When the Gunton
Woodland Community Project was formally constituted in March 1998
none of its founder members imagined that, 13 years later, the
Group would still be a strong, energetic organisation, with many
achievements behind it and yet with plenty of challenges for the
future. Geography played a large part in this success story. Many
of the residents adjoining Gunton Wood were recently retired, often
with dogs that needed daily exercise, and so there was a captive
audience of like minded individuals who had a vested interest in
restoring the woodland. Since then, every Thursday morning, between
20 and 30 residents gather at 9 o’clock to begin the work party
activities for that day. It is very much a social occasion, many
strong and lasting friendships have been made and GWCP has
b ecome a
unifying force for good which has won both local and
national approval. A quarterly Newsletter, regular
outings and other social events all help to maintain the
bonds that hold the Group together. Close relationships have
been forged with several local schools by conducting regular
nature walks and pond dipping exercises with the children and
many illustrated talks have been given to local organisations
describing the Group’s progress.
After the initial 5 year Work Plan for Gunton Wood had been
completed, it became clear that care and maintenance
activities alone would be insufficient to keep the large workforce
occupied. With the agreement of Suffolk Wildlife Trust and the
landowners, various projects have therefore been undertaken in
nearby Foxburrow Wood, which is an Ancient Woodland. These
include bramble pulling, coppicing, fencing, bridging and,
more recently, the construction of short sections of boardwalk to
facilitate access in wet weather.
At a public meeting in May 2000, called to discuss Tesco’s plans
for developing their land to the South of Leisure Way, GWCP urged
Tesco to allocate part of it for use as a Nature Reserve. Tesco
agreed and, after two years of continuous pressure from GWCP, this
proposal was formally approved by the Council Planning Authorities,
although four more years passed before the final agreements were in
place whereby Suffolk Wildlife Trust assumed ownership of the
Reserve. Since then, GWCP has worked closely with SWT to provide
volunteer help to work on a variety of projects within the
Reserve.
For most of 2009, GWCP led a campaign to resist a Council
proposal to convert the “Church Field” into rugby pitches.
This 15 hectare field, immediately adjacent to Gunton Wood,
is unsuitable for such use and the proposal would
have had a serious negative impact on the Gunton Wood
Nature Reserve. Fortunately, Gunton Parochial Church Council,
as owners of the field, also had strong objections and the Council
formally withdrew their proposal at the end of 2009. Since
then joint efforts are being made by the Church and GWCP to
progress plans to use the field as a Woodland Burial Site
which would involve the planting of thousands of trees interspersed
with wild flower meadows. If successful,
this exciting prospect would greatly enhance the green belt and
wildlife corridor surrounding North
Lowestoft. 
With this prospect in mind, together with other long term projects
in Foxburrow Wood and in the Nature Reserve, there are plenty of
challenges for GWCP to tackle in the foreseeable future.
Muntjac in Gunton Wood
by
Wally Crowther
November
2011
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