Community Woodlands

Both woodlands will:

– store carbon, reducing the impact of climate change;
– create wildlife habitats;
– provide firewood, a carbon-neutral fuel, in the years ahead;
– reduce flooding as trees absorb rainfall and reduce run-off;
– be a community amenity, with open public access for use for picnics, school visits, observing wildlife, etc.

Sites: 

For Terry’s Wood, Green Wedmore member Suzanne Ager generously donated a half-acre field half a mile east of the village. The wood is owned by Wedmore Parish Council and managed by our group. For Gooseham Community Orchard, we are renting the three-acre site from Susanne for a peppercorn rent and managing it on behalf of the community.

Funding: 

For Terry’s Community Wood, we received grants from Blackford Parish Church (from the collection at an eco-service), Community Champions, Somerset County Council, the Tree Council and the Woodland Trust. For Gooseham Community Orchard, all the trees, gates, fencing etc were funded by Somerset County Council with a grant under the WAVE (Water Adaption is Valuable for Everybody) Project.

Planting:

Thanks to dozens of volunteers, both sites are each now fully planted with 260 native broadleaved trees. In addition, the community orchard has 80 fruit trees, mainly cider with some dessert/cooking apples, pears and plums.

Access:

The woods are a 15-minute walk via public footpath from the centre of Wedmore – follow the ‘Terry’s Community Wood’ signs from the footbridge on the right at the end of The Lerburne, the road by the dentists in the centre of Wedmore. You can make it a circular walk by following the ‘Permissive Footpath’ signs back to the village via Wedmore Drove. Or you can cycle via Gooseham Lane – please don’t drive down Gooseham Lane.

Maintenance:

In 2018, grants from the Naturesave Trust – http://www.naturesave.co.uk/the-naturesave-trust/ – and Wedmore Real Ale Festival – http://wedmorerealale.co.uk/ – are enabling us to use a contractor to maintain hedges and mow paths at the woodlands.

Contacts:

Rob Richley or Kerry Guy