Thanks to Amy Thurston for her lovely feedback about joining the working parties as part of her DofE award.
If you're interested in coming along, keep an eye on our facebook page for dates being announced.
Custodians of Darch’s Wood for the benefit and enjoyment of the community, and helping preserve and protect the lands and buildings of Cross-in-Hand.
Registered Charity 269818
Thanks to Amy Thurston for her lovely feedback about joining the working parties as part of her DofE award.
If you're interested in coming along, keep an eye on our facebook page for dates being announced.
Today’s session concentrated on the pond, fencing and edges!
Alder trees growing from the dam wall were identified as needing attention. Whilst Alder is a much loved native species and excellent to have in the wood, these younger saplings can damage the dam wall and pond edges and so needed to be felled.
Below you can see some before and after pictures of the work.
Work commenced with a loosening of the ties on John Plant's memorial tree, which had put on a bit of weight and girth.
We also cut grooves in a couple of the sleepers embedded in the ride to the church side of the ‘Rhodi Tunnel', as this can become quite slippery in wet weather (see photo to the left).A few of the fencing rails needed to be repaired and once again Bob came to the rescue, using chestnut cut near to the Back Lane entrance. He spilt three rails to replace those damaged or missing (see photo below).
Two posts will require replacement and it is hoped that these can be made from suitable timber from the woods giving a circle of wood growth and sensitive use from our own supplies.
It was nice to be in a well used part of the woods for a change, with many people passing and commenting on the work and taking an interest in the activities.
Further work on the pond edges will need to be undertaken, but once again its looking so much tidier, and nobody fell in!
We always love new members to join the working parties. It's a great way to meet new people, spend time in the great outdoors and get a bit of exercise too. You can also walk away with a warm feeling of fulfillment having given back to your local woodland.
Keep an eye on our facebook page for details of when the next dates are. You can come for an hour or the whole day, any time is appreciated as the wood is run solely by volunteers. No experience necessary.
Today saw another split session of working in the woods with clearance of the left hand side of the main ride from the Church continuing and the long awaited replacement of the Back Lane Entrance gate being undertaken.
The old gate has been in position for many years, but had rotted to the point of not return.On the last working party, Bob & Alan milled two gateposts for the project, using Bob’s mill. Today saw them recover a surplus gate from Alan’s field.
As is ‘normal’ the new gate wasn’t a perfect first time fit, but with a few new bits from ‘Moles’ and a bit of fettling with the angle grinder and gas torch all went well in the end.
One of the two newly milled posts was used and positioned in a suitable location to allow the gate to open inwards.
The gate isn’t intended for regular access, but will be extremely useful when working at the top of the woods and will save decanting equipment from a wheelbarrow to access working areas.
The new gate also allows for emergency access should the need arise, however the draining ditch maintained by Highways does impede full width access and egress.
Whilst this was being fitted the rest of the working party tackled clearance and tidying from the ‘Bum Tree’ down the main ride to the woods with some serious amounts of pre cut invasive species having been cleared, making the main ride so much clearer and brighter.
Sue discovered a fantastic Beech complete with numerous habitat holes and which although seemingly hollow in places is quite healthy.
Further work on the main ride is the plan for the next few working parties.
We’re there - the end of March, the start of bird nesting season and the clearance of area 1C is complete!
A big ‘Thank You’ to all of our volunteers that have turned out in what were sometimes less than wonderful conditions over the last few months.
Here is the last of area 1c before (left) and after clearance (right).
A job well done but, with the turn in seasons, we now have to grudgingly move away from cutting the green stuff, certain in the knowledge that it’ll still be there (and lots of it) later in the year .
For the next couple of sessions, the plan is to address an area up towards the Back Lane entrance that’s in serious need of some attention.
Dates: Saturday 5th and Saturday 19th April
If you fancy joining us, pop along any time after 09:00 until late afternoon and we’ll be glad to see you. Follow the smoke and ask for Mike if you have never been along before.
If you wish to confirm your attendance, or alternatively to offer your apologies, please send an email to mikefbaker@hotmail.com or telephone 01435 866253.
Only one vote per fully paid up member household is permitted.
As it’s been some considerable time since the last update (May 2024), its timely to bring you up to speed on the huge amount of work undertaken since then.
Last May saw us working on the steep embankment to the Church-side of the boardwalk, working slowly to clear the invasive species.
February 2025 has seen us on the opposite side, clearing Area 1c since last May with significant work having been carried out in all weathers; as I write this I think we are all recovering from the muddy and slippery conditions underfoot. The ghylls that cut through the wood in this area (there are two of them) have been cleared and are now free flowing with ‘waterfall’ drops at numerous locations as the main Ghyll runs down to the brick culvert under the boardwalk.
With the removal of invasive species new vistas have been discovered and light now reaches the woodland floor, already we are seeing signs of growth with many bluebell carpets pushing through. Several different types of fungi have been found and the newly cleared woodland appears to be in good health. Several additions to the notable and veteran trees have been uncovered, some for the first time in many years.
Additional works have included the creation of two natural barriers on the lower boardwalk path, which is now out of use due to its condition (signs are in place and a lower alternative path is available), fallen tree clearance in several areas and improvements to the Back Lane entrance, where an interesting standing dead oak has been discovered with a Beech entwined around it in a snake like manner.
The working party is formed of volunteers, attending in their own time every other Saturday, normally we have from 6-12 people working for as little or as much time as they can spare. Remember: you don’t have to be a volunteer to be a member! But every little helps!
Finally, thanks to all who have mentioned the amount of work completed. There’s still much to be done, but the woods do look so much better now.
In January we had the pleasure of welcoming Doug Edworthy to Darch’s Wood. Doug is the tree warden for Brightling and Dallington parishes and he also works as a volunteer for the Woodland Trust identifying and verifying notable, ancient and veteran trees.
One of our working party sessions last winter had uncovered an old tree that was previously completely engulfed by thick rhododendrons. After some deliberation, we were fairly certain this was an Alder tree and, given its size, could well be a unique specimen.
Committee member Jo set about finding an expert to come and look at the tree; after a bit of Facebook networking she found Doug, who kindly offered his time to come and check it out, whilst also agreeing to check up on our other veteran trees.
Jo and Janet (another committee member), and Janet’s dogs, met Doug and his colleague Julian (tree identifier in training!) on a very cold but sunny morning in January. We spent two hours looking at different trees in the wood. The main aim was to confirm the identity of the tree we had uncovered during the working party and to find out its classification.
Doug showed us how to look at the bark, the buds on the tree, to look for any pine cones or other identifying features. It soon became apparent we did indeed have an old Alder tree (Alnus Glutinosa). Identifiers included the purple tinge to the buds and emerging catkins, as well as the small pine cones and spotted stems on the twigs.
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We measured the girth of the tree and found it was 3.34m. Doug estimated it as 100+ years old (a very good age for an alder, they usually last around 60 years). We were pleased to discover this is a maiden tree (of seedling origin and never been coppiced or pollarded), in rude health, therefore not yet a veteran but would be classed as a ‘notable’ tree and would be logged on the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI).
Alder trees are water lovers so it's no wonder this one was found right next to the ghyll. They are valuable to other species too. The catkins in spring provide an early source of nectar and pollen for bees and the pine cone seeds are eaten by birds such as goldfinch, siskin and redpoll.
Veteran trees are in the latter stages of life and need to have specific features in order to be classed as Veteran. Features include the hollowing out of the trunk or of branches, increased fungal activity and wood decay and the retrenchment of the crown (it starts to shrink in height).
We have three veteran trees that have been identified in Darch’s Wood - two large beech trees at the bottom of the wood and one very old Holly stub on the border of the wood along the main ride. They can all be seen on the ATI. Doug spent about half an hour with each tree noting its features and taking photos and measurements to update the ATI.
There was something magic about spending time with each tree, really getting to know each one in more detail, and learning about its characteristics. Doug was hugely generous with his time and expertise and I think we all left with a new and deeper connection to these trees, recognising their importance and cementing our resolve to protect them!
Doug also reminded us of the importance of dead wood. Large tree stumps being one of the most valuable assets and habitats in any woodland environment. Any trees that fall must be left alone as much as possible as they provide crucial environments not only for wildlife but also for mosses and fungi. Branches should only be removed from trees if they are dangerous as damage to bark and exposing these wounds can make the tree vulnerable to disease or decay. The woodland is a circular system, recycling and renewing all the time and it does this brilliantly, ideally with as little interference as possible!
As we continue to progress in clearing the invasive rhododendron and cherry laurel throughout Darch's wood, it will be interesting to see what else we uncover. We have certainly allowed a great deal more light into the wood which over time will increase biodiversity and improve the overall health of the trees and the woodland as a whole. There were a lot of new shoots at the bottom of the alder, likely due to the sudden exposure to a lot of new light.
Huge thanks to Doug and Julian for their time.
Cross-in-Hand Amenities Society
-NOTICE-
51st Annual General Meeting
to be held at the Lucas Memorial Hall, Waldron
on
25th April 2024 at 19:30.
We are please to invite you to join us at the Annual General Meeting of the Cross-in-Hand Amenities Society.
All members are at liberty to nominate themselves or others for any of the positions on the Committee. We would ask anyone wishing to stand to contact our Membership Secretary, Mike Baker, in advance of the meeting.
Following the meeting, members are invited to socialise with a glass of wine or a soft drink, which will be provided free-of-charge.
If you wish to confirm your attendance, or alternatively to offer your apologies, please send an email to mikefbaker@hotmail.com or telephone 01435 866253.
If you were impressed and inspired about what you read in the Sussex Express article, and you'd like to contribute your time and effort by getting involved, our next working party is Saturday 20th January where we will be continuing with the important clearance work of felling and clearing invasive Cherry laurel and Rhododendron, thus freeing up the woodland to replenish itself naturally with those native species that should normally be found there.
If it is your first time joining us, we work from approximately 10am to 3pm and are currently working at the top of the woods near the St. Bartholomew's Church. Do come down and donate as much (or as little) of your time as you wish; our friendly bunch are always most grateful for any help! We’ll be working in teams of no more than six - bring your own tools (good gloves absolutely essential) but, as usual, we can always loan out loppers, rakes, saws etc. if needed.
If there are any doubts just follow the smoke and ask for Mike!
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This Spring and Summer we have had some exciting new species turn up in the wood!
As I am sure you will all have noticed, our amazing community of volunteers have been very busy maintaining and improving Darch’s Wood, ensuring its future as a community asset and keeping it open and accessible to the public for all to enjoy.
Those who attended our AGMs in April 2022 and Sept 2021 will already be aware that we have been working with English Woodlands Forestry to shape a new five-year 'Woodland Plan’ that complies with Forestry Commission standards. The plan was approved last year and we are now taking steps to implement it, drawing on grants through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and Rural Payments Agency.
The new plan includes both Revenue and Capital items.
Revenue items include such things as: Opening up some of the rides to attract more birds, insects and butterflies, and to allow wild flowers to thrive. Freeing up some of our biggest ‘Veteran Trees’, by clearing the undergrowth around them.
Capital items include: Works to drainage and clearing Cherry Laurel and Rhododendron, which have run rampant in certain areas of the wood! (This work would be undertaken jointly between English Woodlands Forestry, the Amenities Society and a woodland contractor).
During February (commencing from Thursday 23rd) and later in the Autumn, we will be working with a contractor to clear the Cherry Laurel and Rhododendron ponticum from a number of areas in the wood to deliver on commitments in the Forestry Commission approved plan. This work is vital in enabling the removal of highly invasive, non-native species, and will enable us to replace them with native trees and shrubs that will enhance the biodiversity and therefore the future of Darch’s wood.
If you would like to know more, please contact us via email.
CHAS Chair – Steve Thompsett
cihamsoc@gmail.com
It's funghi season, and after the driest summer in many, many years the recent rains have caused the funghi in Darch's Wood to really start putting on a show (they love wet weather!).
We are by no means experts, or even amateurs, but via both the Collins Funghi Guide and the Woodland Trust's website we think we have managed to tentatively identify one or two of these as:
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MINUTES OF THE 49TH AGM OF
THE CROSS IN HAND AMENITIES SOCIETY
HELD ON 7TH APRIL 2022
AT THE LUCAS HALL, WALDRON
The meting closed at 8.45 and guests had the opportunity to have refreshments, look at information displayed at the back of the hall and talk to the committee, Josh Diplock and the detectorists.