Hillhouse Wood - West Bergholt

Site Description

Hillhouse Wood lies on the slopes of the River Colne valley near Colchester, within a rural and predominantly agricultural landscape. It is an important landscape feature when viewed from the Essex Way Long Distance Footpath. The public footpaths that run through the wood are well used, especially by the people of the nearby village of West Bergholt. The Friends of Hillhouse Wood are a very active group who work in the wood on a regular basis. The River Colne Countryside Project and Colchester Natural History Society support the group in a number of ways plus organise events such as fungal forays.

Locally Hillhouse Wood has a reputation of being a coppice wood with a woodman/hurdle maker in residence within the memory of some older residents. Field evidence indicates that the wood has not been worked to any significant extent as coppice for some considerable time. For example: the coppice stool density of the ‘better’ stands is about a third one would expect in a wood that had history of sustained management. In all likelihood management work in more recent times was of an adhoc nature, cutting odd bits of wood as required, but not at any scale. Some of the ‘neglected’ or ‘stored’ coppice forms an aesthetically attractive woodland stand type of some conservation value, e.g. the valley Alder Carr and Hazel stands. Coppicing these are likely to result in woodland much poorer in conservation terms that is also much less visually attractive. Recent conservation coppicing has had mixed success due to deer damage and too heavy an over storey being left. The killing of whole hazel coppice stools, given the initial low stocking density, means that worked areas will tend to be more open longer if not permanently given the expanding deer population. At present a no-coppicing policy is being implemented.

Hazel forms a number of almost pure stands across the Wood but notably along the valley bottom by the stream. Elsewhere it can be found in mixtures typical of the area. The veteran stands of hazel along the stream, particularly, are a notable feature of the wood. These have created discrete and important woodland communities that have not been coppiced or managed in any significant way for probably 100 years or more. While the canopy in the veteran hazel stands is full the density of the individual hazel coppice stools is roughly a third of what one find in a hazel coppice that had been worked regularly. Introducing coppicing to the veteran hazel stands is likely to result in a fundamental change in the character of these stands. Some of these changes will be beneficial for some species but not for others. With the added concerns of significant and increasing deer browsing pressure and the availability of less ‘sensitive’ scrub and previously coppice areas that can be worked to sustain a scrub structure it is considered that at present there is no case for extending coppicing into the veteran hazel stands. Occasional minor works may be required to remove invasive species such as sycamore and possibly native success ional species such as Ash and Oak so as to sustain the overall dominance of hazel.

Suckering Elm (Ulmus agg) and Wych Elm (Ulmus Glabra) are to be found in occasional stands and individual trees across the wood, especially on the edges. These have all suffered from the depredations of Dutch Elm Disease. The uncommon butterfly, White letter hairstreak, which is dependant on Elm for part of it life-cycle is found in Hillhouse wood. To sustain this uncommon butterfly colony it is essential that Elm is maintained in the wood and surrounding area. The butterfly has traditionally been thought dependent on mature elms however more recent research in the west of Britain indicates that younger elms do appear to support colonies as well.

Hillhouse Wood is renowned locally for its Spring flower show, particularly the bluebells. No figures exist for the number of visits made to the wood during this time but two midweek morning counts in 2004 by the WT officer showed that there were at least 45 people in the wood over a 1-2 hour period.

Part of the distinctiveness of the bluebell show at Hillhouse Wood is the significant area of bluebells in open glades. Without annual work to control encroaching bracken and wood vegetation this distinctive character would soon be lost. Historic management appears to have emphasised the protection and enhancement of the Bluebells through, for example control of the spread of bracken and brambles. Under the ownership of the WT this work has continued to the present day through the volunteer work parties hosted by the Friends of Hillhouse Wood

Some non-native and potentially invasive Rhododendron species are present. Unchecked Rhododendron can cause the loss of much native woodland flora through, for example, it changing the light and soil conditions. The spread of the Rhododendron has been effectively curtailed in the past by regular cutting by local volunteers.

Over the last few years’ damage by deer to both young coppice shoots and the woodland flora has been an increasing reality. The Friends have increasingly undertaken measures to protect key plants, such as Early Purple Orchids, which are attractive to deer. Similarly brushwood has been piled on cut coppice stools to provide them with some protection from browsing damage, however this has not prevented the complete killing or serious damage to more recently coppiced areas. Field visits by a deer specialist indicate that the browsing damage at Hillhouse Wood is significant and they advised that coppicing was not viable at Hillhouse until such time as the deer browsing damaged can be reduced. Some of the more recently cut areas, such as by the main entrance of the wood, are likely to have much of the cut hazel killed off. Other less palatable species such as Alder, Aspen and Field maple may well survive where present but their expansion will cause a long-term change in character of the wood. Ultimately experience elsewhere, where deer are more established in the landscape, has shown that serious damage to the woodland flora occurs with a marked loss in diversity and abundance of many key woodland plants e.g. Orchids, Primroses and Oxlips. Protecting individual coppice stools provides no protection for perhaps the more important woodland ground flora.

How best to reduce the damage caused by deer is fraught with practical and other problems. Any actions need to be based on a careful assessment of the nature of the concerns. In association with the Deer Initiative the WT is supporting a survey programme to monitor damage within local woods and also to assess the size and nature of the local deer population. This survey work will need to be undertaken over a reasonable period so as to construct an accurate picture of the developing deer population and until complete deer sensitive tasks such as coppicing need to be avoided and additional protection of sensitive ground flora and previously worked areas be considered.

Local resident Mr Gordon Kennet remembers that Mr Hoare the previous owner of the wood used to drive a 'bushwhacker' round the open areas of bracken and bramble to keep them open, especially the bluebell areas which he tackled in Feb to keep them clear. Elsewhere storm damage and elm disease has created additional gaps. Large open-grown oaks in cpt 4 and 2 indicate that the open ground has been a part of the wood for some considerable length of time and, given the surrounding woodland structure the open area was previously more extensive than it is now. At present these areas are largely dominated by bracken and bramble.

The western boundary of the wood is formed by a substantial stream, a tributary of the River Colne, originating several miles to the north in the parish of Wormingford with a feeder originating in the parish of Fordham. Bluebells and Wild Garlic frequent the banks along its length and it has been suggested otters may frequent it.

Two other streams pass through the heart of the wood from north-east to south-west and a third forms the southern boundary of the wood, all three originating as field ditches about a half a mile outside the wood to the north-west of West Bergholt Hall.

The most northerly of the three flows into the western stream at the south-west corner of the wood and is a shallow stream with Alder bordering much of its length. There is a typical flora of wet and boggy ground with opposite-leaved golden saxifrage growing on both sides of the stream for most of its length and scattered brooklime, cuckoo flower and wavy bittercress. Yellow pimpernel grows in abundance on the borders of the stream and narrow buckler fern and thin-spiked wood sedge has been recorded.

The central stream is much less diverse. It initially runs through a deep-sided ditch and is overhung by rhododendron. As the stream reaches the lower ground towards the southern boundary it becomes shallower and divides, creating many boggy areas. Alder and other large trees heavily shade it. Some opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, wavy bittercress, buttercup and red campion has been recorded. This stream joins the third stream outside the wood boundary via an underground pipe.

The third, southernmost, stream originates near Stitching Wood beyond the Hall and flows largely through the extremely boggy bottom part of Hillhouse Wood in private ownership, before joining the River Colne south of the wood.

There are two ponds within the wood that have been de-silted and the surrounding woody vegetation cut back in recent years. Reedmace dominates the 'top pond’. There are no records of Great Crested Newts in the ponds. Unusual plants found include: Fine-leaved water dropwort and goldilocks’ buttercup growing on the banks.

The 'Friends of Hillhouse Wood' was set up in December 1994 to organise workdays and events at the wood. Many of the Friends were important to the fundraising campaign to purchase the site. The Friends have a membership of around 100 local households (251 people in 2004) and are generally recognised as the local contact for people interested in the wood. The Friends have a formal constitution; monthly committee meetings and an AGM open to all members. The WT officer for the area is an ex-officio member of the committee.

The Friends of Hillhouse produce a regular newsletter that includes wildlife reports and commentary on current issues relating to the wood. The WT has no involvement in the production of the newsletter and the comments are specific to the Friends of Hillhouse. Newsletters are free to all members and a copy is usually posted in appropriate prominent public places.

Currently the Friend’s workdays operate under the auspices of the WT’s insurance and volunteer support systems. There have been substantial changes in the nature of the insurance market for volunteer work groups and a general tightening of Health and safety regulations with regard to Forestry workers generally and volunteers specifically. The WT in implementing these changes provoked significant unhappiness amongst many key Friends and the breakdown in trust ultimately resulted in work parties being postponed throughout 2004. For 2005 a ‘management system’ has been agreed which allows most key tasks to be undertaken with the following general proviso’s:

* All tasks undertaken have been agreed through the annual work programme produced by the WT in conjunction with the experts from the Friends and CNHS;

* All tasks are covered by a risk assessment which the WT will produce in conjunction with representatives form the Friends;