This 48 acre site, located 'twixt Breck and Fen in the village of Beck Row in west Suffolk is a remnant of medieval wood pasture, and has been described by Dr Rackham as one of the best examples of a "field with trees". Gnarled old oak pollards sit on the sandy hummocks of a pingo system, surrounded by a mosaic of chalky, neutral and acidic Breck grassland dotted by thickets of recent scrub.
The Close gets its name from Sir Robert de Aspal, the earliest recorded holder of the manor who died in 1326. It seems likely that the small manor of Aspals was carved out of the larger Mildenhall manor as reward to Sir Robert for services unknown to the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds. The Close remained as unimproved pasture until 1963 when it was sold to a developer, resulting in the destruction of a medieval ham (similar to one still present at Coggeshall in Essex), and the loss of more than 70 ancient oak pollards. What remained of the site was acquired by Forest Heath District Council in 1982 as public open space and entered into a ten year MAFF Stewardship scheme in 1995.
Some 175 extant oak pollards still survive within Aspal Close, with 8 more in outside public areas and another 23 incorporated into the gardens of houses built on three sides of the site. Evidence of a further 29 trees exist as standing dead bollings, collapsed bollings or stump traces.
Until 1961, when the last farmer died, an annual harvest was taken from the trees each winter in the traditional manner going back for centuries. On average some 4 or 5 trees were hard pollarded in late winter for fuel and small timber. Uniquely, a number of the pollards here started their lives as shreds, and if this was linked with lopping for cattle fodder, it is a practice which did not survive into this century.
A recently completed survey of the trees reveals a much more casual rotation of pollarding in this farm environment compared to say coppicing, where strict sequences of harvesting occur. The pollarding cycle here seems to have been anything from 46 to 80 years - far greater than the average of 25 years mooted as "normal" - probably dictated by each individual trees' response to pollarding and the needs of the farm. At least a dozen of the trees would have been lapsed pollards back in 1961 and now require careful restoration work to ensure their survival.
At least 91 trees can be considered as still within cycle, with a further 53 trees less than 20 years out of cycle. This will greatly simplify the return to regular pollarding essential for the preservation of these working trees, the most ancient of which is estimated to be 585 years old.
Anyone who has read his "Recollections of a Countryman" will know that Marg Rutterford visited Aspal Close in 1989 and recorded 120 vascular plant species in a few hours. Nearly 300 species have now been recorded for the Close and include Rock Rose, Dropwort, Meadow Saxifrage, Marsh Sow-thistle, Spanish Catchfly, Dwarf Thistle and Small Scabious. Banks of Knapweed and Devilsbit provide an irresistible magnet to a variety of butterflies. Carpets of bright yellow Rock Rose probably make Aspal Close the premier site in Suffolk for this species. The planned reintroduction of grazing under the Stewardship agreement should, hopefully, increase the number and diversity of plant species still further.
This is a relatively recent feature of the site, which only developed since regular grazing ceased in 1963, and in addition to providing a new habitat for invertebrates and breeding birds, is the source of future generations of pollards. Within the scattered patches of scrub a host of naturally regenerated oak saplings have sprung up, either singly or in clumps, and will be used to create the first new pollards for 140 years. In a few years time there should be around 130 newly created pollards which will need to be carefully recorded and monitored - history will witness the successes, but only detailed records will prevent mistakes being repeated.
Serious recording only began in 1996 and it is certain that much more remains to be discovered. Twenty two species of butterfly have been recorded including Clouded Yellow and Brown Argus. Of the 55 species of saproxylic coleoptera recorded, 9 are Ancient Woodland Indicator species and 16 have Red Data Book status. Very little is known about moths on the site, and even less about hoverflies which must benefit from the water traps found on the pollards.
Exactly 100 species have been recorded to date, and included in the 30 or so which breed annually are Turtle Dove, Little Owl, Green Woodpecker, Spotted Flycatcher and most of the scrub Warblers including Nightingale. Other interesting records over the years include Buzzard, Goshawk, Stone Curlew, Wryneck, Black Redstart and Waxwing.
The site has been variously described as "an internationally important northern outlier of unspoiled savanna", and as "one of Britain's countryside treasures". Sadly, during discussions on its appropriate future status and conservation value, it has been dismissed as "a site with just a few old trees of no real importance" You are cordially invited to judge for yourselves, and add to the ever increasing bank of data about this site the next time you are in West Suffolk.
Richard Champion, Beck Row
Richard would be very happy to show anyone around the Beck Row site at any time -given a couple of days warning. He can be contacted on 01638 714768 (Ed).