There are two areas of woodland. The ‘Oak Wood’ is an oak – field maple – ash woodland that radiates out from the southwestern corner. This merges with the Blackthorn Wood (see map) on the southern boundary. The second area comprises Willow Walk and Gun’s Lane Wood. Running northwest across the northern part of Croft Close Nature Reserve, this is primarily a band of willows, interspersed with mainly oak, but also at the eastern end, field maple.

Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) cover some but by no means all the trees in these woodlands. The trees on the boundary alongside Gun’s Lane are also covered by a TPO as are some trees on the western boundary.

In general, there is currently minimal management intervention in the Oak Wood. Many of the young ash saplings are dying from Ash Dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus): these are left standing is situ except where close to paths as standing dead wood is an important habitat feature. Here if they pose a safety risk they are removed – often by “wobbling out”.

A similar minimalist approach is applied in both Gun’s Lane Wood and Blackthorn Wood. However, on the boundary of the latter there is some trimming back of branches overhanging the Southern Boundary Path principally to aid it drying out more rapidly after the winter rains. (The path can remain wet and muddy for a considerable period.)

The vigorous willows of Willow Walk can cast a very heavy shade. Consequently, these will be coppiced on a rotation of around 10 to 15 years to avoid heavy shading and to encourage undergrowth in this area. Only one or two trees will be tackled in any year so that the general character is retained. Experience to date is that following coppicing there can be prolific regrowth

Left unchecked, the woodlands will expand taking over the other habitats. The woodland edge is being retained through selective pruning and coppicing with the aim to have a strong edge of high biodiversity interest where it merges with the adjacent scrub.

The Woodland