Hopton is a small Suffolk parish to the extreme NE of the West Suffolk District. The village is sited on both sides of an area of valley fenland, which includes conservation sites of both national and international importance.


Our Landscape and Wildlife Evaluation & Biodiversity Audit is an overview of Hopton’s natural environment in 2020 with some historical context where available. In the rapidly changing world in which we live, this is a snapshot at the beginning of the 21st century.


This report also contains some recommendations that will help parishioners enhance, support and maintain their natural environment for future generations. Encouraging ecological connectivity, engaging the community with the wider environment, and maintaining the biodiversity that is so unique to the parish will ensure Hopton continues to be a green parish, and contribute to wider environmental aims in Suffolk.

To view the report, please click here Landscape and Wildlife Evaluation & Biodiversity Audit 2020

The Healing Wood Project


This is the creation of a small woodland by the community on the village rubbish dump next to Greyhound Lane. In the past the dump had been covered over and trees planted but dry conditions and continuous dumping had seen these, sadly, fail.

In Winter 2020, the ditches on two sides of the site were dredged and the spoil spread over the surface. This exposed a lot of plastic, asbestos, bricks, glass and metal.

Starting in late spring 2021 and meeting regularly since, volunteers have picked up many tonnes of waste which has been taken to the West Suffolk waste site. They have created a new entrance with slope, created and mown a path and then worked with families and children from Hopton school to plant trees.

In September 2021 Suffolk County Council agreed to support the project as a Healing Wood. Richard Rout, Deputy Leader of the Council said in a press release “The site in Hopton is particularly exciting as it will look to establish a community woodland on an area which was formerly used as a village tip and whilst rural, has fantastic accessibility. It is also a brilliant example of the expertise we have in our communities and the opportunities of partnership working.”

In 2022 volunteers fenced and gated the main entrance, watered the site through a long hot summer and kept the path and seating area cut back. An audit of trees in the autumn made the work worthwhile when it was found a large number (possibly 95%) had survived. This winter saw more trees planted and the hedging work completed. A new noticeboard should be in place soon and there may even be a grand opening!

There is still work to do. All the trees need mulching and volunteers to water in the summer will be very welcome.

Click here to view photographs showing the way the site has changed.

 

News from the Healing Wood, January  2023

Wow, what a summer that was!

The new plantings definitely needed some help with water. During the hottest period we transported around 300 litres of water to the wood, twice a week. We then decanted it to watering cans and tried to make sure that every plant got a decent drink.

We fear we have lost two or maybe three  of the large oaks we planted but other than that, and considering the nature of the site, as well as the weather, we are really pleased with the success rate.

Early in December we picked up 250 hedging plants and 50 trees from the Suffolk Tree Warden Network depot, as well as the canes, stakes and guards to support and protect them.

In the last few days, in the Healing Wood, we have completed the double hedgerow and planted about 30 more trees. They include oak, field maple, hazel, hornbeam and wild cherry.

We have also planted along the field edge leading from Nethergate Street to Hopton Fen. We hope this will create a substantial wild corridor which will encourage more wildlife into the area.

The feedback we have had has been very positive and we thank you for that. When it’s too hot in the summer or wet and cold in the winter, it makes us feel it is all worth it when people tell us how much they and their children are enjoying the space we have created.

Andrea and Caroline