Land Management
Careful land management is essential to preserving the unique character and biodiversity of the historic estate. Our ongoing work includes tasks such as rhododendron control, bracken bashing, and conifer clearance — all aimed at protecting native habitats and encouraging natural regeneration. We also welcome the help of conservation grazing, with ponies and pigs playing a vital role in restoring balance to the land and supporting the return of rare heathland species.
Rhododendron
Our ecological projects largely consist of the arduous and seemingly ‘never ending’ task of clearing invasive species from the Estate. The most common and well known of which is rhododendron ponticum. This devastatingly successful species introduced by the Victorians runs rampant across the Furzebrook Estate.
Celebrated for its beautiful flowers in May and June it is hard to appreciate how such a stunning plant can cause so much harm to the environment, poisoning the soil to a depth of 1 meter to a point where nothing (not even earth works) can survive. Rhododendron nurtures zero species within its dense and low canopy, when compared with ancient woodlands (which used to cover much of England) including trees such as the Oak which nurtures over 200 species it is clear to see the importance of riding the Estate of this plant. We undertake hundreds of hours each year digging out the routes, cutting and burning in an effort to permit our natural habitat to regain a hold.
Conifer Clearance
In accordance with the Estates Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme, we are in the process of clear-felling many hundreds of conifer trees.
Cutting and removing trees on the face of it can appear counterintuitive from an environmentalist perspective however, the dense canopy often associated with conifers and spruce prevents sunlight reaching the woodland floor the result of which is the loss of habitat often associated with English woodlands, wild flowers and the like. When combined with an unnaturally high local population of Sika deer which graze on seemingly anything, to a height of approximately 6 feet – little on the woodland floor survives unless sunlight is permitted to reach it.
Opening sunlit pathways and rides, reducing density encourages complex habitat to regenerate and permitted rare species such as the Green Lizard and Smooth snake to survive and flourish in the warmth of the sun.
Bracken Bashing
Arguably the most successful species on the plant, if permitted bracken would cover and choke the land. Our dedicated full-time team of Estate works seek to reduce its strangle hold, cutting, bashing and burning whenever possible giving the land some space to breath!
Ponies and Pigs
As part of our conservation work, the Furzebrook Estate has introduced both wild ponies and pigs onto the Estate. Naturally grazing of grasses, bracken and gorse and the rotavation of soil helps to rejuvenate the land. Increasing the fertility of the soil with its associated ecological benefits.
