Access work almost finished

Posted by Tanos on Sun 7 Jun 09, 11:15 PM

Tags: bridgewood

I went to Bridgewood this afternoon to see how the work providing car access onto the site is getting on. I've taken some pictures, and it's now almost finished: the work with the heavy machinery is now backing towards the entrance gate, rather like working back to the door when you're painting a floor!

As you can see in this picture, I've limited lines of sight with gentle curves in the rides. This looks nicer, it's more private, and it's better for woodland wildlife that dislikes big open spaces. These kinds of "stone" roads, surfaced with ground up masonry and concrete from demolitions on top of a geotextile membrane, are pretty common in forestry and allow year-round access.

The parking area has been surfaced in the same way, and is big enough for a dozen or so cars, but can also accommodate trailers and vans, or be used for storing whole tree trunks. Last year this area was densely populated, as its surroundings still are. I cleared it at the start of spring, and this video shows one of the trees coming down. There were trees every few metres at that point, with lots of shrubs and smaller trees growing during the summers.

Finally, the bucket from a JCB used in the clearing and surfacing of the parking / hard standing area. To the right you can see one of the tree stumps, right on the corner. I decided to remove all the trees with branches overhanging places cars might park, but the stump has already started regrowing. In a couple of years time it will be a bush, and then a small tree with several trunks that should be more manageable.

Edited Thu 5 Aug 10, 1:42 PM by Tanos

Hello Mr Tanos I'm quite fascinated over your Bridgewood. Coming from Finland with water and woods I feel comfortable thinking open air venues there. I miss the evergreens, as we have them as majority, but the English nature is different and more exotic for me. I also appreciate your idea of biodiversity. In a few years the planted "trees" won't be ruling so clearly. Deer footprint explains why the trees look more bushes. I only wish I could come one day to see BW and enjoy a picnic there. Of course only if you let foreign guests whom no one knows enter the path. Have a warm and playful summer in the woods. yours Donna Anna

(I welcome comments and feedback, although I don't guarantee to show them all and they won't appear immediately. My contact details page provides other ways of getting in touch.)