Friends of Croham Hurst Woods

WELCOME TO FRIENDS OF CROHAM HURST WOODS

We are currently looking for a volunteer to take on the role of Secretary, serving on the Committee of the Friends of Croham Hurst Woods.  Please contact us by email at friendsofcrohamhurstwoods@outlook.com if you are interested and would like to find out more

Helping Keep Our Paths Open – Join Us– Saturday 30th August

If you’d like to make a difference and enjoy some time outdoors, we’d love your help at the next working day.

🕙 Time: 10.00 (finishing around 12.00)
📍 Meeting Place: TBA

Every pair of hands really does make a difference—we hope to see you there! Please wear appropriate clothing including gloves and strong non-slip  footwear.  And bring your own drink or snack if you think you will need it.

Regeneration in Progress: Hazel Coppicing Success on the Hurst

Earlier this year, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Friends carried out hazel coppicing on the Hurst, and the results are now clearly visible. The coppiced hazel stools are bursting with new shoots, some already reaching 2–3 feet in height.

Back in spring, the newly opened canopy allowed woodland flowers, such as wood anemones, to flourish. Now, the extra sunlight has encouraged vigorous new growth, demonstrating the positive impact of traditional woodland management.

This regeneration is a great example of how coppicing helps maintain biodiversity and supports the long-term health of the habitat.

Heather Restoration in Croham Hurst – TCV’s Fantastic Work!

A huge thank you to TCV Croydon for their incredible work clearing bracken and scrubby trees on 4th & 5th June to help the heather thrive at Croham Hurst. Their efforts continue the important restoration work, ensuring this unique heathland remains a vibrant and healthy habitat.

Despite battling wind and rain (classic British June weather!), a dedicated team worked tirelessly to clear the area. This follows similar work the team carried out in  Addington Hills last week, meaning they are getting rather good at it! Both locations offer stunning views and, fascinatingly, used to be under the sea many years ago.

TCV has shared some great photos from their work, there’s still more to do, but together, we’re making fantastic progress!

Check out the photos attached, and if you’re interested in joining future conservation efforts, let us know. Every helping hand makes a difference!

Enjoy the woods this summer, but please don’t light fires

If you see any fires or portable BBQs on the Hurst. Please call the Fire Brigade and they will resolve the situation.

Stepping Up for Croham Hurst/ Thanks to the Downlands Partnership!

A huge thank you to the Downlands Partnership for their incredible work on Croham Hurst. Thanks to their efforts, the steps at the end of Bankside have been fully replaced, along with 13 rotten steps on the long climb from Upper Selsdon Road to the viewing points. They’ve also replaced one of the Friends’ benches, making the Hurst more accessible for everyone.

Volunteers have also been hard at work, ensuring the improvements blend seamlessly into the natural beauty of the woods. Check out Urban Countryman’s Facebook for more pictures of the transformations!

Thank you to everyone who contributed—you’ve truly made a difference to the Hurst!

Hazel Coppicing

Coppicing is a pruning method where a tree is cut to ground level, resulting in regeneration of new stems from the base.  Whilst coppicing is seen as an ancient woodland management method, it has substantial benefits for the woodland, wildlife and the environment.  These benefits include rejuvenating the hazel in such a way that the new growth provides flowers for pollinators in the spring and nuts for wildlife in winter.

Volunteers from the Friends of Croham Hurst Woods and The Conservation Volunteers (“TCV”) spent 2 days in Croham Hurst Woods coppicing hazel during the week.  This work also required the cutting down of some dead and fallen trees for the safety of the users of the public bridleway.  Coppicing is an important aspect of woodland management as it will invigorate the hazels as well as let more light reach the woodland floor, enabling the growth of smaller plants/wildflowers.  The area where we worked had not been coppiced for many years, so we weren’t able to complete the work this time but we will be partnering with the TCV to undertake more coppicing at a later date.  The area looks a little bare now but will soon show new shoots of hazel.  Our thanks to Croydon Council officials and the TCV for their support to the Friends in this important work.

A note from Maria Gatland –  our President. “Below is a report by Gemma Thomas of Natural England who conducted a site survey recently. I am very pleased with it and particularly about the comments on the meadow.”

“On 2nd June I carried out a site check at Croham Hurst SSSI. The site received a full condition assessment in 2009 so it was due a check just to make sure the features were still in favourable condition.

Overall the site is doing well and working towards maintaining the favourable condition. I saw the area of holly removal in the north west of the site and whilst at first glance it does look like quite a large area was worked on, the vast amount of holly in the woodland shows that removal and control is necessary. There is little understory left in this area but a few seedlings are coming through. The canopy cover has been reduced which will allow more sunlight to reach the woodland floor.

The small meadow near the opening in the west is looking good, with species present such as columbine, common knapweed, hedge bedstraw, wild strawberry and marjoram. Shrubs and wildflowers were present along the southern edge of the SSSI, parallel to Upper Selsdon Road. Species included wavy-hair grass, ox-eye daisy, holly, bilberry, hawthorn & field maple.

There is a high canopy cover throughout the woodland, mainly consisting of beech and oak with some silver birch, hazel, ash, yew and sycamore. There was the occasional patch of laurel but otherwise no other invasive species. Ground cover is dominated by bramble and holly dominates the understory. There is some evidence of saplings coming through and some patches of bluebells.

The two heathland areas at the top of the site comprised of generally very short vegetation with eagle fern and sheep’s sorrel. Ling coverage is building with some patches of mature and degenerate gorse.”

Until 1901 the Hurst was owned by the Whitgift Foundation, but a proposal to build on it caused such public outrage that it was sold to Croydon Council.

Since 2002 Friends of Croham Hurst Woods have served the woodland in many ways:

As of February / March 2015 another tranche of holly was removed which opens up parts of the woodland to light, warmth and regeneration. The contractors are using a machine used in bog work to help protect the soil surface. Below is a picture of our Chairman Maria with the very large bog machine! In November/December 2016 another large tranche was removed so the woodland is looking much lighter and brighter.

The view from the top of the Hurst has also been opened up and many positive comments have been received. (Photo courtesy of Douglas White).

A not so sunny day in July 2018:

You can see more images on the tab “Fire 2018”.