But we finally finished thinning our biggest tree plantation, and opened up a couple of shady glades next to footpaths. Much better than the view of brambles and some small, dead coppice wood - at least until the spring, when the brambles will resume their wicked ways!

Hopefully, by the time you read this we should be cutting a number of "stools" of hazel coppice. We started the nine-year rotation of about 45 stools along a path which I call "West Way". The older ones are now sturdy bean poles and of a size which will be useful on the reserve. (As you know, coppiced trees once cut down will re-grow until they are required for use according to their size.)

Now I must return to the glades mentioned above. You will remember that one of these - a yew glade - was mentioned in my last article and it had been suggested that one of the saplings was an Irish yew. Well, it transpired that my informant misled me! My later research transpired that the tall conifer type was actually a juniper.

Oil from the black fruits has been used as a diuretic, and in Norway to make a beer. But what is of much more interest to me, and others perhaps others, is that they are used to flavour gin!

This little episode seems to make the case for ignorance making a bit of a fool of yew!

John Hall © 2007