This account of our Woodland Walk was published in Allotment Gardener, Issue 1, 2015.

The magazine appears quarterly and is the official magazine of the National Association of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.

The photographs that accompanied the article are included below.

Royal Crescent Allotment Society

Merthyr Tydfil

At Royal Crescent Allotment Society we are considered a big allotment as we consist of 100 plots. In recent years, to meet demand, we have revived many plots that had become overgrown. However, over time, shrubs and trees have won the battle at the top end of the allotment. In one area of ten plots nature has been in control for thirty years or so and we now have an attractive area of mixed natural woodland and a habitat with a variety of flora and fauna. We were slow to see it as an asset but it has now been developed as a Woodland Walk for children and others in the community.

Our Woodland Walk started as a pilot scheme with an open day in October, 2013. With funding from Environment Wales we make a rough pathway through the woodland to access the woodland. We supplied a simple sheet for children and adults to identify the leaves and trees and we ended the morning with an enjoyable barbecue for those who came, about fifty in all. The day was a success. In the past we have not been open to visitors, probably because of concerns for security, so it was refreshing to enjoy having new people with us.

The grant allowed us to commission the Woodland Trust to make a detailed report of what is in the woodland, the trees, shrubs, plants and wild life. This has become a key document in planning how to use the area in the future.

The report listed sycamore, ash, elm, willow, hawthorn and holly, with a field layer of male fern, Harts tongue fern, ivy and bramble. It identified rosebay willow herb, nettle, hogweed, clover and dock with patches of comfrey which were probably a leftover from one of the plots. We were told that there is a potential for nesting birds in trees and scrub and reptiles in the long grass. Also the piles of stone and discarded allotment paraphernalia are a good habitat for reptiles. Many of the mature trees bordering the site could provide roosting opportunities for a range of bat species.

Based on our habitat survey we decided to apply to Environment Wales for additional funding to develop the walk and in August 2014 we heard that we had been successful in our bid. Our commitment is to complete the work by March 2015.

We will have finished a pathway with two wooden bridges, all wide and firm enough for wheelchairs; a small pond for studying minibeasts; a wood cabin as a base for children and visitors. Our contribution as an allotment is to undertake the physical work of clearing and building. At the same time two members are in the process of planning resources for the use of children when they visit, as well as a web site for before and after visits. This is incorporated in our own website, www.royalcrescentallotments.co.uk

The conditions of the grant require a contribution by our Allotment Society. This is a sort of match-funding. We provide the labour and skills, they provide a grant. I think that we have more than fulfilled our part of the partnership.

The Woodland Trust gave us a variety of wild trees to introduce into the woodland: hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, dog rose, elder, hawthorn, rowan, silver birch, hazel and common oak. Willow has also been bought from another source. Also, bird boxes are installed in the trees by schools.

To ensure that the walk is a success, all schools in the Borough have been informed about what we are doing and eight Primary and two Secondary schools have responded to say that they will visit us. Other groups in the community have also expressed an interest.

So, our allotment is alive and well and extending its role in the local community. There is a lot more to do and the future does look bright.

Email hmathews@gotadsl.co.uk for more information.