Wooden sign leading into woodland that says Welcome to Old Moat Coppice Picnic Area and Nature Reserve

Old Moat Coppice Developments

The Old Moat Coppice at Hartlebury Castle has been developed, thanks to an exciting grant from Natural Networks! This aimed to improve access for visitors and the local community, as well as aid wildlife and biodiversity.

If you have any questions, please email admin@hartleburycastle.com. Read more about the changes below.

The Works

Developments in this project included clearing and desilting the pond to restore the open water. The pond’s gently sloping sides will provide safe access to wildlife and allow plants to establish along the shallower margins. We’ll be looking out for native woodland plants like English bluebells, foxgloves and lesser celandine, alongside those adapted to thrive in wetter conditions such as meadowsweet, wild Angelica and yellow flag iris.

The alder trees at the northern end of the Coppice were even aged and lacking in structural diversity, so the coppicing regime has been reinstated. Coppicing is a woodland craft traditionally used to produce a sustainable timber crop, but it can also prolong the life of a tree or shrub and promote new growth. It is cut near ground level during winter and new growth follows in the spring – this means that more light can reach the woodland floor, allowing dormant flowers to bloom and benefitting pollinating insects such as butterflies and bees. The alder will regrow from the base, producing structural variety and shrubby growth as well as nesting and foraging habitats for birds and small mammals.

Coppicing illustration by Becca Bratt, showing a tree cut near ground level and its later new growth.

Several trees were managed for safety reasons through pollarding. Where heavy limbs were at risk of splitting from the main trunk, the limb was cut off at head height or above. Pollarding mature trees can prolong their lifespan and promote the growth of a balanced and stable canopy.

Deadwood is a highly valuable resource for wildlife like great spotted woodpeckers, bats and stag beetles, so this was retained wherever possible as habitat piles or standing deadwood.

Bat and bird boxes have also been installed, and paths have been improved to make access easier for all.