Another Milestone: Major Tree Works Started
Major tree works are getting underway in St Giles Hill Park this November, representing another significant investment by Winchester City Council (WCC) in the future of our much-loved green space.
This the most substantial programme of tree management undertaken in the Park in recent years. It follows considerable discussion and liaison between the Friends of St Giles Hill Park and WCC since our charity was established in 2023. Originally planned for last year, the work is particularly welcome and represents an important milestone in our efforts to improve the Park.
This is a 12 week project from November to January in all nearly 200 trees are being addressed in this operation - a quarter of all the tree in the park. In addition a hundred invasive small sycamore in the area below the St Catherine’s Hill viewpoint, and 30 small mixed broadleaves in the area below the main viewpoint are being coppiced. So in all there is clearance action on 130 immature trees and work on 200 more established trees.
The programme includes:
54 ash trees and two pine trees to be felled.
Removal of dead wood and selected branches to improve safety and tree health.
Removal of ivy and clematis where appropriate, while retaining climbing plants on many trees to support wildlife and biodiversity.
Crown lifting, pollarding and removal of unwanted shoots and suckers from selected trees.
Clearance of vegetation obstructing some street lighting and signage.
Removal of approximately 100 young sycamores from Compartment 17, below the St Catherine’s Hill viewpoint.
Coppicing of approximately 30 young broadleaved trees in Compartment 12B, below the main viewpoint.
The works combines essential tree safety work with longer-term woodland management, helping to maintain a healthy, attractive and sustainable landscape while protecting important views.
The ash are all suffering from Ash Dieback, a highly destructive fungal disease that is now widespread across the UK. Those to be felled have reached a point where they are a safety concer.
Balancing Tree Management and Wildlife
Our approach is not simply about removing vegetation. Trees, ivy and other climbing plants provide valuable habitats for wildlife, and their retention is an important consideration.
The Friends’ volunteers generally follow the Council’s approach to ivy management. Where ivy has previously been severed, volunteers help control regrowth. Elsewhere, ivy is normally retained unless there is a particular reason for intervention. Clematis, which can become particularly vigorous, is managed more actively.
Our regular volunteers also undertake considerable work removing unwanted shoots and regrowth. At the last two working parties, for example, volunteers completed such work along Baring Road.
Beech Tree
The revealed view to the sunset and college A new home for wildlife
Visitors to the park will note the sad loss of the beech tree on the prominent viewpoint sometimes known as the Beech Platform, looking out to the south and west of the city. This has been reduced to a “monolith”, a standing trunk of decaying wood. The tree was known to be diseased and some works were done in 2023.
Unfortunately the drought and heat of the summer and recent storm resulted in it losing approx. 3/4 of its live crown. Further work revealed a significant area of central decay at the crown break caused by a Ganoderma colonisation which had caused cubical white rot internally. The tree had reached the stage where it was at high risk of failure.
Together with WCC we are looking at “improvements” for biodiversity purposes to make the most of what will be a highly visible standing deadwood feature. Options include:
Bat Box Slots: Cut narrow, vertical slits (approx. 15–20mm wide and 100–150mm deep) high up on the south or south-west facing side. Bats prefer these warm, tight entryways for roosting.
Bird Cavities: Drill out deep, downward-sloping chambers with small entrance holes (25mm to 32mm depending on the targeted bird species) to provide instant, weather-protected nesting sites.
Insect Boredoms: Use drill bits of varying diameters to drill clusters of deep holes into sunny sides of the trunk. This provides nesting tunnels for solitary bees and wasps.
Woodpecker Starts: Gouge out a rough, horizontal shelf or a shallow bowl. Woodpeckers are highly attracted to pre-damaged areas where they can easily excavate their own deeper nests.
These proposals for habitat creation are not only in line with good arboricultural and ecological practice, but also offer the opportunity for education and interpretation relating to the importance of retaining standing deadwood features in our parks and open spaces.
We hope this will be done with an explanatory information board on nature being installed to inform all visitors about the tree which will remain a prominent feature of the park
Investment and Volunteering Go Hand in Hand
This major programme represents another substantial commitment by Winchester City Council, following approximately £50,000 invested last year in gabions, retaining structures and associated improvements.
It is important, however, not to overlook the cumulative impact of smaller improvements. Month by month, our volunteers and the Council continue to make a visible difference through practical woodland management, vegetation clearance, path maintenance and other improvements.
While we continue to pursue funding for larger restoration and development projects, we are not standing still. The partnership between the Friends of St Giles Hill Park and Winchester City Council is already delivering tangible results.
There is much more to do, but this autumn and winter’s tree works represent another major step towards our shared ambition: a safer, better-managed and more attractive St Giles Hill Park for everyone to enjoy, now and for generations to come.
The Friends of St Giles Hill Park will continue to monitor progress throughout the programme and liaise with Winchester City Council as necessary.
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