Newbury District Field Club

Mapleash Copse: Are derelict woods here to stay?

speaker

Charles Flower

12 April 2013

2:30pm at Newbury Town Hall

Mapleash Copse was derelict until the 1950’s when Charles’ father in law, who was MP for Farnham for many years, began to restore the hazel. After many ups and downs (including the arrival of deer in the area which ate everything!), the wood is now in reasonable order, providing stakes and bindings for local hedge layers as well as being a haven for wildlife.

Speaker

Charles Flower bought his 175 acre farm at Shalbourne in 1980 to pioneer more effective methods of restoring the countryside. This led on to a successful business of growing wild flower seed crops to help with this restoration work. Charles has been involved with hundreds of projects including the conversion of 600 acres around Stonehenge from arable to grass/wild flowers, the largest scheme of its kind anywhere. These methods have now been established as main line farming options and the farm has been sold having fulfilled its purpose. The seed business and Charles’ consultancy work continues. Mapleash Copse is a 25 acre wood just north of Snelsmore Common which Charles’ father in law Godfrey Nicholson began to restore in the1950’s with Charles continuing this work. Charles has now restored 6 acres of hazel coppice and the wood is now managed so that wildlife in general and wild flowers in particular can thrive.

Charles will be discussing the problem facing so many woodland owners which is how to avoid losing species in a wood if there is no income from it and hence no management.