Max woods

Max wood is a small section of a bit of my woods, which I know as Lower Bee woods. It was planted in year 6, mostly (winter 06 into 07). In memory of a deceased friend.

It is largely a wetland area and it therefore has been mostly planted with Willows and Alders.

It is one of the most instantly successful bit of planting, not least of which; because it marks the turning point of failure into success.

Prior to year 6 all trees were collected on my bicycle, which meant that I was very limited in size, quantity and time. Many of the trees planted from years 1 - 5 were too small to compete with the grasses, nettles and other vegetation. Max woods its self was planted fully at least twice, with only minimal success, in previous years whilst Max was still alive.

The success of years 6 - 10 was brought about by my introduction to motorised transport, in the form of a scooter, which enabled me to collect bigger trees much more quickly, giving me far grater success than I had ever enjoyed before.
Here, this little stone bridge connects Upper and Middle Bee woods, where the leat branches off to the aqueduct, which runs alongside Maxwoods. I have renamed this little bridge 'Max-bridge', I hope that nobody minds.

Boggy Places

This bit of woods is known to me as Lower Bee woods. This particular patch, between the little groups of pre-existing Larch trees is known as Max woods, as its in memory of a dear departed friend, called Max Sing, who came to the UK originally from Malaysia.

Like so many bits of woodland up here, Maxwood is mostly bog, so this limits the diversity of tree species that can grow here. This photograph focuses on the boggiest bits of Max woods and as I hope you can see; it is largely comprising of Alders and highland Willows.


Hazel, Blackthorn and Birch seem to do well around the edges of bogs. Guelder roses also like bogs, but they are more difficult to source and there for are more of a rarity, which I am having to propagate on site.

The main reason for all these bogs and wet-land areas is the underlying granite. This impervious rock, dose not allow water to drain away through it, so then any kind of dip or depression in the ground, becomes a peaty bog, like this one.


Most of Max woods was planted in year 6 (winter 2006 into 2007), the big Alder in the back was planted in year 5 and a few Beech at the front which are still tiny, were actually planted in year 1.


On this second picture, Max's partner Sara inspects the woods.


Swamp trees such as I have planted here, in Max woods grow comparatively quickly, as opposed to other wild trees. I have discovered that they grow fastest of all if planted on the edge of a bog, with the best of both worlds i.e. with their roots in both saturated and breathable soil. Where I have planted these same trees in sinky floaty bog; they have grown much more stunted and slowly.


Lower Toe woods looks to have had a few unsuccessful and badly thought out attempts at planting it in the past. It has many areas of just Beech, which are themselves bonsai and stunted, but are in fact fully grown. Also many little clumps of half grown Larch. So here its been more a question of me filling in the gaps with the right sorts of trees, in order to increase the diversity of the whole woods.

The right mix

It is highly important to get the right balance of tree species for the area.
Because this is very high up, I have studied how wood naturally spreads and encroaches over open heaths or moors. First you have the Gorse and the Bracken, then shrub trees like Hawthorn and Rowan, protected and fed by the Gorse.

Birch and Oak appear when the shrub trees become thicker and push their way through, to dominate the canopy. Then later comes the Beech and the Ash.

You could say that Sweet Chestnuts come after the Beech, but they are not actually a native species, although they are not pestilent like Cotoneaster, Cherry Laurel or Sycamore.

Most of the woods I have planted have been rich in shrub trees, to imitate this heath or moorland encroachment and to make sure all the right ingredients exist up here for a full balanced and unique Eco-system to develop. Since here, we are completely surrounded by grazed moors, we are isolated and few species can get here without my help.