Pigneys Wood, as with so many lovely corners of Norfolk and Suffolk, I first found thanks to the Boldero walks published for many years in the Eastern Daily Press.
I remember following the footsteps of Charles and Joy and their faithful yellow Labrador out of North Walsham along the line of an old railway track which is now part of the Paston Way.

A long-tailed tit, photo by Brian Shreeve

Butterflies were flitting among the brambles and a noisy, excitable flock of long-tailed tits was among the trees and shrubs along a strip of land which once carried trains from North Walsham to Mundesley.

Following the Bolderos’ route, I walked down a set of wooden steps from the railway embankment down into Pigneys Wood. Emerging from the shade of the trees, I found a lovely mix of meadows, heathland, ponds, reedbeds and grassy tracks through belts of trees. There were also some wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.

At the time I assumed this rural idyll was entirely natural but in fact it is down to people power: volunteers from the local community have given former farmland back to nature, planting more than 20,000 trees of 40 different species.

The 23.5 hectares (58 acres) of arable land was bought in 1993 by the North Norfolk Community Woodland Trust. For 24 years the trust managed the site, not only planting trees but restoring important wetland areas, improving access to the site, including car parking, putting up information boards and setting out marked trails.

Now the conservation management of this wildlife-rich nature reserve has been passed by the community woodland trust to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which took over in September 2017. The NWT, which cares for more than 50 nature reserves and other protected sites, is using its expertise to further enhance the range of habitats on the site and improve the visitor experience to encourage more people to enjoy the wildlife.

The NWT has welcomed the involvement of The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) whose members have carried out practical improvements including scrub clearance, meadow raking, path improvements, step building and hazel coppicing. By Christmas, 14 TCV work parties will have done their bit to maintain and improve Pigneys Wood, in additon to the volunteer groups from other NWT reserves who have also lent a hand in the upkeep of the area.

The trust also holds monthly walks, led by volunteer guides, to give people an informative introduction to the site. There is one today (Saturday 17 November) and the next is on Monday 17 December. Both start at 10am – or you can look for future dates on the NWT website.

I joined the October walk led by volunteers Stephanie Witham and Chris Melhiush who have an amazing knowledge of the wildlife as well as the history of the site, which is bordered in part by the former railway and a canal which is being renovated by the North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust.

Chris told me: “Pigneys Wood is within walking distance of North Walsham and so is popular with local people. As an ecological resource it has a high value. It has a wonderful variety of habitats and lots of historical interest with the old transport links."

Autumn colour, Pigneys Wood, photo by Steve Cox

Kirsty Bailey, the NWT’s reserves officer for the Broads, coast and wetlands, is excited about how the site can be improved for wildlife and people if the NWT is successful in getting funding for future projects. She is particularly keen to see more educational use made of the site.

“I think it has the potential to be an amazing resource for getting a wide range of people involved and excited about nature,” she said. “It is only two miles from North Walsham and has heathland, woods, grassland, an ancient oak, estimated to be 450 years old, ancient trackway, bluebells, wetland, reedbed and pools.

“It is home to Norfolk hawker dragonflies, badgers, owls, deer, warblers and waders. Kingfishers nested on the site about three years ago, too. Bearded tits use the reedbed in winter and I’ve seen a reasonable-sized starling murmuration go to roost in the reedbed. Bats are in the area and skylarks use the arable fields adjacent to the canal.”

An amazing resource it is, whether you are interested in wildflowers or the wherries which once sailed on the canal. And for many, Pigneys Wood is a delightful place to walk dogs. In common with all nature reserves, it is important that dogs are kept under close control or on a lead so wildlife and other visitors are not disturbed.

Steve Cox is volunteering for Norfolk Wildlife Trust one day a week for six months on a secondment from his employer, John Lewis and Partners.
NWT
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