Everdon Stubbs - Daventry

Long term intentions

The overall objective is to sustain the various plants, animals and habitats that make Everdon Stubbs and Everdon Wood of special interest and to retain the rich cultural heritage that has survived on this ancient site.

- To manage at least 80% of the wood as broadleaved high forest, with oak as the dominant species but maintaining the present diversity of other species in the canopy and to continue small scale coppice management, associated with the site's cultural heritage, in appropriate areas

- To ensure that the woods are stocked with a proportion of over mature, dying and dead trees (both standing and fallen)

- To maintain and enhance the open glades and edge niches by appropriate management, 1c and 2b

- To care for features of archaeological interest

- To preserve open pedestrian public access and rationalise where possible the permissive access routes to minimise damage to the woodland ground flora.

Although coppice with standards has played a major role in the previous management of Everdon Stubbs and Everdon Wood the lack of viable markets for coppice produce since the middle of the 20th Century has led to the neglect of this coppice woodland. In the light of this wider picture it is not proposed to attempt to re-establish a formal coppice with standards system in the wood.

However coppicing is thought to be beneficial to the special wildlife that has made this woodland an SSSI and will be continued on a small scale where this is beneficial for the specialist woodland flora and fauna that struggles to survive under a shading canopy, for instance small areas of cpt 1b and 1c. Along the main path in cpt 2c and 1c an irregular edge coppicing programme will be instigated with the intention of connecting up existing glades to maintain a variety of ecological niches throughout this part of the wood. Such work will be planned in conjunction with regard to public access and the need to restrict the expansion of the path network and its subsequent impact on the ground flora - the rampant brambles soon closing of unwabnted access routes Coppicing will occur on a short rotation of up to 20 years. This will also reduce the ability of the sycamore to mature, set seed and potentially spread into open areas - a concern of Natural England

Areas of limited intervention have been designated in all compartments these include 20m strips adjacent to the wood boundary, near locations of known badger setts and over most of cpt 2b the area of acid wood ( NVC type 10b) the only action to occur here will be ride edge coppice.

The Trusts corporate objective of no loss of ancient woodland will be achieved by, continuing the coppicing programme in selected locations and through the management of the rest of the site as continuous cover high forest.

The Trusts corporate objective of Improving woodland biodiversity will be achieved by continuing the coppicing where appropriate and by designating compartment 2b limited intervention zones. Increasing amount and variety of dead wood and retaining old trees

The Trusts corporate objective of increasing enjoyment of woodland will be achieved by: - maintaining the path system, ensuring safe access and providing on site interpretation and maintaining a tree safety zone along the road edges