The hardwood trees are oak, cherry, rowan and hornbeam, with a scattering of hazel round the edges and one or two ash. They were all planted before 1980 following a large crop of coniferous trees. That was before my time, but since then the plan has been to create a mixed native woodland.
My part in all this was to coppice a large number of hazels adjoining the lower ride. "Coppice" is the name for a part of a wood set aside and cut down for poles - the action of being "coppiced". Most native British trees can be coppiced, and if they are cut carefully the stump will regenerate well in the following summer into a number of shoots. The shoots will be cut again in the year when they become poles of the required size.
There is little demand for such wood today, but the coppices still grow away and need controlling. This requires removing the shade to allow more flowers to grow; maintain a balance between the tree group (a "stool") and it's neighbours, and help the stool become more shapely in future.
Anyway, I had been working this way for most of the winter, and as our deep-freeze January drifted into gloomy February, we felt we needed something to boost our morale. What could have better than the replacement of the big bridge over our deepest ghyll? For a couple of years it had been leaning gently, after being constructed following the big storm in 1987, and gradually became rotten.
Now it has been rebuilt in oak in an exact copy of the old one on a new basic structure of concrete and steel. I worked on the old one for years, replacing treads and handrails, so I will be quite happy to that give that a miss.
The other boost for us was the BBC Radio 4 programme "Open Country " in February when Mike Russell of the Trust, discussed owls, Wealden woods, and Selwyn's Wood in particular. And it was as if on cue, male and female tawny owls called to each other down one of the rides.
I seldom visit the reserve at night. Perhaps I ought to. But I don't care a hoot so long as the owls are there and obviously in good voice!
John Hall © 2006