DB Specific Record

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***SWAAG_ID***	843
Date Entered	30/12/2014
Updated on	31/12/2014
Recorded by	Tim Laurie
Category	Tree Site Record
Record Type	Botanical HER
Site Access	Army Range
Location	Feldom Army Ranges. Gayles Moor.
Civil Parish	Gayles
Brit. National Grid	NZ 104 061
Altitude	350m down to 270m
Geology	Springs rising below the Underset Limestone and streams cut through glacial drift .
Record Name	Gayles Moor. Ancient Alders below Shooters Well. Feldom Army Live Firing Range.
Record Description	The woodland recorded here comprise four small surviving areas of alder wood located on both sides of the small dendritic streams which rise at Shooters Well and at spring flushes downstream. The alders extend downstream for a distance of 600m to disappear within the recently planted conifers of Stone Man Plantation. These alders are centred at NZ104061. Area One is a small group of alders on the eastern slope above the stream close to the Stoneman Plantation. Area Two are the alders which line the stream upstream from the Plantation. Area Three are alders which grow close to springs on the western slopes above the stream. Area Four are the alders which grow at and below Shooters Well. For details of individual trees recorded, see photographs of representative trees below and for further etailed descriptions of the recorded trees see The Woodland Trust Ancient Hunt Tree Database. A total of sixty alders have been recorded on the Woodland Trust ATH Database to date as representative of the alders here, See http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/ Species Composition of the Alder Woodland: Unusually, and with the sole exception of a solitary small rowan epiphyte, no other tree or shrub species grow with the alders within any of the four Woodland Areas at and below Shooters Well. Shooters Well will be revisited at a favourable time of year to record the ground flora. Location Map 1. Woodland Trust Records. OS Historic Map series.
Dimensions	See photo images which illustrate the age characteristics of these fine old trees.
Additional Notes	The alders at and below Shooters Well are all ancient, twisted and wind blown. There is no regeneration. There are a number of exceptional specimen ancient alders and all the small alders show the characteristics of great age. For examples of these age characteristics, see captions to the photographs below. Ancient relict alder woods are usually overlooked by those interested in woodlands but they deserve to be treasured as every tree shows the effects of their long hard life. Many were coppiced and managed as a source of small wood with special qualities, eg as the soles of clogs. Alder charcoal was the best available charcoal for the manufacture of gun powder.The trees of small dimensions today are often relict remains of large trees with hollowed stems revealing adventitious roots. Fallen trees can root and throw up healthy stems which will survive indefinitely. The very large alders located at the spring rise are of exceptional interest and it is an experience to stand close by the great root pedestals of these ancient trees which are so evidently the home of the fairies and of druidical ghosts. NOTE! Gayle Moor Live Firing Range. No access without express permission from the Range Officer. No access at any time when Red Flags are flying.
Image 1 ID	5928 Click image to enlarge
Image 1 Description	Gayles Moor. Shooters Well. Area Four, the uppermost alders from the East.
Image 2 ID	5929 Click image to enlarge
Image 2 Description	Gayles Moor. The Shooters Well Alders. Area Two the lower alders close to Stoneman Plantation.
Image 3 ID	5930 Click image to enlarge
Image 3 Description	Gayles Moor. The Shooters Well Alders. Area Three. Alders at the western springs.
Image 4 ID	5931 Click image to enlarge
Image 4 Description	Isolated alder an indication that alders were once more extensive here.
Image 5 ID	5932 Click image to enlarge
Image 5 Description	Shooters Well. Area Four, the uppermost alders at the springs.
Image 6 ID	5933 Click image to enlarge
Image 6 Description	Shooters Well. The uppermost alders. Detail of the highest alder. Revered by the Druids perhaps!
Image 7 ID	5934 Click image to enlarge
Image 7 Description	Shooters Well. The uppermost alders. Detail of the other side of this tree showing root pedestal.
Image 8 ID	5935 Click image to enlarge
Image 8 Description	Alders close to the edge of Stoneman Plantation.
Image 9 ID	5936 Click image to enlarge
Image 9 Description	Alder with exposed root pedestal close to the edge of Stoneman Plantation.
Image 10 ID	5938 Click image to enlarge
Image 10 Description	Alder with exposed root pedestal close to the edge of Stoneman Plantation.
Image 11 ID	5943 Click image to enlarge
Image 11 Description	Alder with exposed root pedestal close to the edge of Stoneman Plantation.
Image 12 ID	5944 Click image to enlarge
Image 12 Description	Fallen alder which has re-rooted to survive a further 300 years.
Image 13 ID	5945 Click image to enlarge
Image 13 Description	Fallen and rotted stem of this alder. Detail.
Image 14 ID	5946 Click image to enlarge
Image 14 Description	Isolated alder with hollow stem and exposed adventitious roots.
Image 15 ID	5947 Click image to enlarge
Image 15 Description	Detail of this small tree showing hollow stem and exposed adventitious roots.
Image 16 ID	5948 Click image to enlarge
Image 16 Description	Isolated alder. The alders at the western springs, Area Three, in mid distance.
Image 17 ID	5949 Click image to enlarge
Image 17 Description	Alders at the western springs from below.
Image 18 ID	5950 Click image to enlarge
Image 18 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age, namely fragmented and hollowed stems, split and rotting bark and exposed root pedestals.
Image 19 ID	5951 Click image to enlarge
Image 19 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age.
Image 20 ID	5952 Click image to enlarge
Image 20 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age.
Image 21 ID	5953 Click image to enlarge
Image 21 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age.
Image 22 ID	5954 Click image to enlarge
Image 22 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age.
Image 23 ID	5955 Click image to enlarge
Image 23 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age.
Image 24 ID	5956 Click image to enlarge
Image 24 Description	Alders at the western springs. All these alder trees show characteristics of age.
Image 25 ID	5957 Click image to enlarge
Image 25 Description	Iridescent green beetle (unidentified) on alders below Shooters Well, Area 4
Image 26 ID	5958 Click image to enlarge
Image 26 Description	Alders below Shooters Well, Area 4
Image 27 ID	5959 Click image to enlarge
Image 27 Description	Alder bracket fungus on twisted alder.
Image 28 ID	5960 Click image to enlarge
Image 28 Description	Alder with root pedestal below Shooters Well, Area 4
Image 29 ID	5965 Click image to enlarge
Image 29 Description	Gayles Moor.Shooters Well and, with the exception of one or two living remnant larch trees, the now vanished Gayles Plantation. Woodland Trust ATH Records, OS 1893 Series Historic Map.
Image 30 ID	5963 Click image to enlarge
Image 30 Description	Marsh pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris)dominant at spring rise below Shooters Well. A rare plant in Teesdale and Co Durham. This interesting plant occurs in Lower Wensleydale but has not so far been recorded in Swaledale