LONG-term work to restore oak coppice in woodlands close to Minehead and Porlock is being undertaken by Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) following a winter of storms.

The work in Culver Cliff Wood, Minehead, and Hawkcombe Wood National Nature Reserve, Porlock, should support the recovery of the rare heath fritillary butterfly.

The butterfly is also traditionally known as the ‘woodman’s follower’ because of its habit of occupying recently coppiced areas.

ENPA senior woodland officer Graeme McVittie, who is overseeing the project, said Exmoor’s coastal woodlands had suffered a disproportionate impact during the past winter’s storms.

Mr McVittie said the woodlands were among the most popular for people to visit, but the storms resulted in an ‘enormous amount of destruction’ and saw footpaths closed.

He said the paths were quickly cleared by the ENPA’s field services team working with local contractors, although work was still ongoing.

Mr Mcvittie said: “These kind of catastrophic damaging events are still quite rare but they are increasing in frequency.”

Some of the trees brought down by Storm Darragh, which struck during December, had been really old and large with girths of up to 20 feet.

Mr McVittie said there was so much timber in the fallen trees that the authority would never be able to clear it all.

Instead, it was taking advantage of what was a rare opportunity to leave the dead wood to support the woodland ecosystem, providing a home for invertebrates and slowly rotting into the soil over the years.

Mr McVittie said: “Nature is very good at healing some of the wounds that are inflicted, so we have to think very carefully about how much tidying up we do.

“Our approach is probably going to be one of allowing nature to do much of the recovery work.”