ash woodland of Parkinson’s Spring, the relatively even aged beech woodland of Miller Hill and the predominantly yew-birch but otherwise very mixed, uneven aged woodland of Wigfield Wood. Rabbits, hares and roe deer are known to frequent the site.
On acquisition several new sections of fence/hedge line were installed (totalling 230m). A surfaced car park also fenced and fitted with a 1.8m height barrier having capacity for approximately 5 vehicles was constructed off Rockley Lane, oak bollards were subsequently installed following various incidents to protect its fencing, removal of fly tipped rubbish from here presents an ongoing expense. A second management access from the top of the site had to be fenced off following 4WD vehicle trespass. Planting proceeded in December 1996 with the southern third of the site, and the northern two thirds planted in December 1997. Small sections were also planted by the community in January 1997 and 1998. The site was stocked with 30-40cm saplings in rabbit guards at 2.1m spacing, in irregular shaped pure species groups of between 15-25 trees. A programme of twice yearly spot weeding around trees and noxious weeding control formed part of the initial five-year establishment contract. A woodland improvement grant in 1998 helped with rhododendron removal from Parkinson’s Spring. South Yorkshire Forest’s 25-year agreement continues, however other Forestry Commission Grants that have been in place on site for woodland creation and improvement expired in 2002. In November 1999, fifty head of cattle gained access to the site via New Plantation causing damage to approximately 25% of the site / 10,000 trees, many of these recovered following remedial works but much of the sites planting, although established, are significantly shorter than might otherwise be expected. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council installed a French drain in 1999 to improve surface conditions along the public footpath leading down from Miller Hill to the car park, this has since discreetly grassed over. Most of the ongoing work on site is concerned with the mowing of paths and rides and meadow areas.
