Access improvement at Wern Wood Nature Reserve - Lewis Goldwater

The midweek work party volunteers and our nature reserve wardens have been working on reinstating fencing, the access paths and boardwalks at Wern Wood near Bredwardine. This small ancient woodland has been thinned in the last couple of years and the previous permitted path was damaged during this work.  However with the extra sunlight reaching the woodland soil, the ground flora has responded spectacularly, with great displays of ramsons, bluebells, moschatel and yellow archangel especially on the northern slopes. Visitors at this time of year may also spot toothwort close to the entrance gate. This is an ancient woodland indicator plant that is unusual because it lacks the green chlorophyll that most plants have. Instead of deriving its sugars from photosynthesis, it is parasitic on elm and hazel.

The woodland is also notable for its calcareous tufa springs that create boggy, lime-rich soils in places. Brooklime, marsh marigold and opposite leaved golden saxifrage are currently in flower in these areas. The new boardwalks will improve visitor access whilst protecting the more sensitive wetter ground from damage. Please note that this work is ongoing and visitors are advised that some sections of boardwalk are not completed.

A riot of blue and white - Sarah Keefe

Already the effects of thinning Wern Wood in Bredwardine to encourage woodland flora could be seen when a work party came to the wood in April 2022. This spring saw a riot of blue and white as bluebells and ramsons which previously struggled to flower in low light levels burst forth. Over two days, volunteers created a new boardwalk over the tufa streams at the entrance to the reserve, built steps up the steep slope to the top of the woodland and reinforced fencing around the deer enclosure and external boundaries.

Thinning of the wood took place during winter 2020/2021. Extracting the timber was difficult because the reserve is sited on a steep slope, the timber and brash that’s left is of benefit to wildlife, providing food and homes for invertebrates, which in turn provide food for a whole host of other animals.

Accompanying bluebells and ramsons on the wood’s slopes, red campion and foxgloves can be seen and in certain areas herb Paris. The three small streams arise within the wood and produce lime-rich flushes covered with opposite-leaved golden saxifrage and pockets of the wonderfully bright yellow marsh marigold on the lower slopes. Look out for the characteristic white tufa deposits found in these flushes and streams which comes from lime dissolved out of cornstone bands deep within the Old Red Sandstone.