A MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR HIGH PARK THE BLENHEIM ESTATE PREPARED BY THE WYCHWOOD PROJECT With THAMES VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL RECORDS CENTRE SIGNAL COURT, OLD STATION WAY, EYNSHAM, OXFORDSHIRE OX29 4TL March 2014 (pdf version) WWW.WYCHWOODPROJECT.ORG TEL 01865 815424 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 PREPARATION OF THE PLAN .............................................................................................................. 1 2. SITE MORPHOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 2 TOPOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................... 2 GEOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................... 4 SOILS .................................................................................................................................................. 6 3. HISTORY .......................................................................................................................... 6 PRE-HISTORY ...................................................................................................................................... 6 WYCHWOOD - A ROYAL HUNTING FOREST ....................................................................................... 6 WOODSTOCK - A ROYAL DEER PARK ................................................................................................. 7 THE CREATION OF BLENHEIM PARK .................................................................................................. 8 SUMMARY OF HISTORIC REVIEW .................................................................................................... 14 4. RECENT SITE MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................... 17 PLANTING OF BROADLEAVED TREE SPECIES ................................................................................... 17 VETERAN TREE SURVEYS AND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................... 18 THINNING OF PLANTATIONS ........................................................................................................... 18 GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................ 19 SPORTING USE ................................................................................................................................. 19 PHEASANTS ........................................................................................................................................... 19 DEER ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 PEST CONTROL ................................................................................................................................. 20 TREE DISEASES ................................................................................................................................. 20 ASH DIEBACK ......................................................................................................................................... 20 ACUTE OAK DECLINE ............................................................................................................................. 21 Blenheim High Park Management Plan. March 2014 5. ECOLOGICAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 22 SSSI ................................................................................................................................................ 22 UK BAP HABITAT .............................................................................................................................. 23 REVIEW OF SPECIES RECORDS ......................................................................................................... 23 2013 SITE SURVEY ............................................................................................................................ 24 ECOLOGICAL VALUE OF THE VETERAN TREES ................................................................................. 24 GRASSLANDS .................................................................................................................................... 27 PONDS .............................................................................................................................................. 27 6. VETERAN TREES ............................................................................................................. 28 POPULATION ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 28 VETERAN TREE SUCCCESSION.......................................................................................................... 30 7. LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................. 32 8. ACCESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ..................................................................................... 34 9. REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES ................................................................................ 34 OVERALL MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................ 35 THE VETERAN TREES ........................................................................................................................ 36 MANAGING EXISTING VETERAN TREES ................................................................................................. 36 MANAGING HABITAT COMPLEXITY ...................................................................................................... 36 DATA MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................................ 36 DEADWOOD .......................................................................................................................................... 37 VETERAN TREE SUCCESSION ................................................................................................................. 38 NEW TREE RECRUITMENT ..................................................................................................................... 38 CLIMATE CHANGE ................................................................................................................................. 40 THE BOUNDARY BELTS ..................................................................................................................... 40 EASTERN BOUNDARY BELT ................................................................................................................... 40 SOUTHERN BOUNDARY BELT ................................................................................................................ 41 WESTERN BOUNDARY BELT .................................................................................................................. 42 THE CONIFER PLANTATIONS ............................................................................................................ 42 Blenheim High Park Management Plan. March 2014 VIEWS AND VISTAS .......................................................................................................................... 42 AROUND HIGH LODGE .......................................................................................................................... 43 THE VIEW TO BLENHEIM ....................................................................................................................... 43 THE VISTA SOUTH OF HIGH LODGE ....................................................................................................... 44 OTHER RIDES AND VIEWS ..................................................................................................................... 45 MAINTAINING THE WOODLAND / GRASSLAND MOSAIC ................................................................ 45 OTHER SPECIES AND HABITATS ....................................................................................................... 48 SPORTING USE ................................................................................................................................. 48 SUMMARY REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND POLICIES ....................................................... 49 ANNEX 1: SOILS ...................................................................................................................... 53 ANNEX 2: EXTRACTS FROM HISTORIC MAPS ........................................................................... 54 ANNEX 3: LIST OF PROTECTED AND NOTABLE SPECIES ........................................................... 67 ANNEX 4 – 2013 ECOLOGICAL SURVEY TARGET NOTES ............................................................ 70 ANNEX 5: LIST OF SPECIES SEEN DURING 2013 SITE SURVEYS .................................................. 85 ANNEX 6 – WOODLAND SURVEY TARGET NOTES .................................................................... 89 ANNEX 7 – HIGH PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN – PROPOSED ACTIONS ..................................... 111 Blenheim High Park Management Plan. March 2014 List of Figures Figure 1: