ABOUT DORMOUSE WOOD
If you are interested in learning about Dormouse Wood then the video below is a good place to begin. My aim is to share more detail, gradually creating an in-depth picture of Dormouse Wood and the plans for its future, including its restoration. I am also posting blogs. If you would like to join me on my journey, consider signing up to the Newsletter so you get alerts on updates (subscribe is at the foot of the page).
One essential element is giving anyone who buys from Dormouse Wood confidence that everything has been harvested responsibly and sustainably. I am committed to sharing information about what we do and how we do it, so you can trust the provenance of our products.
I purchased Dormouse Wood in late 2017. I had always known I wanted to own woodland and when the opportunity finally arose I took it. Despite the steep learning curve and many challenges, buying Dormouse Wood is one of the best decisions I have ever made. To put it in simple terms, spending time there makes me happier and more contented.
Take a video tour of Dormouse Wood
Woodlands need both light and shade
LET THERE BE LIGHT
The Importance of Light to a Woodland
One of the things I love about Dormouse Wood is its wild and untamed character. In much of the wood, taking a walk involves scrambling across water filled ditches, clambering over fallen trees, ducking under ivy clad branches and taking detours where the growth is so dense a human cannot pass without causing damage. You don’t stroll in Dormouse Wood, you embark on a mini adventure - it’s fun!
This meant that, when about a year into ownership of Dormouse Wood, the time came to start re-opening the historic rides. I had mixed feelings.
It Stinks and I’m All Green!!!
The Challenges of a Woodland Pond (plus Labradors)
We don’t have that many visitors but when we do, I really think hard about whether to include the dogs in the party because (being typical Labradors) they will inevitably manage to jump into the pond.
Shortly thereafter they will share their unbridled joy with everyone else, showering them with a liberal spray of stinky water and bright green pond weed. They generally follow this up by rubbing happily against everyone’s legs.
The creature from the Green Lagoon
A woodland canopy of graceful Ash
It’s My Woodland and I’ll Cry if I Want To
The Tragedy of Ash Die Back Disease
I haven’t actually cried over the Ash Die Back in Dormouse Wood but it has been close at times. There have certainly been sleepless nights.
When I bought Dormouse Wood I knew it was infected with Ash Die Back, a dreadful tree disease which, like Dutch Elm Disease before it, seems to be trying to kill off an entire species.
I knew but didn’t appreciate the likely impact. However, even two years ago it wasn’t clear that the disease would move so fast - it was thought to be slow. So, in the last year I have done a massive amount of research to find out more and create the best possible management approach for our beloved Dormouse Wood.