We have recently coppiced one of the older willows in Willow Walk at the Croft Close Set-aside County Wildlife Site. The tree was last coppiced some 20 years ago and had grown considerably since then. Willows are often coppiced or pollarded (which is just coppicing higher up the tree’s stem), typically on a 7 to 10 year cycle.

Tree consultants have advised us that the adjacent large horse chestnut is probably now in terminal decline, and that there is a small chance that it will shed large branches – possibly onto the access and its users.

At its February meeting Histon & Impington Parish (HIPC) council confirmed its support for the Abbey Fields project.

Amy Gray talks to Jon Pavey and Arnold Fertig of Histon and Impington Green Spaces, the charity behind the Abbey Fields venture that is preserving important natural habitats.