Dean Green Team

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

6 November 2018

Foxes Bridge Colliery Tip

Grid Ref SO638136

It started off as a wet day but that did not deter us! Some of the team removed the small birch from the old slag heap and we had RSPB volunteers with us as they were also clearing the birch specifically to aid the woodlarks. Others in the team went to clear and burn the cuttings in two dried up ponds. This is part of the Forester's Forest pond project.

Up the bank of the old slag heap where the birch had grown in profusion. This is a regular job for us.

The view down to two massive fires on the site of an old pond.

Appparently, there are two ponds marked on ordinance survey maps here but the enormous oak trees which had grown in them had soaked up all the water and dried them out. The trees were felled so there was a lot to burn!

We found this hidden wall in the pond which must have been used to keep the water levels up. The ponds were probably used as fire ponds in the days of mining at the colliery.