Properties
Related sites:
|
|
Article 'Pound Copse' taken from 'Your Village',
1983:
Pound Copse is a small attractive tract of woodland,
some 2.31 acres in extent lying on the west side of Greensward Lane. It
is covered by a preservation order and comprises the remnant of a much
larger area of woodland cut down to make way for arable cultivation in
the 1960’s.
The copse was most generously donated to Arborfield and Newland Parish
Council in Jubilee year, 1977, by the Samuel family and was taken over
by the Council, following legal conveyance in 1980.
Despite its size it contains a wealth of trees and shrubs mainly
indigenous but including the usual foreign introductions such as Spanish
Chestnut. The usual selection of trees to be found in mixed deciduous
woodland in Southern England is evident including oak, ash, hornbeam,
holly, silver birch and wild cherry. Willows are evidence of dampness in
the lower parts of the copse and of particular interest are two wild
service trees, a species which is becoming rarer and rarer although one
of the oldest of British trees, whose berries were used by Romans to
make a ‘Home Brew’. The undergrowth is mainly bramble interspersed with
shrubs, such as hazel and buckthorn, patches of bluebells and areas
where wild honeysuckle grows in profusion.
It is the aim of the Parish Council to open up parts of the woodland to
the public, primarily a sinuous footpath running through the wood and
providing an alternative route to the existing footpath along the side
of the wood. Some thinning of the trees will take place to let more
sunlight into large areas of the copse, a proportion of the undergrowth
will be cleared out to a certain extent to expand the present seasonal
pond. A large number of dead trees will be felled but enough will be
left to provide habitat and feeding grounds for woodpeckers, tree
creepers and nuthatches. Although it is normally only animals and birds
that are in the front of people’s thoughts when considering conservation
it must be remembered that dead wood also provides ideal conditions for
a variety of insects and fungi. A considerable quantity of undergrowth
will be left to provide nesting areas for wrens, robins, whitethroats
and other small birds.
This work started by volunteers from the Berkshire Conservation Group in
February 1981, but the whole project which will take several years to
complete and will require regular annual maintenance.
The copse should provide a lot of pleasure not only for the residents
but also to visitors of the village.
(Noel Sudbury was Chairman of the Council at a meeting with the
Hon. Mr. Peter Samuel, and suggested the gift of Pound Copse to
the village in consideration of the loss of a short bridleway - but not
conditional upon the closure.)
Back to Properties Page
|
|
