Commentree
No. 67 spring/summer2015
News from the Forest of Marston Vale
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In this edition...
www.marstonvale.org
- New woodlands in the Forest
- Woodland burials
- A carbon neutral Forest Centre
- Forest Volunteers
- News about the Forest Centre
- How to get involved
The Forest of Marston Vale Trust,
a registered charity, leads the
creation of the Forest. It owns
and manages the Forest Centre
& Millennium Country Park as
well as many other woodlands,
all of which provide excellent
facilities for human visitors and
fantastic habitats for wildlife.
Whilst the Trust’s relationships
with national and international
organisations are vital, the Forest
is for local people and we want
everyone to feel that they can
contribute and get something
from it. Read on to find out how.
Perhaps it was the sapphire sky that struck a chord; perhaps
the geocache event. We’ll never know for sure, but one thing’s
certain, something worked to attract over 450 people to our
public tree planting day at Marston Wood End on 8 February; a
record attendance. We were short of spades and trees and at one
point ran out of water for tea which was pretty serious. Thanks
to everyone who took part and particularly to all the Forest
Volunteers who helped the day run so smoothly.
This Park’s for all
The Park offers the chance to see and
hear a wide range of important bird
species: bearded tits, marsh harriers,
lapwings, Cetti’s warblers... (the list is a
long one), but of course it’s not just for
birders. It’s a place for the whole family
to enjoy a bike ride on level, traffic-free,
surfaced paths - there’s a bike hire shop
at the Forest Centre too. There are
dedicated horse riding trails (and parking
for horse boxes); woodlands, wetlands,
ponds, lakes and open grassy fields.
All in the heart of the Forest of Marston
Vale. Much of the Park is free to enter,
but there is a small charge of £2.50
for adults and £1.75 for children and
concessions, to follow the Wetland Trail,
through the Wetlands Nature Reserve.
The Trust has been lucky enough to acquire a lease on this eleven
hectares of land between Marston Thrift and Wood End Lane
which for many years has been grassland. We have been planting
trees there since January 2015. The planting was completed by the
end of March. See centre spread for location information.
Tower hide and woodland
walkway spectacular
The wind turbine’s been big news in the
Park since 2014, but a tower hide is the
thing to talk about right now. At the
time of going to press, it is approaching
completion. At the heart of the
Wetlands Nature Reserve, the hide will
provide spectacular views across wet
meadows, reed beds and open water,
ensuring visitors get to see far more of
the Reserve and its wildlife. To reach the
hide visitors can enjoy a stroll along a
120m walkway through the trees.
“This is a really important addition to
the facilities on offer in the Park” said
Anna Charles, the Park’s Head Ranger.
“The hide will be fantastic for birders,
but because it will get you up to treetop
height, the experience and views will be
something everyone will enjoy.”
During summer
2014, around 50
pairs of sand martins
nested in a specially
constructed wall built
the previous winter
in the Wetlands
Nature Reserve
Woodland entry points
Like to be kept informed?
Sign up to receive regular
emails containing news
about the Forest of
Marston Vale, the Forest
Centre and the Millennium
Country Park by visiting
www.marstonvale.org
Woodland burials at Wood End
The Forest of Marston Vale Trust is hoping to develop a woodland burial ground
at the new site at Wood End. Even without planning permission, there are
people wishing to discuss their own burial with us when hopefully having many
years of life still to enjoy. A woodland burial in the Marston Vale could provide
you or a family member with an attractive, environmentally sensitive burial. We
would be pleased to talk to you about options now. To find out more contact
Nick Webb on 01234 767037 [email protected]
Image: Tithe Green Natural Burial Ground
The Forest Team first appeared
in a corner of Wootton Library
during 1991, to begin the job
of creating a 61 square mile
Community Forest. Since that
time, enormous progress has
been made. Whilst the once
famous brickworks are now part
of history, well over a million
trees have been planted, trebling
tree cover in the area and helping
to create more than 650 hectares
of new woodland and open space.
We think the Vale is looking and
feeling great these days. And that’s
quite a change.
Tree planting reaches the End
Image: John O’Reilly
The Forest of
Marston Vale
News from the Millennium Country Park
w w w. m ar s t onv a le .o rg
Woodland sites in the Forest of Marston Vale
The Forest of the Marston Vale Trust has created more than 650 hectares of new woodland and open space (that’s nearly 2½
square miles) at sites in the Forest, all of which can be visited at any time, free of charge. Every new woodland is designed
to provide a range of benefits; people’s enjoyment, the creation of wildlife habitats, landscape improvement and timber
production. Many have surfaced trails, picnic tables, natural play features and information boards on site too. Forest sites are
places to take a walk, have a picnic, enjoy horse or bike riding, or simply sit and enjoy a little natural beauty.
ton Rd
Wood End, Marston Moretaine
Buttons
Ramsey
Planted in early 2015, this 11 hectare site
lies adjacent to Marston Thrift and close
to Rectory Wood. The presence of buried
Romano-British and Medieval archaeology
led the planting design to include large
areas of open grassland. There is a chance
that the site will be developed into a
woodland burial ground if the Forest of
Marston Vale Trust can secure planning
permission.
Marston Thrift
Ridge Rd
Rd
R
tton
Woo
d Lane
En
Wood
Ridgeway
Wood
d
KEMPSTON
A428
Wiles
Wood
The Kill
nst
on
A421
Rd
Van Diemens
Land
200m
nd
WOOD END
ne
ute
Ro
La
E
w
to
Octagon
Wood
51
oo
Br
Els
21
d
oo
W
rn
North
The
Grange Estate
500m
Danish Camp
Visitor Centre
k
Wo
bu
Potters
Cross
North
Wa
y
rd
R
Be
dfo
WOOTTON
Rd
A421
Bra
d
Bedford’s
Gateway Woods
The
St Neots
North
WILLINGTON
A603
A4
Tith
e
Golding
100m
The Grange Estate
(& Octagon Wood)
Located within Bedford River Valley Park, the Grange Estate is 120 hectares of land to
the north-west of Willington, purchased by the Trust in 2006. The site comprises a mix of
woodlands, lakes, reedbeds and grassland. It adjoins the National Cycleway Route 51, has
the popular Danish Camp Visitor Centre at its eastern end and is just a 20 minute cycle ride
from Priory Country Park in Bedford.
Fields Rd
HOUGHTON
CONQUEST
Rd
rd
dfo
Be
The collective name for a 2.5km swathe of community woodlands (Buttons Ramsey,
the Kill, Ridgeway Wood, Wiles Wood and Van Diemen’s Land) between Wootton and
Kempston. Together, these woods create a green wedge between expanding communities
and ‘green’ the southern approach to Bedford. The Gateway woodlands were planted
between 2001 and 2013, all on former farmland totalling more than 40 hectares. It’s due
to expand further in coming years as more woodland is planted, providing even more
natural space for the benefit of local people and wildlife.
el
ap
Ch
E
Rd
nd
Conquest Wood
Located near the centre of Houghton
Conquest village, Conquest Wood is 8
hectares of new community woodland,
planted on a former arable field, during
the winter of 2004/5. The site has a
compact feel, looking out towards
Wilstead across an open, intensively
farmed landscape; with the well
wooded slopes of the Greensand Ridge
dominating the scene to the south and
east.
CHAPEL
END
well
Rd
Holy
ne
CRANFIELD
La
Rectory La
ne
on
nd
Lo
High St
North
200m
Nearly 800 people
helped plant over
12,000 trees in the
Forest of Marston
Vale last winter!
A600
North
200m
Marston
Thrift
Brickfields
Lidlington
Station
Th
North
200m
d
eR
By
Gr
ee
ns
LIDLINGTON
dR
Parking is very
limited at most sites, so
please park carefully and
respectfully to local
residents.
e
Miller’s
Lane
Shocott Spring
Fifty two hectares of new community woodland, planted
between 2005 and 2011 on former arable farmland
between Shortstown and Cotton End (hence ‘Shocott’).
The site lies within a flat and open landscape, affording
great views across the Marston Vale to the Greensand
Ridge, and has the imposing Cardington airship sheds as
its backdrop.
Key
Forest Woodlands & other sites
Ancient woodland
Boughton
End Lane
COTTON
END
500m
idg
High St
Folly
Wood
an
North
Rd
e
rov
eG
St
Seventy hectares of new community woodland, created on former arable farmland on
the eastern edge of Cranfield. Acquired in 2003, the site was the first to be bought
by the Forest of Marston Vale Trust for woodland creation. The woodland has been
planted in phases over several years, each with its own character and identity. The
varied landform of Rectory Wood provides areas of level ground and hill top vantage
points, which offer long views across the southern Marston Vale. The site’s neighbours Marston Thrift, an ancient semi-natural woodland, and the former Brogborough Landfill
Site contribute to a diverse local landscape which hints at the area’s varied history.
Granary
Wood
ch
ur
Ch
Rectory Wood
Set on the steep scarp slope of the
Greensand Ridge south of the village
of Lidlington, Folly Wood is 13 hectares
of new community woodland and open
space created on former farmland
over the winter of 2011/12. The site
has important wildlife and geological
features and a special landscape value,
preserved within large open areas,
and through careful planting design,
which will ensure that the wild, natural
appeal of the site is maintained. From
the summit of the hill there are
spectacular panoramic views across
the whole of the Marston Vale and
beyond, and from where it is possible
to see how the Forest of Marston Vale
is slowly being created.
ston
e
yL
an
to
r
Re
c
Tartletts
Close
Co
ur
tR
d
Legacy Thrift
Folly Wood (& Granary Wood)
Mar
Strawberry
Hill
Plunders
Hill
Built up areas
Open water
Surfaced forest tracks
Route 51
Public bridleway
Cycle trail
Public footpath
Road
Woodland entry points
A Carbon Neutral
Forest Centre (well almost)
Forest Volunteers
Image: Martin Bou Mansour
Incredibly and to my eternal shame, when people started offering help to create
a forest, I hoped they’d go away. I’ve learned different in the intervening fifteen
years. I know now that a volunteer is ‘worth a thousand pressed men’. I am wiser,
and confident enough to admit that I could sometimes use some help and that a
volunteer might be capable of doing bits of my job better than I can myself.
Volunteers are now part of the fabric of the Trust. The 7825 hours they contributed
in 2014 is equivalent to about 4.5 full-time members of staff. That’s incredibly valuable
and the organisation would be hugely worse off without them.
pic of turbine/pv cells
A rather more eye-catching power
generator appeared in the Park during
spring 2014. The wind turbine, all 85m
of it, generates around 4,500,000 kwh
of electricity per year, some of which
is used in the Forest Centre to top-up
what’s received through the photovoltaic
panels. The Forest Centre now runs
almost completely on renewable
power (the exception is the gas used
in the kitchen). The excess electricity
is exported to the National Grid;
sufficient to power around 900 houses.
Importantly, it also creates a long term
income for the Trust.
pic of Nigel up a ladder or similar
Trustee up a tree
Nigel Davis worked for many years
in the fire safety engineering industry
before retiring in 2009. He had been
aware of the Forest for a while and
decided to give volunteering a go to
make sure he kept busy and didn’t get
in the way too much at home! Although
still enjoying practical work like hedge
laying and putting up bat boxes at the
Grange Estate, he has written articles
for the Trust’s blog and recently started
a second two-year term as a Trustee of
the Forest of Marston Vale Trust.
Volunteer to staffer in 6 months
The final piece in the building’s low
carbon story, and a most important one
for those of us who spend a lot of time
in the Centre during the winter, is its
heating system. This has been running
on wood chip for a few years. And very
good it is too!
Local resident Sam Hayden is living proof
that with a bit of luck, volunteering can
get you a job. After joining the volunteer
team in 2012, it quickly became
apparent that Sam’s skills and experience
matched the team’s needs perfectly. She
was quickly offered a temporary, parttime contract which went so well that
she is now a vital part of the staff team
- Events Coordinator, no less.
All this amounts to a building that has a
very low impact on the environment and
we are all proud of that.
Employers often ask for experience of
work.Volunteering can provide it and we
might be able to help.
e
r
i
e
H
r
t
e
en
u
C
n
t
e
V the Fores
at
The natural place for your wedding or function
A range of rooms, locally sourced catering and
personalised, flexible service from our team.
Room hire from £42.50 an hour, catering from £7 a head,
and Wedding packages from £5500
For more details contact
Tel: 01234 762616
[email protected]
Image: Don Morris
It’s a few years since 400 square metres
of photovoltaic cells were installed on
the roof of the Forest Centre. These
have been working away, tucked out of
sight, generating around 40,000 kWh of
electricity annually.
Although we try hard, sometimes I worry that we might take our volunteers for
granted. If we do – sorry. And thank you! Fancy joining us? Call 01234 767037 or
email [email protected]
Image: Esme Robinson
Image: Tony Crofts
Volunteers’ help is essential to enable so many activities to take place. From
photography to being Father Christmas, tree planting to paperwork, opportunities
are wide ranging, so if you are newly retired and looking for a way to share years of
experience or just starting out and after things to add to a CV, volunteering with the
Forest of Marston Vale Trust could be for you.
Getting involved in your Community Forest
Getting involved in your Community Forest
Image: John O’Reilly
The Forest of Marston Vale is really
special. More than 650 hectares of new
woodland and open green spaces are maturing
steadily; wonderful places for walking, cycling,
picnicking or simply relaxing. There is much more
that we want to do and whilst the Forest Centre and
other business ventures provide a proportion
of the funds needed for future projects, The Forest of
Marston Vale Trust (reg charity No. 1069229) depends
on money and other support from a wide range of
organisations and people. And that’s where you could
come in.You put the community into Community
Forest. There are lots of ways to help and become
a part of something that will get better and better
as time passes. After all, it’s our children,
and theirs who will see the full benefit.
Visit the Forest Centre
Hire a bike, grab a coffee, take a walk;
every pound profit goes to the Forest
Legacies
Remembering the Trust in your will
continues your contribution to the Forest
Become a Friend of the Forest
Tell your friends
Discounted tickets, room hire and free
Wetlands access, from £5 a month.
If you like what we’re doing - tell people!
Dedicate a Tree
Volunteer
At one of our woodlands, for only £20
For more info see inside
How to find us
Cranfield
services
Marston
Moretaine
Forest
Centre
Follow
A1
Bedford
A6
M1 J13
Marston
Moretaine
Satnav
Best postcode to
reach the Centre’s
entrance drive
MK43 0PS
By train
an enjoyable train ride (to Millbrook or
Stewartby on the Bedford to Bletchley
line) and a lovely 20 minute walk through
the Park. Call 0845 602 4277 or visit
www.londonmidland.com
By bus
call Traveline 0871 200 22 33 or visit
www.traveline.info
By Bicycle
Route 51 takes you direct to the Forest
Centre visit www.letsgo.org.uk
By car
follow the brown signs ’Forest Centre’
from the A421at Marston Moretaine. The
entrance is off Station Road.
The Forest of Marston Vale Trust is the
independent registered charity (no.
1069229) responsible for leading the
creation of the Forest of Marston Vale
ISO 14001
Registered
Environmental
Management
015
forestofmarstonvale
@forest_centre
Forest Centre opening times
Summer (BST) Monday-Friday (excluding
bank holidays) 8am to 6 pm. Last orders
for food 5pm. Tea and cake served until
5.30pm.
Summer weekends and bank holidays
(and weekdays during school holidays)
10am to 6pm. Last orders for food 5pm.
Tea and cake served until 5.30pm.
Car park – the Centre’s free car park
(we do request a £1 donation) is always
open when the Centre is open, but
is locked promptly at closing times,
especially at weekends.
Contact us
The Forest of Marston Vale Trust,
The Forest Centre,
Station Road, Marston Moretaine,
Bedford, MK43 0PR
01234 767037
[email protected]
www.marstonvale.org