EcoRecord Sunley Wildlife Fund Survey – Haden Hill Wood

SA080 HADEN HILL WOOD

ADDRESS: Owner: Private: Palmers / Mucklows District: County: Ward/Local Plan Area(s): Local Planning Authority: Dudley MBC

LOCATION: Grid Reference: SO 963 857 WMCC Habitat Survey Site(s): Length: O.S. Sheets: 1:50,000 Area: 2.5 ha 1:10,000

NOTIFICATION: Site Status: SLINC Survey Date(s): 1997 Surveyor(s): Comments: also known as High Haden North, Gorsty Hill Wood

HABITATS

Woodland

Ownership is in two parts, the eastern side by Mucklows and the southern and western side by Palmer Timber.

This woodland is inaccessible to the public but it forms a valuable landscape feature as a wooded backdrop to the timber yard which can be readily seen from nearby roads. The central southern section occupies an old marl quarry, the banks of which are fairly steep stretching up from the Timber Yard to house gardens at the higher level. Most of this woodland is of dense sycamore which is medium aged, 30 - 40 years old, and hence is quite heavily shaded. Part of this slope is open and eroded.

At the bottom near the Timber Yard, large rocks form an outcrop. Bluebells are present here. Parts of this area also have ferns, great willowherb, nettle and bramble. Goat sallow occurs at the woods bottom edge.

Rubbish has been dumped from the gardens above and an accumulation of rubbish exists at the bottom of the slope.

The eastern block of the woodland is inaccessible. It forms a woodland embankment winding around the backs of homes along Station Road and Seedhouse Court. It extends around the entrance to the Timber Yard and at the back of the offices forming a narrow wooded link to the central southern block of woodland. Sycamore is dominant in parts with much hawthorn / sycamore scrub and ash intermingled within this area.

Parts have a disturbed appearance due to past working for marl or coal. From the central southern block the wood extends around the back of the Timber Yard becoming

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Produced by EcoRecord the Ecological Database for the Black Country and on behalf of MBC and The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country EcoRecord Sunley Wildlife Fund Survey – Haden Hill Wood more scrub like.

FAUNA

A range of woodland bird species were present including blackcap and chiffchaff. The site is no doubt good for small mammals and foxes. Speckled wood butterflies were present.

CHANGE / LOSS / DAMAGE

Much of this stretch of woodland is sycamore dominated and with ash. Therefore any management to control sycamore would be a long term project in order to maintain a wooded cover.

Initially thinning to favour other species present (e.g. ash) would be desirable. Areas adjacent to the woodland have been developed as Timber yard and its associated works, with the extension of buildings on the western edge an area has been planted up with field maple, rowan, sallow, hawthorn and birch. An area of tall herb occupies mounded spoil adjacent. A couple of areas on the higher flat land off Sherbourne Road have been incorporated into private gardens.

At the back of houses on High Haden Crescent, flytipping has occurred down the steep slope into the marl hole part of this wood.

Virtually all of this wood is inaccessible and in private ownership. It tends to occupy the steeper areas of land between houses, gardens and timber yard.

IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

Present Management

No management seems to be undertaken at present.

Future Management

The priority is to maintain a wooded landscape feature, sycamore control being important. Due to the dominance of sycamore, complete removal is not possible, and it is more a case of encouraging other species present and enhancing species / structural diversity. Partial coppicing and thinning to promote trees of good form and provide structural diversity is important. Japanese knotweed should be removed.

Priorities for Management

A management plan is required.

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Produced by Eco Record the Ecological Database for the Black Country and Birmingham on behalf of Sandwell MBC and The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country