Moggerhanger RPG Tree Survey
Written by: Tim Kirk
A tree survey and management plan of the veteran and notable trees within the area mapped by the GCLP Historic Parkland Landowner Report, including the ‘Avenue’ or North Drive. The trees within the survey were inspected from the ground using a method called Visual Tree Assessment.
Achievements
The tree survey updated and widened the scope of the previous 2013 tree survey, the North Drive which was previously under the jurisdiction of another stakeholder is now under the control of the Moggerhanger House Preservation Trust. A tree survey of the North Drive is another step towards reintegrating the land west of the park back into public use.
Benefits to people
In the long term the North Avenue will be re-opened to the public, this will likely include the installation of interpretation boards describing its original purpose and uses of the years. Personally, the project has reinvigorated my enthusiasm to see this part of the park brought back into public use.
Further interpretation boards will be installed around the parkland to inform and educate the public of the history of the park, from its original design and uses, this will include Repton’s use of trees in his design for Moggerhanger Park.
Benefits to Landscape & Heritage
In the long term the North Drive will be in better condition and under a positive management scheme set out in the tree survey. Once the remedial work has been carried out and the North Drive is re-opened to the public the landscape will be better understood as the public will be able to traverse this section of the former circuit walk and connecting woodland.
One of the main aims of updating and expanding on previous tree surveys is to work towards reconnecting the west of the park back into the main estate, the North Avenue and its trees plays an important part of this reintegration, the tree survey is the first step in this process.
Challenges and Lessons Learnt
There were no challenges during the survey except for the fact that it was carried out during the pandemic, the pandemic posed knock on effects for everyone generally during the summer of 2021, in as much as workloads, timescales, and staff shortages. Moggerhnager Park remained closed for most of the summer 2021.
The one aspect of this project I would change for future reference would be the timescale, due to other ongoing projects in the park we were late in our application to secure funding for the tree survey, and as a result the funding deadline left little time to arrange for a contractor to carry out the survey.
