Dyrham is a beautiful, diverse, historic stretch of land. From Dyrham Park on the west boundary, to Dyrham Woods, our project is filling in the gaps on a large farm between the two. Hikers familiar with the Cotswold Way might recognize it, as the path travels through this farm north to south, and another public footpath intersects it east to west, making this project a treat for future generations of hikers. The land has been farmed since Medieval times, featuring "lynchets", an old hand-dug form of terraces, where different families would each own their own terraced ridge and plow it, and farm crops for theirselves, since the ~13th century.
Currently the land being planted is used for grazing by horses, cows, and organic crop growing to feed the cows. The initial phase will focus on joining up some patches of woodland to create woodland corridors, and create shelter from strong winds coming across the Avon valley, which will improve crop yields, and make life a little more pleasant for the livestock.
To help increase biodiversity of this woodland, we'll be planting Blackthorn, Dog Rose, Dogwood, Elder, Hawthorn, and Hazel along the edges. They provide excellent habitats for birds like blackbirds, carrion crows, yellowhammers, and other birds who hand out in these woodland edges to access resources in neighboring fields and hedges. They also provide a bit of a wind buffer for the saplings as they grow.