Site Management - Work of the Ranger Team
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Ham Hill Country Park is managed by a small ranger team and a dedicated group of volunteers. With so many important historical features and habitats within the Country Park, a detailed management plan has been written for the site. The management plan has been circulated to Natural England, English Heritage and other interested partners and stakeholders. If you would like to be sent a copy, please email the Ham Hill team or phone us on 01935 823617. Please note that it is quite a bulky document and we usually only send out copies if they are of particular interest to people, such as students working on A-level or degree coursework.
As a team we need to make sure that we protect and conserve the geology, archaeology and ecology of Ham Hill, whilst also managing the Country Park for the huge range of visitors it attracts.
The main area of the Country Park is an Iron Age hillfort, beneath the grass and trees lie unique archaeological remains. By removing some scrub and tree species we are protecting these remains, which could be damaged by tree root growth - this is one of the key jobs of the rangers and volunteers over the winter months.
Warning
In the summer months a plant called wild parsnip grows on Ham Hill. The plant is tall with yellow upside-down umbrella shaped flowers. Avoid getting the sap from this plant on your skin as it can cause quite a severe red rash, and if this is then exposed to sunlight it can cause blistering. If your skin comes up in a rash or blisters after visiting Ham Hill do not be alarmed - cover up your skin so that it is not exposed to sunlight, and seek medical attention if rash/blisters do not start to reduce within a few days.
Please also be aware of ticks (small parasites) that can be picked up whilst walking in long grass and bracken in particular. Please visit the Lyme Disease Action website for more information.
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Ham Hill is also important for the rare calcareous grassland it supports. This grassland is nationally important due to the wide variety of plant and animal species it contains up to 25 species per square metre of habitat. Ham Hill is also important for it's wild flower meadows and wide open grassland areas such as Witcombe Valley. In order to maintain these habitats sheep grazing is essential as it removes the rank grasses, and slows their rate of re-growth, which helps to protect and encourage native wild flower species. This in turn encourages colonisation by butterflies and other insects. Therefore on the hillfort we prioritise grassland conservation over scrub areas.
Each area of Ham Hill Country Park has a plan that sets out when and for how long each unit should be grazed. This system ensures that the flora is not over grazed and damaged, and means that at any one time within the park, there will always be at least 60% of the park's land sheep free. When sheep are present there will be warning signs on gates, and outside the ranger's office a map will give up to date information on their where-abouts.
We do not intend to remove all of the scrub and tree thickets - if they are carefully managed they can support a range of different species including many birds, whilst also providing somewhere for the very useful grass nibbling rabbits to live! Off the hillfort e.g. in Horses Wood and Pit Wood we are actively managing for woodland. Management includes planting trees, occasionally removing non native trees and shrubs, coppicing and only removing dead trees for health and safety reasons.
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