About Holt Copse
Holt Copse is an ancient semi-natural woodland (listed in the English Nature ancient woodland inventory 1995) and a Wildlife Heritage site (designated by BBONT). The copse is 2.7 hectares in area (6.7 acres) and is the remaining part of a larger woodland which covered all the parkland between Jubilee Avenue and Holt Lane to the north west of Wokingham. This woodland has long been isolated by fields and the built environment. At present parkland and gardens act as a green buffer zone to most of the copse. The site is owned and managed by Wokingham Town Council.
Holt Copse lies on the geological change from Bagshot beds to London clay. This, along with a long history of active management, has created the type of woodland we see today.
The Copse has in the past been actively managed as oak standards over hazel coppice, but with no active management of the hazel for approximately 20 - 30 years prior to 1999. There is a variety of tree species within the canopy mix, but oak makes up 90% of the canopy species. The net canopy covers about 80% of the copse area.
Regeneration of oaks has taken place in areas of long grass, but generally no young trees have emerged into the shrub layer or lower canopy. Many of the mature oaks are now losing vigour and dying off. At present the woodland shrub layer is overstood hazel, with dense patches of holly and areas of bramble. Due to the lack of active management in recent years this has led to a reduction in ground flora and a channelling of public access into well defined paths.
Since 1999 Holt Copse has been actively managed by the Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers in conjunction with Wokingham Town Council. Traditional coppicing of hazel has been re-introduced along with clearance of dense areas of holly and bramble. Cleared areas have also been re-planted with hazel and oak.
Holt Copse lies on the geological change from Bagshot beds to London clay. This, along with a long history of active management, has created the type of woodland we see today.
The Copse has in the past been actively managed as oak standards over hazel coppice, but with no active management of the hazel for approximately 20 - 30 years prior to 1999. There is a variety of tree species within the canopy mix, but oak makes up 90% of the canopy species. The net canopy covers about 80% of the copse area.
Regeneration of oaks has taken place in areas of long grass, but generally no young trees have emerged into the shrub layer or lower canopy. Many of the mature oaks are now losing vigour and dying off. At present the woodland shrub layer is overstood hazel, with dense patches of holly and areas of bramble. Due to the lack of active management in recent years this has led to a reduction in ground flora and a channelling of public access into well defined paths.
Since 1999 Holt Copse has been actively managed by the Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers in conjunction with Wokingham Town Council. Traditional coppicing of hazel has been re-introduced along with clearance of dense areas of holly and bramble. Cleared areas have also been re-planted with hazel and oak.