Tree Preservation Orders
A Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is a legal mechanism granted by a local planning authority to protect and preserve single trees, groups of trees and whole woodlands from deliberate damage or removal. Whilst trees in hedgerows can be covered, hedgerows themselves cannot be protected by a TPO.
Anyone wishing to carry out any work on a TPO-protected tree MUST apply for permission (similar to a planning application) to the local authority. This includes all aspects of general tree maintenance including pruning, coppicing, pollarding, crown reduction/lifting or removal of individual branches.
The majority of Fox Hill woods is covered by a TPO including the area in which we perform our conservation activities. This means that we must obtain permission from Wokingham Borough Council before carrying out work such as hazel coppicing. Permission is only granted for specific areas or numbers of trees and is time-limited. We had permission for last year’s coppicing but in order to do further coppicing this autumn we need to apply for another permit.
Rhododendron Ponticum is not covered by the TPO as it is an invasive non-native species, so no special permission is required to remove it from the woods. We are mindful of the bird nesting season (March to September) and always check for nests before starting work but otherwise it can be removed all year round.
Failure to obtain permission before carrying out work on a protected tree or failure to prevent damage to a protected tree or its roots can result in prosecution and fines up to £20,000. Serious cases can go to criminal court where the fines and costs can be unlimited.
Incidentally, the two most recent high-profile cases of tree damage in the UK (the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree and the ‘Guy Fawkes’ tree in Enfield) involved trees that were not protected by TPOs so other routes to prosecution had to be followed.
If you believe or suspect a TPO is being violated either on public or private land, check the local Wokingham Borough Council TPO map to see if it is covered:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c0ad4ce95f8e46cfb28bb8cb126eaec0
If the tree or trees are covered by a TPO, report it through the council’s Planning Enforcement page:
https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/planning/planning-enforcement-request/planning-enforcement-request
If you believe a tree may be at risk and it is not covered by an existing TPO you can submit a TPO application to the council, see this page for information:
https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/countryside-parks-and-conservation/trees-hedges-and-grass-cutting/tree-preservation-orders-tpos/how-request-tree-preservation-order
Adders
At this time of year, we thought it would be useful to provide some information on Adders which have been seen in Foxhill historically. It is also particularly important for those who walk dogs in the area as they may be bitten to.
Adder snakes are venomous but generally not highly dangerous to healthy adults; bites are painful and can cause swelling, but fatalities are extremely rare.
Risk and Behaviour
Adders are shy, non-aggressive snakes that usually bite only when provoked, stepped on, or handled. They prefer to flee or hide rather than confront humans, making bites uncommon. In the UK, around 50–100 human bites are reported annually, with an additional 100 bites to dogs, and fatalities are exceptionally rare, with only 55 deaths recorded over the past three centuries. Most bites occur between April and September, peaking in July and August.
Venom and Symptoms
Adder venom is primarily hemotoxic, affecting blood and tissue. Immediate symptoms include sharp pain at the bite site, swelling, bruising, and sometimes redness. Systemic effects can develop within hours, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and occasionally a metallic taste in the mouth. Severe complications, though rare, may include tissue necrosis, hypovolemic shock, or anaphylaxis. Children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions are at higher risk of serious effects
Medical Treatment
All adder bites should be treated as a medical emergency. Prompt hospital care is essential to monitor symptoms and prevent complications. Treatment may involve symptom management, immobilization of the affected limb, and in severe cases, administration of antivenom. Even with treatment, severe bites can result in long-term tissue damage or scarring.
Safety Tips
- Avoid handling or approaching adders.
- Watch your step in areas where adders are known to live.
- Wear protective footwear when walking in tall grass or heathland.
- If bitten, remain calm, immobilize the limb, and seek immediate medical attention.
In summary, while adder bites can be painful and occasionally serious, they are rarely fatal, and with prompt medical care, most people recover fully. Awareness and caution significantly reduce the risk of being bitten.
Butterfly Photoshoot – 21 June 2026
As we have learned in recent years, the Fox Hill butterflies visit earlier than the annual official Butterfly Count. Pollinators love our woodland edge plants, such as the huge length of bramble that lines the Dorset Way entrance.
This is where I saw a Mr and Mrs Meadow Brown flirting and eventually mating.
Sometimes butterflies were happy to pose for a close up photo, like this Red Admiral.
Others, like this Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia), were much more difficult to capture. I stayed in the sun as long as I could while the pair flitted up and down the bracken along the pilon line, but I couldn’t get an open wing shot.
Inside the woods, where there are gaps in the canopy, I saw a few Small White, Speckled Wood, along with more Red Admirals and Meadow Browns.
The 2026 Big Butterfly Count takes place from next Friday, 17 July to Sunday, 9 August 2026. For more details on how to contribute, visit Big Butterfly Count 2026.
Early Summer Conservation Update
Our regular volunteer working parties happen once a month on the third Sunday.
The focus is on improving the woodland as an area where native plants flourish at all levels and to encourage a range of habitats that are inviting for invertebrates, birds and mammals.
Rhododendron
Rhododendron Removal remains a constant task. It is the Ponticum variety with purple flowers that causes the most damage to our native trees. Unfortunately, it grows so densely that every other species is crowded out.
Ditches
Drainage has also been a significant problem in the past and the woodland can still be very wet in places particularly along the back of the houses on Dorset Way. To combat this, we work regularly to maintain the ditches we have already cleared and plan to re-establish the ones yet to be reached.
Footpaths
The woodland is used regularly by members of the public and to help manage footfall we clear away mud, edge the most used footpaths and trim back undergrowth. You might also see some hedge like structures in areas where we have cleared back the rhododendron. These dead hedges have a few functions, providing habitats for invertebrates, following the lines of existing pathways they help direct visitors away from areas where younger plants are trying to grow.
What has changed in the past Six years
Since our work began in 2020 there are significantly fewer mature Sweet Chestnut trees. This is not due to any work we have undertaken but as these trees were all planted within a similar period of time many are reaching maturity at the same time.
As a consequence of this and combined with the work we have done removing rhododendron, there are now gaps opening up in the canopy. This in turn allows more light to reach the wood floor and our volunteers have been able to plant saplings of smaller native tree species which are beginning to support a more diverse woodland environment.
Wild flowers
Earlier in the year we were pleased to see the native bluebells planted as bulbs last autumn come into flower. We hope their seed will spread and they will become established in new places. Another success is the foxglove which has found areas to grow in that would have been too dark previously.
Tree Planting
For the past three years we have planted small native saplings in the areas previously populated by rhododendron. Many of these are becoming established. Equally encouraging still are the hawthorn and rowan trees which have self-seeded and appear to be flourishing in several areas where the ground was previously bare.
Coppicing
Fox Hill woodland is protected by law and we work very closely with the guidance of Wokingham countryside services. With the correct permission we were able to coppice some of the Hazel trees for the second year in a row. This has also helped to lower the woodland canopy and given the trees a new lease of life.
Fire Safety
Following the recent hot weather and the forecast of more hot weather throughout the summer we thought it would be worthwhile posting an extract of a recent article published in Wokingham Today by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service Manager Graeme Hartley:
“Avoid having open fires in the countryside – only use barbeques in safe, designated areas and never leave them unattended. Any BBQ should have a bucket of water or sand nearby and not lit near trees. Do not dispose of any charcoal until fully cooled down. (Please note there are no designated BBQ areas within Fox Hill woods).
Never leave bottles or glass lying around – sunlight shining through can start a fire.
Always extinguish any cigarettes properly, never throw a lit one away.
Do not use candles, use a torch instead.
Berkshire RBFRS have advised in the past that fires should not be started at all within the woods at Fox Hill, during the last hot weather evidence of at least two separate fires being lit was found the following day.
If you encounter a wildfire, do not attempt to extinguish it. Get to a safe place immediately and call 999. Make sure you give as accurate a description of where you are as possible. Using the application What3Words.com is very useful for giving a precise location.
At this time of year there is a lot of easily combustible plant and tree growth, please be careful and vigilant.
For more advice on how to stay safe in the countryside, visit rbfrs.co.uk/yoursafety.“
Tony Delliston
Friends of Fox Hill
Trees of Fox Hill – Aspen
“All day and night, save winter, every weather, …..
The aspens at the cross-roads talk together”
Edward Thomas
Tucked away amidst our dominant Holly, Silver Birches, and Sweet Chestnuts, it is easy to miss the delicate European Aspens (Populus tremula) growing at the foot of Fox Hill. True to their Latin name – commonly known as the trembling aspen – even in the slightest breeze, their distinctive round leaves are set fluttering.
The leaf stalks are flattened and flexible near the leaf blade, which is why the leaves flutter in the breeze so easily. Young leaves are a coppery colour and often turn a vibrant yellow or sometimes red before falling in autumn.
If you manage to find an adult tree look at the bark which is grey and often pitted with diamond-shaped pores, called lenticels.
Aspen wood is white, soft, lightweight but fairly strong and was traditionally used for making oars and paddles. Its low flammability means it is a good choice for matches and paper, while the shredded wood is often seen available for animal bedding.
In the area of rhododendron we have most recently removed at the edge of the Fox Hill clearing we are seeing new aspen saplings eagerly emerging into the lighter spaces vacated by the invasive shrub.
Aspens spread aggressively via underground root systems—a process called suckering— it is highly likely that just a few parent trees are responsible for this entire new generation of shoots!
Aspen is an important tree for biodiversity, supporting several species of moth and butterfly larvae, gall midges and the rare aspen hover fly.
Unfortunately it is also a favourite food for deer and a lot of the new saplings are being kept short by their browsing.
To give our new aspen grove a fighting chance to mature and fill out into the newly opened clearing, the Friends of Fox Hill volunteers are going to build some deadwood fences around an area of aspen saplings. Hopefully this natural barrier will act as a deterrent to the deer, allowing us to see if it helps the trees get closer to their mature height of 20 metres.
Did you know…?
A crown made of aspen leaves was said to give its wearer the power to visit and return safely from the underworld.
Bluebell Photoshoot
Please enjoy a few photos taken on April 29th in our own Fox Hill woods…
Bluebells will grow in many light conditions, from deep shade to full sun.
The beautiful effect of bluebells and ferns mixed together.
Bluebells are struggling to establish in the areas that were densely covered in Rhododendron. We’re hoping that growing from seed will have more success in the long term.
We’re already looking forward to seeing what next year brings.
Tip: if you want to grow bluebells in your garden and want to be sure they’re native species only, grow them in a pot for the first year, then plant out if they’re not hybridised or Spanish bluebells.
Birds of Fox Hill: Common Chiffchaff
An infrequent series introducing some of the bird-life you will find in our woodland.
If you’re wandering through the woods and hear a rhythmic “chiff-chaff-chiff-chaff,” you’ve just heard one of our summer residents! The Common Chiffchaff is a tiny, 10cm bird that is heard far more frequently than seen. They are one of the UK’s most abundant warblers and you shouldn’t have to wait long to hear one in Fox Hill.
Traditionally, these birds are summer migrants, arriving from Africa or the Mediterranean in March and staying until October. However, because our winters are getting milder, some are choosing to stay all year round. We even get “winter tourists” visiting us from Scandinavia, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears open in the colder months, too!
Their Latin name, Phylloscopus collybita, basically means “leaf-explorer,” which is the perfect description. They spend their days hunting down minibeasts hidden deep in amongst the leaves, sometimes even snapping them right out of the air.
Unlike many birds that head for the mid to upper canopy, Chiffchaffs like to stay low. They build domed nests right on or near the ground, tucked away in thick grass, brambles or bracken.
The female usually lays six eggs and handles the 13-day incubation alone. Once the chicks hatch, the female does the heavy lifting with feeding, while the male takes on the role of “security guard,” fiercely defending their territory until the young are ready to fly (usually after about 14 days).
The next time you are out walking in Fox Hill listen out for the cheery metronome call of the little leaf exploring Chiffchaff.
Fun Fact!
Chiffchaff’s look so similar to their cousin, the Willow Warbler that experts didn’t even realize they were two different species until 1817!
Look out for the first signs of Spring!
The Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) is currently flowering in the woodland.
Look out for it as you enter Fox Hill from Dorset Way on the right of the pathway close to our information
board.This is a native British wild flower that favours damp and shady areas.
It is one of the earliest spring flowers which can be spotted anytime between January and April. Because of this It is an important source of nectar and pollen for emerging queen bumble bees and other pollinators coming out of hibernation.
The Lesser Celandine is part of the Buttercup family and spreads quickly making it unpopular with some gardeners.
It was once thought that you could use Lesser Celandine to predict the weather as they close their petals before raindrops. The leaves are high in vitamin C and have been used to prevent scurvy. Another common name for the plant is Pilewort from its use as a treatment for haemorrhoids!
Scout Tree Planting
On Sunday 8th March 1st Woosehill Scouts, in conjunction with Friends of Fox Hill and Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Services team, returned to Fox Hill Woods for a day of tree planting.
Over 20 Scouts, siblings and parents turned out to plant around 75 saplings of under-storey trees which were provided by the Woodland Trust as part of their community planting programme.
The species planted by the scouts were:
- Hazel
- Blackthorn
- Rowan
- Elder
This year the trees have been planted in small groups of a similar species in areas where we have finished clearing the rhododendron. Each sapling was given a guard to prevent deer and other animals from feeding on the tender shoots.
As previously the roots of each sapling were given a dose of a mycorrhizal dip. This beneficial fungal treatment should help re-establish the “wood-wide-web” which has been disrupted by the rhododendron.
As expected some of the saplings planted last year have not survived. We hope that repeated topping up and extension of the under storey vegetation will in time create a more diverse, lush native woodland in amongst the birch and sweet chestnut.