Symonds Yat West - Symonds Yat, Ross-On-Wye

Long term intentions

The main objective at this site is to maintain the semi-natural woodland dominated by predominantly site-native species and including significant areas of lowland beech and yew woodland.

Although the site has clearly been cut-over/coppiced in the past, it is not considered that continuing a coppice regime is appropriate for the following reasons:

- coppicing is not essential to the survival of species known to be present at the site;

- the likely success of recoppicing is not known - mature beech does not always regrow readily and deer browsing is highly likely to be a problem at this site. A trial coppice area cut in 1988 failed;

- other areas of woodland within the Upper Wye Valley SSSI are being managed as coppice.

It is proposed that the site is managed primarily under a minimum intervention regime unless specific management is required to prolong the lives of selected individual coppice stools or pollards. The inaccessibility and potentially hazardous nature of the terrain (particularly the cliffs and mine shafts), coupled with the relatively low levels of public access and presence of features such as mine shafts, banks and walls, make this site an ideal candidate for this approach.

However, small scale management (thinning, creation of small coppiced scallops) will be undertaken alongside paths to diversify the woodland habitat present, to enhance its value to bats and dormice and to enhance the internal landscape. Care will be taken to retain canopy links over paths (essential for dormice).

Additionally, adjacent to neighbouring properties, occasional light thinning may be appropriate to encourage the development of stable, large crowned individuals (particularly below the cliff where young ash are locally abundant).

Natural regeneration should be sufficient to ensure the continuity of woodland in the future. However, deer browsing is likely to occur at significant levels and regeneration (particularly of beech) should be monitored. Deer control, and monitoring of deer numbers, are considered unfeasible at the site due to its small size and the extent of woodland in the vicinity. If regeneration is significantly affected by deer browsing, fencing of small 'natural regeneration' areas (beneath canopy gaps) against deer for periods of 5-10 years may be required in the long term.

Invasive non-native shrubs (laurel and cotoneaster) present in the woodland below the cliff will be maintained under control.

No specific management is required in relation to dormice. Continued connectivity to adjacent, more extensive, woodland is thought likely to be the most important factor in the survival of this species at the site. Diversification of woodland structure alongside paths will benefit both dormice and bats. Mine shafts should be left open (fenced, as necessary, for safety) and undisturbed.

The locally significant archaeological features do not require active management but care will be taken to avoid future damage to these features.

There have been records of rare sedge species in the vicinity in the past. If these are recorded at this site in the future (possibly on or around the cliff) specific management to enhance the populations of these may be appropriate.

Provision for informal public access will be maintained along the public rights of way and the permissive path through the centre of the site. However, access away from these paths will not be encouraged due to the presence of cliffs and mine shafts, not all of which may have been fenced. Existing safety fencing around many of the mine shafts and adjacent to the path where it approaches the cliff will be maintained.