2009

SU2606 : Warwickslade Cutting: fallen birch tree

taken 15 years ago, near to Bank, Hampshire, England

Warwickslade Cutting: fallen birch tree
Warwickslade Cutting: fallen birch tree
This shows part of the newly restored stream. It appeared that the silver birch tree had fallen across the stream since it was dug out.
Warwickslade Cutting :: SU2705

Warwickslade Cutting was a long, straight drainage ditch dug around 1850. In 2009, The Forestry Commission decided to fill it in and replace it by a more natural, meandering stream. The Forestry Commission was carrying out the works as part of its "Final 4000" programme - a joint effort with Natural England, The Environment Agency and the National Park Authority - which aims to restore the last 4,000 hectares of SSSI in the New Forest that are deemed to be in an unfavourable condition.

The reason for the works was that Warwickslade Lawn SSSI was "in an unfavourable declining condition because the artificially deepened cutting meant that there was no seasonal inundation of the grassland and woodland habitats" (FC restoration plan).

Surprisingly, much of the course of the original, pre-1850s, stream could still be seen on the ground. The aim of the works was to reinstate the original stream as closely as possible, whilst filling in the Cutting. It was necessary to bring in 10,000 tonnes of hoggin to fill in the cutting, plus some clay to make plugs to ensure that water followed the desired course.

The contractors were Alaska Environmental Contracting ( LinkExternal link ). They used 8, 13 and 18 tonne hydraulic excavators, 10 tonne rubber tracked dumper trucks and an innovative light railway.

Other related sequences of pictures:-
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: a planned meander (start of sequence)
SU2606 : Warwickslade Cutting: original stream bed, Knightwood end (start of sequence)
SU2606 : Warwickslade Cutting: the new stream takes shape (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: original stream bed, Vinney Ridge part (start of sequence)
SU2606 : Warwickslade Cutting: filling it in, Knightwood end (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: filling it in, Vinney Ridge part (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: infilling of minor drain (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: laying the railway (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: running the railway (start of sequence)
SU2704 : Warwickslade Cutting: repositioned railway (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: refencing Poundhill Inclosure (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: flood plain (start of sequence)
SU2705 : Warwickslade Cutting: the end of the project
The above sequences have Previous/Next or Upstream/Downstream links that take you to a different place. They also have Earlier/Later links that take you to the same place at a different time.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Peter Facey and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Stream
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
+
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
TIP: Click the map for more Large scale mapping
Grid Square
SU2606, 117 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Peter Facey   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 6 September, 2009   (more nearby)
Submitted
Wednesday, 9 September, 2009
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 2654 0677 [10m precision]
WGS84: 50:51.5902N 1:37.4573W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 2654 0677
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
Clickable map
+
NW N NE
W Go E
SW S SE
Image classification(about): Geograph
This page has been viewed about 34 times
You are not logged in login | register