Woodland Burial Site Planting Specification

Woodland Burial Site (Peel); Planting specification.

Vision: To create a native woodland with discrete peaceful glades for burials.

Specification The woodland burial site will be created by planting a matrix of native trees among 4-5 grassy glades to accommodate the burials and cremated remains. The trees planted will be locally sourced (where possible) and of native Manx provenance. The planting mix and woodland design will be designed to create an ecologically functional woodland where natural processes rather than human management dominate. Once the trees are well established woodland wildflowers can be introduced. The proposed site is on a slope on sandy soil. At the top of the slope on the poorer soils adjacent to the existing cemetery the typical species will be oak and birch, but most of the site will be on richer soils where ash, wych elm and aspen will also be planted. The woodland edges will be dominated by hawthorn, willow (grey willow and eared willow), broom and blackthorn. The woodland understory will be predominantly hazel with some holly and rowan. Planting will be at an average spacing of 2m (about 2000 trees/ha).

Betula pendula Silver Birch 10% Betula pubescens Downy Birch 5% Corylus avellana Hazel 20% Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn 10% Cytisus scoparius Broom 5% Fraxinus excelsior Ash 5% Ilex aquifolium Holly 3% Populus tremula Aspen 2% Prunus spinosa Blackthorn 10% Quercus petraea Sessile Oak 5% Salix aurita Eared Willow 10% Salix cinerea Grey Willow 5% Sorbus aucuparia Rowan 5% Ulmus glabra Wych Elm 5%

The trees will be planted in herbicide treated spots which will remain weed free for 2 growing seasons until establishment is complete. To protect the trees from rabbit and hare browsing either the whole site will be rabbit fenced or individual trees will be protected by tree shelters. It will take approximately 5 years for the young trees and shrubs to become fully established and reach a height where the site looks more like a woodland than a field. The burial glades will occupy about 1/3 of the total area. The glades will be maintained as short grass with wide (4m) mown rides connecting them together. Some of the grass rides can be reinforced with a tough plastic mesh to enable vehicular access. It is anticipated that gravestones will be installed flat over burial plots to maintain the open glade appearance. The site is adjacent to a small woodland to the east and to the south is an area of recognised ecological importance (phase 2 site). This woodland will complement and enlarge these two sites. Manx Woodland Trust 3rd May 2014