The Green was once a grazed meadowland but no grazing has taken place since about 1980. As a result, the acorns from our magnificent oak have been allowed to germinate and grow undisturbed, resulting in an unusual area of naturally regenerating oak woodland.
The clay soil and rich humus deposit provide an ideal environment for these young trees and good woodland management is needed to ensure that the correct selection of trees for thinning takes place in the future. The Forestry Commission has been very helpful with grants and advice in the past and we plan to continue this link.
The Butterfly meadow has a large variety of wildflowers in the spring and summer which have been helped by clearance of many brambles.
The Green and surrounding fields support a rich bird life and a survey of adjacent land by an ornithologist in the 1990′s revealed over thirty species of birds. It is hoped to repeat this survey on the Green itself in the future.
In August 2009 Dave Dana, a local dragonfly expert visited the pond and counted 17 Migrant Hawker dragonflies as well as a lone male Southern Hawker defending his territory – an indication that the pond area is providing the right habitat for these species to thrive. The photographs of some of the Dragonflies have been supplied by Dave Dana. They can also be seen in a larger format in the photo gallery.
Some mixed woodland areas are now being created by planting a variety of native trees, including Field Maple, Walnut and Hazel. This should improve the habitat for red squirrels which are occasionally seen on the Green.
