tales from Withycombe Wood

The Dunster estate volunteers have been working hard coppicing hazel and elder in Withycombe wood again, continuing the process that is now underway to improve habitats in what is arguably one of the most biodiverse woods on the estate. They have now been armed with some new toys too, thanks to Exmoor National Park Authority and Natural England- in the form of new bilhooks and saws- further helping them to do this important work in the traditional way. Coppicing is really starting to open the lower canopy up, and light is able to get in, so it will be interesting to see how this helps the bluebells that are so spectacular here in the spring- not long now! We will also soon start to see how well the coppiced stools put up new shoots- and if there is any browsing from deer. Watch this space for further updates.

Bad Weather update- possible disruption to walking trails:

Due to the extremes of snow and high winds we have a number of fallen trees and blocked paths. We are in the process of surveying the damage and dealing with the issues, but be aware that you may encounter delays or need to divert from your intended route- particularly on those routes that are further from Nutcombe Bottom Car Park. If you wish to report an issue please contact us here, or call the estate office on 01643 821309

Wassail!



 

It has been time to 'wassail' Dunster Buttercross Community Orchard for the second time since it was planted in 2010 as part of The Crown Estate's 250th anniversary. Wasailing is a traditional blessing ceremony that dates back to saxon times. The aim of it is to drive away bad spirits and encourage good spirits in the hope of a good harvest of apples each year. Children from dunster 1st School joined us for a mini wassail in the morning, singing the traditional wassail song and making lots of noise (it was clear what was the most enjoyable bit!) to scare away the bad spirits. They then brought their parents along for the evening main event, where mulled cider was served to keep everyone warm, and the trees were wassailed again for good measure!

tales from withycombe wood

In a similar vein to the recent BBC 4 programme, Tales from the Wildwood, the Dunster estate volunteers have recently begun the process of getting one of our most wildlife rich woods, Withycombe Wood, back into management, and they will hopefully be getting some useful produce out of it too- including pea sticks, hurdles and even charcoal.
They will be using traditional coppicing techniques to manage the stands of hazel in the wood, as well as continuing to monitor for some of the area's iconic wildlife species- such as the Dormouse.
Though the volunteers will continue to do other tasks, Withycombe Wood will be the regular place we come back to, and it will be great for them to get to know the wood through the seasons.
Watch this space for further updates on the work of the volunteers in Withycombe Wood.

New community facilities for Withycombe

Planning permission has recently been granted by West Somerset Council for 3 dwellings (one affordable, local needs), a community Car Park, Play area and amenity space in Withycombe. The new community facilities are much needed by the village, and it was felt that the proposed dwellings would not only be in keeping and keep environmental impact to a minimum, but would also meet identified local needs. It is hoped that construction will begin as soon as possible.

xmas tree oh xmas tree

It is that time of year again, and we have been involving local school children in our xmas trees. Last friday we showed students from the West Somerset Community College around one of our xmas tree plantations and they were able to select a nice 14ft tree for their main assembly hall. Today we were out again with pupils from Minehead Middle School on the annual 'xmas tree pull', whereby an entire year group form the school walk from the school up to Hopcott heath and help us to manage some of the invasive conifer trees that take root there- and they get to take home the trees they collect. Lots of smiling faces, despite the prickles!

We are also selling xmas trees again from our new office this year, so come and get yours quick! Call the office on 01643 821309 or visit us at Sea Lane, Dunster Marsh near Minehead.

ash dieback info for visitors

Following recent outbreak of ash dieback please take note of the points in the poster attached when visiting to avoid risk of spreading disease. Thank you