Tree Strategy and 2050 Tree Planting Programme organised by the Hampshire County Council Countryside Service is aimed at repopulating local hedgerows with native trees and farm hedges.

The Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group has been involved in this scheme for a year now and will be involved in a new extension of the project with further tree and hedge planting on bridleways and footpaths. 

The first stage of the planting occurred in January 2023 and used disease resistant elm trees and mix farm hedging, supplied by the scheme, along several local bridleways and footpaths.

All the elm trees and hedges have grown very well over a very difficult summer, with a long period of dry weather.

Hampshire Chronicle: Planting hedgerow near Cheriton Wood

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The project extension will, again, be sponsored again by the Tree Strategy and 2050 Tree Planting Programme under the control of Emily Roberts and Sarah Pocock from Hampshire County Council Countryside Service.

The planting will be carried out by the Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group, Venture Scouts from Cheriton and Alresford and farmers in the Cheriton area.

Hampshire Chronicle: Tree planting along Upper Lamborough Lane

Again we will be planting disease resistant elms together with native hard wood trees in addition to a large quantity of mix farm hedging. It is a long time since these noble elms trees graced our countryside and they have been sorely missed. Of course seeing the hedgerows return to a dense protection for the fields and home to as myriad of insects and wild animals will be a real bonus. We very much welcome their return.

We are very grateful that the local Scout Group will be helping again with the planting and possibly Cheriton Village School, because we hope they will see these trees mature and they will be the future of conservation and to look after our very valuable chalk stream in the village.

By Barry Frampton