Sauron comes to the Shire.

It’s hard to believe that St Hilda’s College Oxford is the Sauron of Oxfordshire! The college bought Radley Great Wood and, at a public meeting, it gave the impression that it would abide by guidelines for managing ancient woodland.  A recent Oxford Mail article (“Oxford University college to plant more than 5k trees”) painted an appealing picture of planting thousands of new trees but conveniently “forgot” to mention the extensive destruction of mixed, mature, healthy trees including oaks-home to a multitude of wildlife. The scale of destruction is alarming as you can see from the above picture. I’ve been walking with joy in this wood since the seventies. To me it was magical place and the destruction fills me with heartbreak. I’d like to appeal to anyone connected with St Hilda’s to ask them to stop the felling and re-engage with the communities of Kennington and Radley.  Help us save what is left of this beautiful woodland. If you want to help us please please, join Friends of Radley Large Wood facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/603807741990811

Here is a pic of how it used to be before St Hilda’s so called management!

Before:

After

Last year I self -published a whodunit set in the Kennington /Radley area. It appears that I was, unintentionally,  a prophet!  One of the themes was conflict between re-wilders and military gardeners and between developers and Nature. A character tied herself to an oak to stop it being felled. I hope it doesn’t come to that but some of us would be prepared to do that. The meadows that I had threatened by developers, in Current of Death, are at this moment being damaged by landowner Radley College as well as ancient woodland by St Hilda’s.

A depressing start to 2025 for the part of the planet where I live

Naturalist, Paul Gamble, who inspired a character in Current of Death says,

On this meadow ‘ I have seen increasing numbers of butterflies – I’ve personally recorded 25 of the 60 British species here. Notable has been the increase in Marbled White numbers, the abundance of eg various Skippers, Common Blues on the sheltered slope that runs towards Lower Sugworth Copse and the appearance of Painted Lady and Brown Argus on the southern side of the meadow. On the eastern side, in the bramble and low blackthorn below the trees at the edge of Radley Large Wood, I have seen Purple Hairstreak. Butterflies are only part of what has been a thriving insect space. Floral diversity has played its part in that, of course. A colourful highlight has been the sight of many Pyramidal Orchids.

Alarmingly, the fate of the above has now been sealed by the erection of a 6ft deer fence, which has been installed around the northern part of the field (marked in purple on the attached pic). Worse, this has been set very tightly to the eastern and northern fringes, with prior work done to take back growth of shrubs and brambles right to the ground. Tree planting is apparently planned (why else would there be a fence?)… to attract a different grant. This will destroy (i) the land as a meadow environment (ii) food source plants on the margins that support many insects and butterflies, including those that come from the neighbouring woodlands to refuel.’

Last Year

 

Nothing is joined up for the benefit of nature here – in Twenty Acre Field and with what is going on in neighbouring Radley Large Wood. The only unity comes in the motivation of two so-called academic institutions to fill their coffers.