Trengwainton Bottoms – Woodland Management Plan

In Cornwall we are lucky to have many rich and diverse areas of landscape and habitat, however more can always be done to protect and enhance these and the Bolitho Estates wishes to play its part by doing so.

The Estate has a long term vision to link together areas of less productive farmland, heathland and woodland to form an area that is substantial in size. It proposes to manage this area in a more natural way and with a lighter touch than conventional farming (which still very much has its place on productive farmland) through very extensive grazing by using low stocking numbers of native herbivores across a large area. The ultimate aim is to create a landscape where the natural eco systems are allowed to flourish with less human intervention thereby increasing the biodiversity by allowing woodland areas to grow in size through natural re-generation and increase the numbers and varieties of species of flora and fauna.

The final project area is yet to be finalised and is still several years away, however will certainly include Trengwainton Carn, Forest Carn and Trengwainton Bottoms and at a later stage may include additional areas of moor and heathland and poorer fringe areas of permanent pasture.

This ambition is still some way off and the first priority is to remove the invasive species of rhododendron and laurel in the woodland at Trengwainton Bottoms under a Higher Tier Scheme. Non-native plants like Rhododendron and Laurel form dense stands of evergreen cover that prevent light from reaching the woodland floor, out-competing our native plants and wild flowers, and reducing the abundance and range of wildlife that rely on them from butterflies and bees to the birds and bats that feed on them. The lack of light stops our native tree and shrub seedlings such as oak and hazel from regenerating as well. Rhododendron can also be a problem on rare habitats like heathland, such as on Trengwainton Carn, where over time it can replace this rare and important wildlife habitat.

A woodland management plan is required for this work and you can download the draft plan to see the proposals (please email mail@bolithoesatetes.co.uk for the appendices). We would welcome any comments and feedback you may have on the woodland management plan by Monday 7th December by either email to mail@bolithoestates.co.uk or to The Estate Office, Chyandour, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 3LW.