The Old Lodge

In Victorian times when The Old Lodge was the gamekeeper's home, laurel was planted throughout the woodland to the south of the trout stream to provide cover for pheasants. This virulent invasive species has taken over a large area of the woodland as if someone has thrown a mass of giant woody spaghetti over the place. The laurel blocks light from getting to the woodland floor and is a toxic cyanogenic plant,  releasing hydrogen cyanide preventing the growth of competing flora. This photograph shows a cleared area with the sun now streaming through to the woodland floor and remnants of laurel brash. This had been piled up on ground that was devoid of any flora which we hope will now start to appear. 

The laurel blocked any route through the woodland to the south of the trout stream, criss-crossing for many metres in all direction. The laurel in this photograph has been cleared  to create a path between the two bridges,  now accessible to the garden tractor with trailer in tow.

Removing the laurel understorey has revealed the tree canopy above and let light into the woods.

We will not completely eradicate all laurel here, but try to restrict it to roadside boundaries to aid privacy and to the wild middle-woodland.  There springs create a boggy landscape which the wildlife has to itself. Laurel is after all part of the history of this place.