There were some small pockets of woodland on the Northwood site that were never cut down during the First World War, and remain as ancient woodland today; however, these areas are small and disconnected from each other.
The downside to this is that much of the wildlife in these wooded areas is isolated and unable to join up without having to leave the safety of cover, an example being the harvest mouse. Natural regeneration of trees in the area will gradually increase the size of the woods and connect these isolated pockets together. We will be helping this process further through seed dispersal and tree planting.
The land that was farmed on Northwood was registered as Grade 4 Agriculture under the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC). The ALC provides a framework for classifying land according to the extent to which its physical or chemical characteristics impose long- term limitations on agricultural use. Grade 4 indicates that the fields had poor agricultural productivity.
By developing this woodland we are creating a buffer between two of the Slindon Estates largest farms, reducing the risk of flooding by soaking up surface runoff. We will also be able to open up Northwood to the public and create permissive paths where access was once denied, giving people the opportunity to explore Northwood further.
The reasons listed above amongst many others have made us realise that now is the right time to bring a woodland back Northwood. Get in touch with us if you’d like to find out more about the ‘Rise of Northwood’. You can also follow the blog to receive regular updates on how the project is progressing.