Why Devon's Woodlands Need a Helping Hand

Devon is one of the most wooded counties in England, yet much of that cover is made up of small, scattered woods tucked into steep valleys, along old lanes and behind farms. A good proportion is ancient woodland, meaning it has been continuously wooded since at least 1600, which makes it irreplaceable. The trouble is that many of these woods have been quietly neglected for decades. Coppicing and other traditional crafts faded after the Second World War, deer numbers rose, and shade-tolerant trees gradually closed over the open, sunlit patches that so much wildlife depends on.

Woodland management is not about tidying up. It is about mimicking the disturbance that used to happen naturally, and doing it on a rhythm that suits insects, birds and small mammals rather than a spreadsheet.

Coppicing: The Ancient Rhythm That Suits Wildlife

Coppicing means cutting a tree or shrub close to the ground in winter and letting it regrow from the stump, known as a stool. Hazel, ash, field maple, willow and sweet chestnut all respond well. Cut a compartment on a rotation, typically every seven to fifteen years for hazel, and you create a mosaic of regrowth at different heights across the wood.

That mosaic is the key. Freshly cut coupes flood with light, prompting woodland flowers such as bluebell, wood anemone and dog violet to bloom in the first few springs. The dense regrowth that follows is perfect for hazel dormice, which need tangled stems to nest and feed in, and for nesting warblers, nightingales in the south of the county, and the pearl-bordered fritillary, a butterfly that relies on warm, open woodland with violets.

• Cut between late October and early March, avoiding frost and waterlogged ground.
• Work on small blocks, no more than a hectare at a time, so wildlife can move between them.
• Leave some stools uncut each year, plus standing deadwood and a few mature trees per coupe, as these are valuable for bats and woodpeckers.
• Protect regrowth from deer and grey squirrels with fencing or brash piles, otherwise the next rotation never arrives.

Hedge Laying and the Devon Bank

Devon hedges are distinctive because most sit on an earth bank, often faced with stone and topped with shrubs. Laying them, sometimes called steeping in these parts, means partially cutting the stems near the base and bending them over so they continue growing while forming a dense, stock-proof barrier. The result is far better for wildlife than a flail-trimmed hedge.

Done well, a laid hedge has a thick base, a tangled middle and a flowering, fruiting top. That gives cover for yellowhammers and dunnocks, corridors for dormice and hedgehogs, and a larder of haws, sloes and hips for redwings and fieldfares in winter. Aim to lay a hedge on a ten to fifteen year cycle, ideally one stretch per year so the whole farm is never uniform. Where full laying is impractical, trim on a two to three year rotation and leave some sections tall. Avoid cutting everything in late summer, when berries and nesting cover matter most; late winter is usually the kindest time.

Planting Natives in the Right Places

New planting is valuable, but only where it does no harm. Never plant up an ancient woodland site, and leave a generous buffer of open ground around one so light and roots do not change its character. Plant native species of local provenance, ideally grown from seed collected nearby, because they are better adapted to Devon's damp, mild climate and heavy soils.

• For a mixed wood: pedunculate and sessile oak, downy birch, rowan, wild cherry, field maple, small-leaved lime, holly and hazel.
• For wet ground and stream sides: alder, willow, guelder rose and blackthorn.
• For a hedgerow mix: hawthorn and blackthorn as the backbone, with hazel, dogwood, spindle, crab apple and wild service tree added for variety.
• Plant whips between November and March while dormant, mulch with a mat or bark, and use guards where rabbits and deer are a problem.

Let the ground beneath breathe as well. Sunny ride edges cut on a rotation, scalloped rather than straight, are some of the richest habitat in any wood.

A Year in the Wood

Spring brings the bluebell flush and early nectar for queen bumblebees. Summer sees the canopy close; this is when bats such as the lesser horseshoe hunt along sheltered lanes, and when dormice raise young in the dense regrowth. Autumn is about mast and berries, with jays burying acorns and flocks of winter thrushes arriving. Winter, when the sap is down, is the working season: felling, coppicing, hedge laying and planting. It is also when you will spot the rot holes, crevices and log piles that overwintering insects and bats rely on, so leave a proportion of deadwood standing and lying where it is safe to do so.

Getting Started in Practice

You do not need a large holding to make a difference. A garden hedge laid on rotation, a small coppice patch behind a shed or a pond edge left to scrub up all count. For larger woods, a simple management plan written with a local adviser will keep you honest about what you are cutting and why, and it helps if you later apply for agri-environment funding. Note that felling above a small annual volume usually needs a licence.

Volunteering is the easiest way in. Winter task days with a local conservation group will teach you to use a billhook and a bow saw properly, and summer surveys, including hunting for chewed hazelnuts that betray the presence of dormice, are a gentle way to learn what lives on your patch. Take it slowly, work with the seasons, and Devon's woods will reward you within a few short years.