'Working for the conservation and preservation of Thorpe's woodlands as a haven for wildlife and a green space for the local community'.


Friday 8 April 2016

Friends restore Belmore Woods and clear footpaths

Over the last few months we have been contacted by many local Thorpe residents who walk in Thorpe Woods, they have been greatly concerned by the mess created in the woods by the felling of trees last November. This felling resulted in large areas of Belmore Woods, including many of the foot paths, being blocked by branches and tree trunks which had been left strewn across the woods by the contractors.

The state of Belmore Woods after the felling last November, many paths were blocked by a thick layer of branches and felled trees.


The Friends of Thorpe Woodlands continue to support managed forestry within the woods as we are keen for them to have a long term sustainable future as a woodland and green lung for the people of Thorpe and Norwich. However the mess left behind by the contractors, as shown in the photo above, is not managed forestry and if left like this would damage the ecosystem of the woods and hinder the ability of local residents to visit and enjoy them, 

Therefore over the Easter weekend a group of the Friends spent an entire day clearing the paths and woodland floor of these branches and tree trunks.

The work started near to the entrance to the woods on Southhill Road and progressed through the woods towards Pound Lane, 

Luckily we were blessed with good weather and a strong turn out from local people. 

Throughout the day people walking their dogs or visiting the woods with their families stopped to talk about how much they valued the woods and how pleased they were to see the paths being cleared and the woods being cared for, many offered to help as volunteers on any future work.

Local families helping to clear the paths
Those working on the day included local families who helped to collect the branches into 5 main piles, and as can be seen from the following photo the woods looked much more like their old selves as a result of this hard work.

Belmore woods after the branches have been cleared from the path and floor and gathered into piles.
The Friends of Thorpe Woodlands always said that they were here for the long term, and we will continue to monitor and care for these woods to ensure that local people can continue to enjoy walking along their paths and wildlife can continue to thrive in them.

More work needs to be done to clear the branches left by last years felling and so please contact us if you would like to help.

Part of Belmore woods after the volunteers have cleared them.