Ash Dieback works.

 Well, the work to remove the diseased roadside Ash trees has taken place. It took a couple of days for a team of five men to complete the works.  Now the tidying up work has to start.

We had hoped to capture some stunning drone footage of the work in progress, but unfortunately, the weather had other plans!

Our arborist discovered that some of the tree stems were rotten, posing a potential risk to passing traffic. To manage this safely and sustainably, the branches were chipped on-site, and the wood chips were spread across the embankment—this way, we could keep the infected Ash wood contained rather than transporting it elsewhere.

Once we've finished clearing the fallen wood, we'll begin our replanting programme in line with the Forestry Commission's felling licence. The exciting part? We’ll be introducing a mix of native broadleaf species that are resistant to Ash Dieback, ensuring a healthier, more resilient woodland for the future. 

As for the remaining Ash trees, they'll be carefully monitored. If any show significant signs of infection and become a safety risk, they’ll be removed on a case-by-case basis. Our priority is to protect both the environment and the people who enjoy it!

Our thanks to Yeomans Access and Arb for their services. HMRC benefitted by 20% of the bill in the form of VAT on this public safety work. We were not eligible for any grant support.

Stay tuned for updates as we continue our work to restore and rejuvenate this beautiful green space. 🌿✨

No more detectorists

A couple of months ago, I did a favour for a pair of local detectorists, loaning them the key to my Orchard gate so they could carry out some metal detecting. There was no charge, no hassle—just a simple understanding that the key would be returned within a week.

Well, here we are, and the key is still missing. No return, no explanation, nothing. This complete disregard for a basic agreement has not gone unnoticed.

As a result, they’ve ruined it for everyone. I will no longer allow detectorists onto my land, and the padlock will be changed. If people can’t respect simple terms, they won’t get access—end of story.

Let this be a lesson: if you can’t be trusted with something as straightforward as returning a key, you won’t get the privilege again.

Note: 10 Mar 25  I spotted the detectorists, who'd borrowed the key, in a field adjoining the orchard. I was busy at the time, and they made themselves scarce, not taking the opportunity to chat with me.

Restocking after Ash Dieback removals

 As part of the process to apply for a Felling Licence, we've had to specify our restocking strategy for the felled trees. This is what we propose.

Native Broadleaf     55%

Holly Species          10%

Hazel                       20%

Hawthorn                15%

The felling licence is for individual trees rather than clear felling (removing all in one exercise). We'll monitor the health of each tree before  deciding to fell, except the roadside trees subject to the Council demand. After felling a tree we'll plant a couple of whips, protected by tree guards, mulching the base of the tree, and checking  progress periodically.

Practising with the Forestry Pro 2

 After completing the tree measuring exercise for the Forestry Commission Felling Licence I thought it would be sensible to double check some of the tree hright measurements. I took the Nikon Forestry Pro 2 to the orchard with a spreadsheet printout of the Ash trees.  Most of the leaves have now fallen so I can more easily see the tops of the trees from the limited confines of the orchard.

The Forestry Pro 2 works by measuring the time it takes for a brief pulse of near-infrared laser light to bounce back from the target object. In that respect, it is a bit like a radar.It can measure distance with an accurance of a cm or two over a distance of 100 metres, its full range is about 1500 metres depending on conditions. There is also an in-built clinometer which measures the angle you are tilting the device at the time the reading is taken.By performing trigonometry on the readings the device can calculate:

• Distance of object
• Angle of the object, from horizontal
• The horizontal distance
• The height of the top of the object.

For height measurement you have to trigger the tool whilst sighting on the bottom and then on the top of the object, such as a tree. This is called the two point mode.  There's a three point mode where you first measure the horizontal distance, then aim it at where the top is and then at the base of the object (tree); this works even if you can't see the top/bottom of the tree. The caclulation is completed in less than a second and displayed on an LED screen inside and outside of the Pro 2.

With the sample I checked, my earlier height estimates were reasonably accurate compared to the readings I obtained.

Good Apple Crop this year.

Quick update: we had a great apple harvest at the Orchard this year! We missed one tree, though—most of its apples had already dropped to the ground as windfalls by the time we got there. But the other three trees delivered plenty, filling up buckets with crisp, delicious apples. There were way too many for us to eat ourselves, so we've been busy making apple jelly and leaving a bunch in the alcove of the Old Post Office to share with others!

Ash Dieback update

 We've wrapped up cataloging the Ash trees along the Orchard's roadside embankment as part of our prep for applying for the Forestry Commission Felling Licence. Each tree has been numbered, measured, and checked for Ash Dieback symptoms. We were a bit shocked to find 93 trees (Ash, Elm) packed into that narrow strip of land (Plot 131782 1b). Now, we're just waiting to see if we get approval. As part of the application, we also had to lay out our plans for restocking the areas where the trees will be felled, opting for native broadleaf species that won't grow as tall as the Ash. 

On October 22, 2024, we captured some drone footage over the Ash trees. The ones hit by dieback have already dropped most of their leaves, leaving their branches bare. We have a stored waypoint flight path for the drone (DJI Mini 4 Pro), allows us to accurately repeat flights and take photos in the same location, give or take a few inches. These are ideal for progress monitoring of the Ash Die Back.

As part of our survey, we needed to figure out the height of the standing trees to estimate how much wood we might end up cutting. You can't just grab a tape measure or a stick for this kind of job—especially with the trees growing on a steep 45-degree slope! But now, we're excited to have a Nikon Laser Forestry Pro 2 Hypsometer. It lets us measure the trees from a distance, making things way easier.

Update 5/11/24

Today we had a visit by the Forestry Commission to check the details of our application for a Felling Licence. The visit went well and we expect to receive the licence within 5 weeks time.

Ash dieback at the Orchard

 We've had a letter from Derbyshire County Council asking us to cut down the roadside trees ("20-30 affected trees") as they are showing signs of advanced Ash dieback disease.  We're talking with contractors to undertake those felling works. The contractors will be using forestry equipment at the roadside. We have to complete the works within 6 months. During the operation, traffic control (lights) will be required on the Ashbourne Road (A517) between the rail bridge and the Ecclesbourne bridge to keep road traffic safe.

First, we'll need a Forestry Commission Felling licence before we can commence felling the trees. I'm in the process of cataloguing each Ash Tree as part of the application process. Only trees on the embankment will be processed in this exercise, the Ash trees on the south hedge will be considered later.  We've let the Parish Council know what is about to take place.

The catalogue process involves physically numbering each tree (aluminium tag), measuring its circumference "at chest height", and assessing how badly the tree is affected by the disease.  Given the steepness of the road embankment we are using safety ropes. As we measure each tree we are wrapping pink marker tape around the tree, this helps us to keep track of what we've measured. The pink tape doesn't not necessarily mean that we'll cut down that tree during the roadside operation.

We're also documenting the before and after situation with drone photography.  The picture below shows one of the worst affected areas of Ash trees. It was taken 28th Sept by drone about 50 metres above ground.. You can see bare branches, they'd normally still be in full leaf.

We'll be replanting with native broadleaf tree saplings to replace the felled Ash trees. We'll not plant Ash or Elm, both are locally affected by disease.