BENTLEY’S ANCIENT WOODLAND: DODNASH WOOD - A BRIEF REVIEW OF ITS HISTORY
COLIN HAWES
The Dodnash Priory Charters (Harper-Bill, 1998) refer to Dodnash Wood as being present before the 14th of November, 1196, ……..”Grants in Favour of Canons: Grant by Geoffrey son of William of Boyton to the canons…….. of all the wood of his own fee in ‘Hylneia’ and all his land between the road from the bridge ‘Hwolne’ up to the elm grove to the east and to Dodnash Wood……… He has granted himself at the end of his life to the house [Before 14 November 1196].” This work is based on The Chartulary of the Priory of Dodenes or Dudenasch which covers 1200 to1506 and seems to use ‘Dodenes’ for Dodnash throughout (Suffolk Archives: Iveagh mss). A Charter from John, Bishop of Norwich, dates the foundation of Dodnash Priory to September 1188. The founder, Baldwin de Toeni, granted lands in Bergholt, ‘terra de dodenes’ to the Priory (Sanford,pers.comm.)
Details of Dodnash Wood’s more recent past can also be found in the research carried out by Cambridge professor Oliver Rackham who surveyed Dodnash Wood when writing his book Ancient Woodland: its history, vegetation and uses in England (Rackham, 1980). Records of Dodnash Wood’s history include a map of 1629 that shows ‘two great ashes’ in the wood and a ‘serius’ (wild service tree), “the exact spot [of the latter] is now coniferised and no service [tree] can be seen“. An 18th century survey of woods, mainly in Suffolk and Essex, show that a quite large wood might be felled,aswasDodnashWoodin1663,1740 and1761.
DODNASHWOOD,BENTLEY
Records also show that the biggest oaks (205 trees) from this wood were sold in 1760, and a cherry tree and wild service tree sold in 1809. Rackham’s map of Suffolk parishes (In: Dymond & Martin, 1989) illustrates the distribution of late medieval woodland as it was after 1350 when Bentley had some eight medieval woods, five of which were more or less intact and three that were damaged, e.g. by replanting (although in Dodnash Wood the traditional management by coppicing continued after planting sweet chestnut). It is possible that Dodnash Wood dates as far back as the 1080s (Suffolk Domesday Book 1086 woodland map: In Dymond & Martin,1989).
Today, Dodnash Wood with its introduced, non-native sweet chestnut trees does not appear to be ancient. For many years it has been managed as sweet chestnut coppice, though coppicing these trees ceased some time ago as shown by the very large multiple trunks that have grown from their massive stools (the bases of the original coppiced trees) [see photo overleaf p. 146]. The
more recent planting of conifers, birch and sweet chestnut add to the wood’s non-ancient appearance. Nevertheless, clues to its age are revealed by its medieval bank and ditch (Rackham, 1980). Further clues are revealed with the emergence of its spring ancient flora and the presence of wild service trees. Botanical surveys of Dodnash Wood have been carried out many times by the author and at least once by members of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society. We know that wood anemones, bluebells, dog’s mercury, brambles, and other woodland flora go back to prehistoric times. Plants and trees that are indicators of Dodnash Wood’s ancient origin are first and foremost the presence of wood anemone Anemone nemorosa clones (all genetically identical) and wild service trees Sorbus torminalis closely followed by bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis clones (Rackham, 1976, 1980, 2006). The ancient woodland hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius is also present and breeding in Dodnash Wood; this rare and threatened mammal species is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended)buthas declinedintheUKbynearly50% inthelast10years.
References
Dymond, D. & Martin, E. (1989). An Historical Atlas of Suffolk. Suffolk County Council Environment&Transport,SuffolkInstituteofArchaeology& History. Harper-Bill,C.(Ed).(1998). Dodnash Priory Charters. BoydellPress. Rackham, O. (1976). Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape. Dent & Sons Ltd. London.
Rackham, O. (1980). Ancient Woodland: its history, vegetation and uses in England. EdwardArnold.London. Rackham,O.(2006). Woodlands.Collins.London.
I thank Martin Sanford for sourcing information held in the Suffolk Archives at The Hold, Ipswich. Thanks also to John Boyle for the photographs. Permission to use materialfrom An Historical Atlas of Suffolk kindlygrantedbytheauthors.
ColinHawes
3 SilverLeys,Bentley,Ipswich,SuffolkIP92BS hawescolin@gmail.com