HORSEPOWER from a bygone age is being used to make sure an ancient woodland is given the environmentally-friendly treatment.

The Knightwood area around Chandler's Ford has seen a massive bricks-and-mortar invasion in recent years.

Thousands of new homes, with state- of-the-art household gadgets, have sprung up.

But not far away they are using traditional methods to guarantee that Mother Nature still has a place alongside the soaraway development.

Trees, including invasive sycamores, have been felled in a bid to regenerate and get Zionshill Copse back to its natural woodland condition.

The mammoth task of moving the 200 tons of logs has been carried out by four Percheron horses - similar to shire horses.

Violet, Flower, Horace and Dolly, from the Ringwood and Whiteparish areas, have spent two days on the log- clearance operation in the woodlands off Skys Wood Road.

The huge horses are the British version of a breed that originated in France and are used extensively across Europe and America.

Tree-felling was carried out just before Christmas, but the monsoon-type weather conditions ruled out the use of heavy machinery to move the logs off site.

Test Valley Borough Council's countryside officer, Jim Adkins, said it was the first time the authority had used this type of horsepower.

Using heavy machinery would have compacted the very muddy ground and threatened the soil of the ancient woodland.

"We want to protect the soil as we try to get the area back to a natural woodland," said Mr Adkins.

Norwegian logging equipment and home-made sledges were used in pulling the logs off the site.

And there was plenty of hay as the equine taskforce made light of the heavy task.