The area which is now heathland was once dominated by conifers.
The 1987 strom which swept through the UK took out huge swathes of woodland, including many trees at Pin Mill. After the clear up we decided to replant but the crop failed. This meant that we were in a position to carry out ecological conservation through heathland management, as this habitat is rare.
The remaining crops of conifers have been thinned out to allow more light onto the woodland floor, which encourages plant life to thrive. Where we have broadleaf trees trying to grow, we often clear conifers around that tree to give it more light.
