Countryfile visits Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Bradfield Woods

Countryfile visits Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Bradfield Woods

Countryfile has visited Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Bradfield Woods National Nature Reserve.

A crew, including presenter Margherita Taylor, filmed in the woods at the start of November this year to learn about a pioneering new dormouse project and how coppicing – a traditional way of managing woodland – is vital for the species that live in Bradfield.

The show, which broadcasts to audiences of up to 9.6million people, will be screened on BBC One this Sunday at 7pm.

Giles Cawston, the Trust’s Woodlands Warden, said the visit from Countryfile was recognition of the importance of Bradfield Woods and the way it is managed for wildlife.

He added: “Bradfield Woods is a special place. The trees are living history and some of the old ash here have been coppiced for building and fuel for at least 800 years.

“By continuing to manage the woods in the same way, we are keeping alive a part of Suffolk’s heritage. But perhaps more importantly we are also maintaining habitat for species, such as the rare hazel dormice, which have thrived in the conditions created by coppicing.”

For more information about visiting Bradfield Woods or supporting Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s management of the woods, visit www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org