GAULT WOOD |
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| Gault Wood began when a 16 acre field was bought in November 1993 by the Woodland Trust. A group called the Friends of Gault Wood was founded to raise funds to repay the Woodlands Trust and manage the site. The site is now managed by the March Wildlife Group, who has appointed a warden and deputy Warden. |
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Tree planting commenced in 1994 and since then over 9,000 trees and shrubs have been planted. A wide range of native species is present with the emphasis on oak and ash. The wood takes its name from the Gault bank, which runs along the southern boundary. A pond was dug in the first year to provide an extra wildlife habitat. The spoil was used to cover an artificial badger sett in the central area of trees.. |
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Life for the newly planted trees was tough as summer droughts hit in the early years. Growth was slow, although most survived; more recent ash and willows in particular, are growing well. Wheat continued to germinate during the first couple of years, which dwarfed most of the trees, although this encouraged the small population of harvest mice, mice, voles and shrews to increase rapidly. These small mammals provided good hunting for large carnivores including stoats and foxes and birds like kestrels and barn owls. The pond is now well established encouraging frogs to spawn in the spring and damsel and dragonflies to feed and reproduce in the summer. A number of plants have been introduced and established themselves including the spring flowering primrose, cowslip, bluebell and campion; these are followed by the summer flowering roses, teasel and iris. In March 2000, the Mayor of March planted a Millennium yew tree, close to the entrance to the wood. This tree was propagated from a two thousand-year-old specimen tree and will hopefully see the wood into the next millennium. A number of seats have been placed around the wood for visitors to watch the wildlife and relax. Pathways are regularly cut to allow easier access to the pond and around the central area. March Wildlife Group hope you enjoy your visit to Gault Wood. |
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