Sites and Practical Works

The maps below show the range of sites, throughout the Project Area, where the Project has carried out practical management work between April 2002 and March 2003. The numbered paragraphs describe the sites and some of what has been achieved.








1 Spring Wood Local Nature Reserve, Pinewood [Photo]
The Spring Wood volunteers have continued to carry out coppicing and other management work in the wood, producing bean poles and pea sticks for the Local Woodland Product Initiative. The new extension to the wood is growing very well with both planted trees and natural regeneration exceeding 12 feet in height. Regular Greenways volunteers have also coppiced an area of the wood adjacent to the A14, where very large quantities of litter were removed. Next year will be the fourth and final phase of tidying the roadside stretch. A volunteer undertook a training course in hedge laying and then laid a short stretch of hedge beside the regeneration field to display the ancient art to park visitors.
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2 Butterfly Ride [Photo]
Although only a relatively small area of grassland habitat, three years of management have already improved the value for butterflies and other wildlife. The meadow was cut and baled to remove the nutrient from the site, encouraging further improvement in wildflower diversity.
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3 Bobbits Lane Car Park [Photo]
Further work has been carried out to reduce the problems of flytipping and joyriding. The area has been divided into small parking bays to prevent access for large vehicles or trailers. Large quantities of dumped rubbish have also been removed on several occasions.
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4 Ashground Plantation, Proposed Local Nature Reserve [Photo]
Further access improvements have been completed, linking Bobbits Lane to Stoke Park Drive with a surfaced path. A local community group made and positioned about 30 bat roosting boxes in the woodland.
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5 Bobbits Lane Meadows Proposed Local Nature Reserve [Photo]
The brook was dredged by the Environment Agency during the winter, which resulted in the water table dropping considerably. Volunteers have constructed simple earth banks to help retain water in the flood meadows. The meadows have been cut and baled as hay, and a small pond has been restored by dredging. The site is now home to several rare bird species as well as water voles and otters.
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6 Belstead Meadows [Photo]
Routine maintenance of the site has continued with cattle grazing through the summer months. The Ranger has regularly mowed the paths, checked the cattle and picked litter. Areas of thistle and rank vegetation have been cut and collected to reduce their dominance.
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7 Belstead Brook Park Hedges [Photo]
Over the last 9 years the Project has planted several new hedges throughout the Park, all of which require looking after. Volunteers have weeded, trimmed and coppiced various stretches as required.
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8 A14 Tree Belt and Lower Meadows
Volunteers have coppiced the first line of planted shrubs closest to the path in order to facilitate access. The paths themselves have been cut regularly through the growing season, and the meadow areas have been cut and baled to improve grassland diversity.
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9 Thorrington Hall Farm Meadows [Photo]
Suffolk Wildlife Trust sheep have been grazing the meadows for most of the year, including a new piece of grassland reversion from arable. A large oak pollard damaged in the storms in October was re-pollarded to prevent further collapse. There is already a good amount of regrowth from the cut limbs, and the life of the tree will be prolonged due to the surgery work.
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10 Thorrington Hall Farm Hedges [Photo]
Two existing hedgerows have been coppiced and gapped up with new hedge plants by regular volunteers. New hedges planted in the last three years are all establishing well. Volunteers have also weeded and mulched several stretches to encourage better growth.
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11 Belstead Heath [Photo]
Re-creation of heathland is progressing well on the 14 acre site, with volunteers spending considerable time clearing bracken and scrub to maintain the open character.
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12 Bobbits Lane [Photo]
The upper section of the lane is still suffering abuse from fly-tipping, off road motorcycling and abandoned vehicles. The Project has brought together a very broad partnership of interested bodies and individuals, who have agreed a way forward to limit access to the site and enforce restrictions. Volunteers have once again been responsible for clearing huge amounts of dumped rubbish.
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13 Quilter Drive Open Space
Following the damaging storm in October, the Project supervised the removal of several fallen and dangerous trees from this small area of public open space that acts as a link between other parts of Belstead Brook Park.
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14 Camp Yard Wood, Wherstead
Regular volunteers have coppiced a small part of the wood - the ninth consecutive year of management by the Project. Cut hazel has been used to make tree stakes and pea sticks.
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15 Stoke Park Wood
Routine management work has continued along with emergency tree work on several occasions. The site is now a Proposed Local Nature Reserve, and is one site covered by the Ipswich and Gipping Valley Wildspace! Project, which has been funded by English Nature.
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16 Buttercup Close Meadow, Pinewood
On behalf of Babergh District Council the Project has once again cut and removed the long grass from this improving meadow.
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17 Belmont Road Wood
Work in the woodland areas this year has included litter removal, tree surgery, hedge planting and weeding and clearing of the water course.
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18 Warren Heath [Photo]
Management of the heathland remnants has included removal of bracken, gorse cutting and mowing. Some trees have been removed to extend the open area.
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19 Purdis Heath [Photo]
A "megatask" was held on the site in the winter, with 50 volunteers joining forces to remove birch scrub from this very valuable site. The large areas cleared should enable the Silver-Studded Blue butterfly to spread across the site and onto the neighbouring golf course.
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20 Brookhill Wood Boardwalk
The Project has worked alongside the Rights of Way staff to plan improvements to the footpaths in the area, contractors have built a new stretch of boardwalk linking two paths.
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21 Mill Stream Open Space [Photo]
Practical work has included regular coppicing of willow, mowing of areas of fen vegetation, tree surgery and coppicing of large elms. A leaflet guided Jubilee Walk around the series of open spaces has been established jointly with Rushmere St Andrew Parish Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council. The circular route has been marked with oak way-marker posts and has so far been very well received by local people.
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22 Sandlings Open Space
The October storms also made their mark on this site. Several trees required removal or surgery, and considerable elm hedge coppicing and pollarding has also been carried out. Volunteers cleared and wood-chipped a new footpath linking into the site, and planted a new native hedge alongside it. This work was paid for by the developer of the neighbouring houses.
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23 Rushmere Water Tower [Photo]
The small planted areas (planted to provide nectar sources for butterflies due to losses of habitat in the area) have established slowly due to the very poor soils. Some replacements have been planted and watered in.
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24 Rupert Fison Centre, Kesgrave
The Scout Centre has been built, but the Project has continued to manage the wildflower areas around the car park, by annual mowing and raking.
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25 Grange Farm Wildflower Areas, Kesgrave
Annual cutting and raking of the various areas has been completed by the regular volunteers for the fourth year. Long grass is a very valuable habitat and these areas are in high profile locations, that help to promote their importance.
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26 Martlesham Common
Volunteers have cleared another acre of birch and gorse scrub around the remnants of heather heath on the County Wildlife Site. The SWT Sandlings Project manages the site for the Parish Council with Greenways' help.
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27 Walk Farm Wood Car Park/Picnic Site, Martlesham
The project has worked alongside the Parish Council and local volunteers to re-build the car park and picnic site area with funding from the Sandlings Walks Lottery grant (the main Sandlings Path passes through the site). Work has included resurfacing the car park, separating cars from people and installation of drains.
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28 Long Strops Pond, Kesgrave
Following the installation of the pond by the Project two years ago, volunteers and staff from TXU have built a dipping platform and three rustic seats to enable educational use by the new local school.
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29 Millennium Meadow, Grundisburgh [Photo]
The local conservation group have continued to manage the site very actively, and the Project has returned for the now annual mowing and raking task with its regular volunteers. The meadow has improved beyond recognition in the last four years.
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30 Westerfield Churchyard
The Project Ranger mowed the long grass reserve areas to enable local people to rake up the hay, to further improve the wildlife value of the area.
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31 The Fonnereau Way [Photo]
The Project's volunteers have carried out some footpath clearance work along the route of this proposed guided trail from Christchurch Park to Westerfield.
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32 Ipswich Wildlife Group Tree Nursery
The tree nursery and woodland craft area is the home of the Local Woodland Product Initiative, which the Project supports by transporting produce, delivering woodchip for use on the site and other help as required.
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33 Tuddenham Playing Field
The Project officer has visited the site with local people to discuss various management issues and opportunities including more sympathetic management of grassland and hedgerows.
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34 Cordale Spinney
The Project has produced a new updated management plan for the small woodland site. Small amounts of coppicing and other routine management have also been carried out.
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35 Castle Hill Allotments Meadow
The volunteers have mowed the small meadow and weeded the hazel planning area alongside.
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36 Whitton Lane [Photo]
The hedge planting last year has established well despite a small amount of vandalism. The associated fencing has been repaired, hedgeline weeded and a handful of shrubs have been replanted.
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37 Kiln Farm Meadow, Great Bealings [Photo]
The annual mowing and raking was completed despite wet ground conditions and volunteers have cleaned the ditch and created ponds with small dams to increase diversity.
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38 Former British Sugar Site [Photo]
The Project has continued to regularly cut the River path through the site, and has been involved in discussions about the future management of the Island and other non-industrial parts of the site, as part of the redevelopment of the factory site.
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39 Alderman Canal [Photo]
Considerable progress has been made this year on the local Nature Reserve. In order to address the problems of poor water quality, a large amount of trees have been coppiced from the southern bank to reduce shading and leaf-drop. Unattractive and dangerous old iron fencing has been removed by volunteers to open up views and access into a hidden part of the reserve. Wellington Insurance staff helped to install benches and plant a new native hedge to screen the nearby industrial units.
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40 West End Road Wildflower Bank [Photo]
Nine years of management by the Project and Ipswich Wildlife Group have resulted in an interesting variety of wildflowers. The site will be interpreted with a large information board in the coming months, and a line of wooden bollards will protect the verge from illegal and damaging parking.
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41 River Path
The Project has continued to lead the management of the path throughout the Project area, including cutting and litter picking. New stretches of tarmac have been laid to create cycle paths between Beaconsfield Road and Riverside Road by the housing developer.
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42 Old Cattle Yard [Photo]
Volunteers have carried out a large scale clear-up of the site in preparation for the arrival of a new sculpture in May 2003. A new native hedge has been planted alongside the path and wildflower seed has also been sown - all funded by a Local Heritage Initiative Grant awarded to Ipswich Wildlife Group.
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43 Skate Park [Photo]
The Project has continued to be involved in the environs of the Skate Park. Much of the landscaping has failed due to vandalism, and vast quantities of litter have been collected around the Sarsen Stones beside the River. The Park itself has been very successful, attracting large numbers of skaters to the river.
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