The Nature Trail Walk

1 Beneath the Wood's canopy of oak, ash and maple, there is an underwood of younger and less vigorous species. Next come shrubs followed by the herb layer and finally the moss layer. This structure provides a range of habitats for plants and animals. Through the trees is a restored nodding donkey which pumped oil from the reservoir below.	6 The wood's roads, rides, racks and glades form sheltered habitats. different plants grow and butterflies which need warmth and protection from strong winds are attracted, as are insects and birds, including spotted flycatcher which hawk for flies. American equipment, with a jack-knife mast which could be erected and dismantled more easily which enabled this well to be completed quickly	10 Invertebrates are the most common animals in a wood, of these insects are the most adundant. Dragonflies and wasps are carnivorous, others, like beetles feed on plants or decomposing organic material. Bees and butterflies search for pollen and nectar. Some beetle larvae eat into the hardest wood where they spend many years maturing.	14 Ferns, primitive non-flowering plants reproduce by means of spores. Lichen which are very sensitive to polluted air and moss also grow in poor light. the male, lady and broad buckler ferns are easiest to spot. Fungi which live on other plants or decaying organic matter come in many shapes and colours.
2 This was one of the first wells to be drilled by workers from the US in 1943 when drilling and production reached its peak the Americans, who made quite an impact locally, were billeted at Kelham Hall, then a priory.	7This pipe was one of many which carried the crude oil and gas to the collection stations. There, knock-out tanks removed free water, emulsions were dispersed in heater-treaters and the dry oil held in tanks before being pumped, via underground pipelines, to the Eakring Road sidings. From here the oil was transported by rail to Pumpherston, near Edinburgh	11Electricity for the pumps was taken at 11000volts and reduced to 400volts by transformers. The remains of a sub-station can be seen. Beyond the hedge, is the rich cereal producing agricultural land of the Trent Valley. There are still some small woodlands and connecting hedgerows which form highways for wildlife.	15 Woodland flowers are at their best in spring, when the canopy is leafless. Primrose, bluebell, wood anemone, lesser celandine and wood sorrel carpet the floor. As the foliage develops only shade tolerant plants, like archangel, broad-leaved helleborine, ferns mosses and fungi suceed.
3This mature woodland illustrates the habitat zones. once woodlands were used to raise domestic animals and to conserve deer, for hunting. losses through Dutch Elm disease are being overcome by planting native trees and shrubs. Tubes protect young oaks and increase growth rate. Plastic spirals protect others from hares and rabbits.	8 The route follows an ancient hedgerow, It is Parish boundary and it can be dated by the Hooper formulae. A hedge will have one shrub species for every 100years it has existed, averaged by sampling along standard (30 yard) lengths. How many woody can you identify other than Hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and maple?	12 A pond has been created in this wet area. The water contains tiny daphnia and larger diving beetles and will eventually be colonised by aquatic plants. the footprints in the clay help to identify creatures living in the wood such as rabbits, foxes, stoat, deer and badger. Of the birds, seed eaters drink regularly because of the dryness of their diet.	16 You may see the white flowers translucent red berries or the autumn foliage of the guelder rose of the black berries of the dogwood, privet and elder. Also here is hazel, which besides having edible nuts, was once grown as coppice for weaving into watties, hurdles and baskets and for wattle and daub walls.
4 This well was drilled to 2163ft in eight days. Before restoration surveys identify important areas for wild flowers and grasses. The vegetation here, has returned through natural regeneration. Other well sites have been restored in different ways and will develop different flora.	9 Bird song is most prolific in Spring. The willow warbler descends the musical scale. The blackcap and garden warbler look different but sound similar; the chiffchaff repeats its name in contrast are the alarm calls of the jay and magpie and the carrion crow, raucously declaring its territory. This is the site where oil was first discovered under Dukes Wood in 1941. The well was originally drilled in 1938.	13A wood's south edge is the richest in the good light and shelter, wild strawberries violets and centaury grow. They provide nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies and seeds for the birds and other creatures. Near here is the site of one of the firsgt water injection wells then located on the eastern flank of the Dukes Wood field. By injecting water down the well at the edge of the reservoir it helped maintain pressure and sweep oil towards the central production wells.	17There are fine views to the north. to the west in the distance is Sherwood Forest nearer and to the north is what used to be BP's UK Land Division, it is now owned by National Grid and is the call centre HQ for Centre Parks. The church and the village of Eakring can be seen from here also. The church has the famous Mompesson's Cross named after the famous rector William Mompesson of the Rose of Eyam plague village who moved to Eakring after the plague. To the right is Mansey Common, woodland where the Eakring villagers used to exercise tofting and grazing rights.
5The normal time to complete a production well like this, was one month. However it took over three weeks to assemble and dismantle the drilling rig since derricks then had to be individually constructed for each well. It took six days to dismantle before a nodding donkey was installed.			18 The last nodding donkey on the trial. In addition to water injection another method of improving declining oil production was 'shooting', the fracturing of the reservoir rock by an explosive charge. On average production capacity of wells which were 'shot' was doubled.