The East Lothian Antiquarian and Field Naturalist Society enjoyed a field trip to Pressmennan Wood on Saturday 4th June.
John Hunt led the party and explained that until after the last War Pressmennan was one of the largest remnants of semi-natural oakwood in the Lothians with historical references going back to the 15th Century when oak from the wood was thought to have been used in the construction of the Great Michael which was the biggest warship of its time. Sadly most of the wood was felled in the 1950s and replanted mainly with conifers.
However the Woodland Trust purchased the wood in 1988 with the support of the local community and have gradually been removing non-native trees and encouraging native broadleaves with the long term aim of returning the wood back to a more natural condition.
