Vehicles

Vehicle access should be considered for most woodlands, apart from those that are very small, steep or isolated. Vehicle access can be provided and managed in a way which is sympathetic to the woodland landscape. Note the following:

  • Vehicle access is essential for efficient woodland management operations. Removal of coppice products, thinnings, firewood, charcoal and other woodland products is very much easier if a vehicle can be used.
  • Tracks which are wide enough to take a vehicle can also be constructed and managed by vehicle. Track or path construction which requires felling, scrub clearance, cut and fill operations, ditch digging, spreading of surfacing material or other heavy work can be done by machine. Mowing, trimming, flailing or scrub clearance to keep tracks and glades open can be done by a vehicle where access is suitable.
  • Vehicle-width tracks are attractive for walkers, horse riders and other users of woodland. Most people much prefer to walk along a track wide enough to walk side by side, or with space to pass other woodland walkers or dogs. Narrow paths can be intimidating, and are more likely to suffer from erosion or muddy conditions than are wider paths.
  • Wider tracks with grassy margins are a valuable wildlife habitat.
  • Bridges, culverts and other structures must be built to a standard to take vehicles.
  • Surfacing material may not be required if vehicle access can be limited to times when the ground conditions are suitable, such as dry summer periods, or when the ground is frozen in winter.
  • Providing access for permitted vehicles may cause problems if it allows entry for other vehicles. Locked gates or other barriers at access points from the road will be necessary. Moveable barriers such as heavy logs or boulders can be used to block gateways against most vehicles, and then moved by machine when legitimate access is required. Access along rights of way and for firefighting must not be restricted.

Walkers

Most visitors to woodlands go there with a purpose, with dog walking top of the list. Children love woodlands for play, so family visits are also popular. Otherwise, walkers tend to have specific reasons for visiting woodlands such as birdwatching, or seasonal features and activities including spring flowers, autumn colours, collecting fungi, gathering sweet chestnuts, holly and so on. Other wooded areas are visited as part of visits to stately homes, parks or other attractions. Woods may also be walked through by rights of way users, but otherwise most people when going for a walk in a rural area in Britain will choose open land such as commons, farmland, downland, heathland, coasts, hills and mountains, with open views being the over-riding attraction. If part of the aim of woodland management is to attract visitors, provision for walkers must be good. This includes:

  • Paths or tracks which are easy to follow and which reduce any fears of getting lost.
  • Surfacing which is reasonable for walking in most weather conditions. Tracks which remain waterlogged in dry weather conditions will not be well used.
  • Steps on steep slopes.
  • Bridges over streams, and boardwalks over permanently waterlogged ground which cannot be avoided.

Horse riders, cyclists

  • Horse riders prefer wide tracks without overhanging vegetation, and with reasonable surfaces. Where tracks can be provided for horse riding only, this is the safest and best solution for all users.
  • Family cyclists require fairly level tracks with reasonable surfacing. Infrequently used vehicle access tracks with surfacing are ideal.
  • Mountain bikers will ride on any permitted tracks, with steep slopes and rough ground an attraction rather than a problem.

Access without paths

Some wooded areas are suitable for access without paths. These fall into two main categories:

  • Wood-pastures, parks and wooded commons which are grazed, and have open grassy areas with scatterings of trees and small woods. Where unrestricted access is permitted, walkers and other users can walk freely, without having to keep to paths or particular routes.
  • Mature woodlands with little undergrowth or shrub layer. Beech woods are the most notable type, with their heavy shade preventing undergrowth. Most other types of woodland have some undergrowth which restricts access, or ground flora which does not tolerate frequent trampling.

Glades and open spaces

These tend to be the most popular locations within woodland for recreation, and may be used for picnicking or children’s play. The bright green of a grassy glade within woodland is visually very appealing. Points where paths meet are an obvious place for making a new glade. Use of existing glades will be increased if made easily accessible by good paths.

Glades need to be at least 40m in diameter to retain their open nature as trees mature. Glades will tend to shrink if grazing pressure or recreational use is low. New glades are best created in areas of poor tree growth, perhaps which are too dry or where disease or windblow has caused loss of trees. Areas of scrub and brambles can be converted to glades by clearance and regular cutting. Glades must be regularly mown to create grassy conditions, until grazing or recreational use is sufficient to keep down growth of rough grasses and scrub.

Some woodlands or plantations have derelict industrial remains, old dumps, hard standings or similar. These can be converted to glades by removal or burying of unwanted metal or other material, levelling, and as necessary covering with a thin layer of topsoil. This can then be seeded with a grass/wildflower mixture, or left to regenerate naturally.

Views

Views both within the woodland and to the land beyond will enhance the woodland for most users, and will make it easier for visitors to orientate themselves. Management work could include:

  • Clearing undergrowth to give views through the wood. Some visitors will feel safer if the undergrowth is mainly cleared from the margins of paths, to leave a clear view into the woods on either side. Concentrate on the margins of tracks leading from car-parks, and the most popular routes. Complete clearance is not necessary, and will result in a loss of valuable habitat, as well as making the woodland draughty. Clear away clumps of undergrowth which are overshadowed and of little wildlife value, and prune lower branches of some trees. Conifers can be brashed (removal of lower dead branches) to leave clear stems. Thin trees as necessary, to create a more open woodland. This will also benefit tree growth where trees are getting crowded.
  • Consider clearing views to particular features in the middle or far distance beyond the wood, so that they can be seen from one or more locations within the wood. Features do not have to be ‘attractive’ to be of interest, with power stations, wind turbines and radio masts the most notable features in some landscapes. Visitors who are worried about losing their way will be reassured if they can see familiar buildings, roads or other features beyond the wood, from which they can orientate themselves.
  • Make the most of any high ground within the wood. Most high points have some sort of path leading to them, but it may be worth upgrading the path so that the viewpoint is made more easily accessible.
  • Keep views clear by keeping vegetation low at particular viewpoints. This may require mowing or flailing of grassy banks at intervals through the year, or clearance of scrub growth every few years.
  • Views of water are usually valued, although this may lead to problems of unwanted access to ponds or streams.
  • Platforms or lookouts can be constructed to make the most of views. If visible from the car-park or from a main track within the wood, these create a feature to aim for and to walk to.
  • Raised walkways or tree top trails. These have been constructed in some woodlands as a visitor attraction, and to give the visitor the experience of being amongst the tree tops.

Chapters