-Chestnut coppice is 100% sustainable: our supplier cut, harvested and processed the timber from well managed Weald woodlands. Coppicing means that the wood is cut at ground level. The cut stools regrow vigorously, taking up far more carbon dioxide than a newly planted tree; these trees are harvested on rotation (every 25 years) for many years to come.

-The coppiced timber is ‘cleft’ (split) into rails and posts using traditional tools and skills.

-Chestnut is the ideal fencing material: chestnut is full of tannin (a natural preservative) and has very little sapwood, which makes it incredibly resistant to rotting, so no maintenance will be required.

-Putting up the fence did not involve nails, screws or cement: the horizontal rails wedge into slots in the posts, which are held firm by digging deep holes and compacting soil around the posts.

The surface is made from coloured, chipped pure rubber tyres mixed with a special resin – it is gentle to walk on, ideal for wheelchairs and comes with a ten-year guarantee. There are 13 marker posts around the Reserve, and we have produced a Trail guide to encourage visitors to ‘stop, look and listen’ and benefit from being at peace in Nature.