Island Pond Wood marks ten years

They surveyed a huge collection of bamboo canes dotted seemingly haphazardly and sticking up through the grass.

Over the next few hours their task was to plant out hundreds of young trees and shrubs into slits in the grouind created by their spades and next to the bamboo markers.

They did not complete the job in one day and others returned later to put in the last of the saplings.

Now, a decade later, villagers in Launton, near Bicester, are celebrating this year the tenth anniversary of the planting of Island Pond Wood on almost 14 acres of land bounded on two sides by West End and Blackthorn Road.

The planting was the culmination of years of work, a short burst of fundraising and also the conclusion of a long-running planning saga that, if lost by residents, could have seen the field disappear under more than 100 houses.

Now, seeing the trees thriving, shrubs sprouting, wild flowers blooming and people taking leisurely walks along specially laid down footpaths, everyone in the village must take some satisfaction in the results of a big community effort that still involves volunteers in the management of the wood — assisted by experts from the Woodland Trust and the Oxfordshire woodland project manager, David Rees.

The wood takes its unusual name from the fact that the field, which is recorded on a map of 1607, has a large pond at one end with trees and vegetation growing out of it. The island is home to moorhens and coots.

Over the years the field — originally named after one John Saunders — became known as Island Pond Field and remained fallow for hundreds of years.

In 1972 the field became the centre of a planning row when Laing Homes bought it and proposed to build more than 100 homes on it.

Villagers objected to the possible loss of a green open space and the arrival of houses that would dramatically increase the population by around a third and also create a lot of traffic on the narrow, winding road known as West End. Flooding could be a problem too as the village is low-lying and has a high water table.

After several planning proposals from developers, the villagers eventually won with the help of parish, district and county councillors.

However, the field continued to languish, although Laing allowed people to walk their dogs over it.

But villagers all along suspected that one day the field would be lost to housing.

Then things began to happen. In the early 1990s residents learnt that Laing was likely to sell the field.

They were galvanised and, by chance, the Launton Environmental Group won a handy sum of money from a national competition encouraging communities to save energy.

Talks with Laings were protracted until, in October, 1997, a community policeman, Jon Payne, who was also parish council chairman (like his father Des in the 1970s) warned Laing about what was happening to the field.

It was becoming a problem with people driving cars and motorbikes over it and fires were being lit.

Laing took the hint and a deal was struck to allow the village to buy a field.

At the same time two other useful things happened. A village appraisal looking at residents’ desires for the future of Launton resulted in a plea for more woodland and the Woodland Trust was launching a millennium project called Woods on Your Doorstep.

The Woodland Trust, with financial backing from the Millennium Commission, wanted to create 200 new woods by the end of 2000.

While the village effort to buy the land was handled through the environmental group, it was decided that the Woodland Trust should take over the project to guarantee the long-term future of the proposed wood.

Villagers had to raise £31,000 from their own resources and other money came from various sources, including the Millennium Commission and a Sainsbury charitable trust.

“We had to raise about £22,000 after money from the environmental group's winnings were taken into account. In a very short time over a few months we raised £28,000 from pledges given by residents and other interested people,” said Maureen Roberts, chairman of the newly-formed Friends of Island Pond Wood.

And, as Judy Taylor, treasurer of the Friends, recalled: “We were all a bit broke for a time after that.”

Eventually everything was ready to create the wood, thanks to the help of the Woodland Trust, the Forestry Commission and others.

The day earmarked for the big planting was December 11, 1999.

Altogether, some 3,000 trees and shrubs were planted on that and subsequent days.

The greatest number of trees put in were 20 per cent of oaks followed by 15 per cent each of hazel and willow. Other species included were birch, alder, black poplar, walnut and cherry.

Woody stemmed shrubs were crab apple, spindle, dogwood, hawthorn and guelder rose.

The wood has three specially laid down footpaths and a millennium feature formed out of three large stones from Hornton quarry. Local stone to Launton was deemed too porous and not sufficiently robust enough to withstand weathering.

Volunteers gather about three times a year to undertake maintenance of the wood. This involves clearing paths of overgrown vegetation and pruning back trees and shrubs.

Mrs Roberts added: “David Rees has conducted pruning workshops with us. It is all right cutting back trees in your own garden but you can be a bit nervous of pruning trees and shrubs owned by the community.”

The surfaces of the paths have to be looked at carefully. Luckily volunteers obtained a huge amount of tarmac bits and pieces left over from road surfacing works.

But a path designed to take wheelchairs is a bit more problematic as a surface has not worked out as well as expected. A new combination of gravel, sand and other materials will have to be found.

Brambles are another headache, although they can be slashed back with some enthusiasm, they are very resistant, and grow back profusely.

So, after ten years, villagers can see the benefits of all their efforts with growing trees, thriving shrubs and an increase in wildlife. Judy Taylor said: “We have seen more birds like song and mistle thrushes in the neighbourhood since the wood arrived.”

Although the actual tenth birthday falls in December, it was decided to celebrate during this year. Mrs Roberts added: “We did not think December was the best time for celebrations.”

Among activities planned is a special exhibition in Launton parish hall on September 19.

This will be coupled with a photographic competition on the theme of “the beauty of the woodland”.