February 17th 2008. Having today walked the Court Barns to Icknield Way stretch of the Ditch, I notice that most of the trees marked are sycamores, they are hard to distinguish from beech without looking at the buds. A few beech, birch, coniferous and hazel are also marked.
Even so, and accepting that the sycamore is not a native tree, I think the removal of well matured specimens would be excessive and would leave some sections of the bank practically bare. Where old trees have uprooted and fallen due to their great age they have not done great damage to the bank, and many of the trees marked will, if left alone, grow quite happily for many generations to come. When they do rot and fall they provide an excellent wildlife habit as a breeding place for insects which in turn are a food for the birds. The way English Heritage are acting is to make this sound like a new problem, whereas the process has been going on uninterrupted for many hundreds of years. (RHV)
February 17th 2008. These are some of the trees lining the path that are marked with paint.
When trees do eventually rot and fall they do not always cause much damage to the Ditch embankment.
February 19th. Just to update on the Devils Ditch trees, we have had a message from County Councillor Mathew Shuter who has been in touch with David Kenny of English Heritage and with Cambridgeshire County Council. He has recieved assurances that the paint markings on the trees do not necessarily mean that the trees are to be removed but that they are subject to a survey to determine their condition. He has received assurances that no cutting down of trees will take place until next winter and that English Heritage will submit their proposals to Parish Councils and other interested parties before carrying out any work.
This is good news for those of us who were concerned that English Heritage might have acted without consultation and thanks to Mathew Shuter for taking up the matter on our behalf.
An article in the Cambridge Daily News of 19th February may also have helped, so thanks to John Goode for this. (RHV)
February 21st 2008. A Press release from English Heritage.
The Devil's Dyke is an extensive and visually impressive earth bank and ditch which is over 7 miles (12 km.) long. It probably dates to the Anglo-Saxon period. The Dyke is a scheduled ancient monument, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and part is a Special Area of Conservation of international importance.
Since 2001, English Heritage has been pleased to be a partner in the Devil's Dyke Restoration Project with Cambridgeshire County Council and the local Wildlife Trust. Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled selective scrub clearance, the restoration of chalk grassland species, and fencing for sheep grazing in the north-west part of the Dyke (the part not extensively covered with mature trees, unlike the wooded Wood Ditton end to the south-east). As part of the project, display panels interpreting the archaeological and ecological history of the Dyke were erected, since there is a public footpath running the whole length of the Dyke, which is a cherished resource for local walkers and other visitors.
It became clear that some of the south-east part of the Dyke, which was outside the funded project area, was being damaged by roots from over-mature trees which were also a potential hazard for users of the right of way. A survey was carried out in 2006, after which the County Council closed this section of the Dyke on grounds of health and safety while limited felling, coppicing, pollarding and root grinding were carried out.
In order to allow a revision of the Devil's Dyke Management Plan to include the heavily wooded south-east end, about which there is insufficient information, a consultant has recently been engaged to carry out a comprehensive tree survey. English Heritage, English Nature and Cambridgeshire County Council all support this study, as a united management approach is needed to ensure that its varied special interests are fully evaluated and appropriate management measures debated. Clearing this end of the Dyke for restoration of chalk grassland would be completely inappropriate and unacceptable, because the trees are an integral part of the Dyke's special interest and character. The key to safeguarding the archaeological and ecological importance of the Dyke will be suitable woodland management. Local people's views will be sought before decisions on woodland management are taken.
Corporate Communications Contact: Danny Lamond, tel 0207 973 3252
21 February 2008
Email dated 7th March 2008 from Simon Thurley, Chief Executive, English Heritage to Nick Stubbs (copy to Rodney Vincent)
Our ref: BS3959
Dear Mr Stubbs
Thank you for your email dated 18 February 2008, and Rodney Vincent’s email dated 15 February, raising concerns regarding tree cutting at the Woodditton end of the Devil’s Dyke.
I can assure you that English Heritage recognises the woodland importance of this end of the scheduled ancient monument, which of course is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This is why, as Rodney Vincent acknowledges, we are involved in a partnership with other statutory bodies (Cambridgeshire County Council Rights of Way section and Natural England) to address the Ditch’s management needs through a survey and to seek consensus with the Parish council and concerned local people.
We understand that some tree and box hedge cutting has recently been carried out, but this was not at the instigation of English Heritage and is nothing to do with the current tree survey. The paint markings to which Rodney Vincent refers simply show that all the trees have been surveyed. It does not imply that they are to be felled. The survey work is supported by English Heritage, English Nature and Cambridgeshire County Council, and will enable informed decisions to be taken, such as the possible felling of trees that are unsafe or are in danger of damaging the Devil’s Ditch through uprooting.
We feel that the key to safeguarding the archaeological and ecological importance of the Ditch will be suitable woodland management which in turn will safeguard the enjoyment of walkers along this outstanding piece of historic landscape.
Regards, Simon Thurley
