Occasional Stones series - Park Wood cottage walls

In my bath this morning I read about an ancient woodland, called Park Wood, which lies between Thrupp and Lypiatt. I have a copy of a report of a woodland survey conducted by Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation in 1987, with a hand drawn sketch map, showing its key features and listing all the plants found in situ.

So I went to see for myself. I wandered through the differing sections, which seemed to reflect the changing geology and steep slopes, finding springs and land-slips, old overgrown quarries and coppiced hazel thickets amongst the mainly ash, oak and maple. There are many snails too, some unique to these valleys.

My other researches suggest that the wood probably dates from about 1200, possibly earlier, and was part of the Nether Lypiatt estates of the time, which have now been broken up into much smaller parcels of land. It might have been a deer park, designed to allow deer, but no other animals, to penetrate the fences, but not then allowing them to leave. I have seen deer in there some years ago.

Near the middle of the wood is an old cottage and an area of cleared land, now full of old cars and assorted farm vehicles. On the bank dropping down from the cottage, these walls have been built, probably using the stone from the quarries which are no longer otherwise used. I rather liked the patterns and the select key stones placed strategically, to emphasise their difference. It is possible that they have been recycled from other old buildings, as they look to have had a mason's hand upon them.