The Times newspaper has been monitoring our concerns and when we recently compared the proposals for intervention in this wood to the destruction being caused to Warwickshire woodlands by HS2, they decided to publish. I have been unable to upload the article, but we hope many of you saw it. Here is another photo of the wood in winter. 

Last week we lost the precious Cubbington pear tree to HS2 and there was outcry from all sides.

Both the Woodland Trust and the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust are strongly opposed to HS2, yet their plans for Piles Coppice will destroy large numbers of ancient trees, many of which are older than the pear.

They talk of closed canopy, but it isn't, it has just the right amount of filtered light that is so important for bluebells, anemones and yellow archangel to thrive and spread. It is the high canopy that is protecting this wood against climate change and providing habitat for the rare moths, birds and bats that we have found there. They talk of the woodland deteriorating, yet very few trees are dying and, those that are, are dying naturally, allowing the wood to gradually regenerate. They say the woodland has been “highly disturbed” by human activity. Yes, the wood was coppiced for centuries, but we believe that the very reason it is now so important is because it been undisturbed during the last century. This has allowed Nature to take over and many rare species to survive, colonise and thrive.

As long-standing members of the Trust, we really wanted to work with them to celebrate this precious and unique woodland. How sad that they cannot seem to appreciate its virtues.