I always remember my colleague Charlie Cain, who still works in the South Downs, telling me how he walked across Park Wood in the days that followed. “It should have been a 20 minute walk” he says, “but that day it took two-and-a-half hours of climbing through and under trees. I was in tears.”
In the wake of the storm
The forestry team, comprised of National Trust foresters and contractors, used chainsaws and harvesters to clear the mess from the paths and roads. Park Wood was the area most affected. It took days, weeks, months and even years to try and get some sense of restoration - but we all knew it would never be the same again.
Ancient beech trees, planted by Slindon’s eighteenth century owners, were the main casualties. The trees had been planted closely together to encourage tall straight growth. The roots weren't embedded strongly in the ground, due to the shallow layer of soil overlaying the chalk.