THE LARK
THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST
MAGAZINE
Spring 2016 | ISSUE No. 56
Can Farmers Help Flooding? Plus: Going Batty in Herefordshire, A Visit to Balmangan Farm and the CRT Open the Batting in Northants!
The Country Store
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Contents
Features
The Lark is published three times a year by the Countryside Restoration Trust. The Countryside Restoration Trust is the UK’s leading charity promoting wildlifefriendly farming and campaigning for a living, working countryside. We believe that wildlife is integral to good farming. That philosophy is put into practice on over 1,500 acres of working farms, small-holdings and woodland across the country – where, alongside our tenants, we are demonstrating how farming and other sustainable land uses can co-exist with and benefit from a countryside rich in wildlife. Our mission is to protect the farmed countryside, its wildlife, and the people with the knowledge and skills to look after it – and to communicate that together these represent a strategic resource vital for our future food security. Patron: David Shepherd CBE, Wildlife Patron: David Bellamy Environment Patron: Jonathan Porritt Patron for Dorset: Brian Jackman Patron of the Gordon Beningfield Farm Appeal: Dame Judi Dench Trustees: Robin Page - Chairman, Chris Knights, Zac Goldsmith, Robin Maynard, Tilly Smith, Annabelle Evans, Nicholas Watts MBE Editor of The Lark: Lois Dixon Photographs and drawings courtesy of Julian Eales, Geoff Harries, Annika Rees, Helen Jones, Viv Geen, John Terry, Tim Scott, Vince Lea, Jackie Cooper. Front cover: Yellowhammer courtesy of Geoff Harries Published by: CB Creative Ltd The Countryside Restoration Trust, Bird’s Farm, Haslingfield Rd, Barton, Cambridgeshire CB23 7AG Tel: 01223 262999 E-mail: info@countrysiderestorationtrust.com www.countrysiderestorationtrust.com Registered charity no: 1142122 A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales No. 7320026. Registered office: as above. Paper sourced from FSC® compliant, responsibly managed, sustainable sources.
Howzat! 5 Balmangan Farm - South West Scotland 6 Holding Water up in the Countryside 8 Going Batty! 10 Sympathetic Farming at Lark Rise 13 Summer in England - a Poem by Ivy E. Ball 15 How you can help 17
Regulars
Chairman’s Thoughts 4 Director’s Report 14 Fundraising 16 Volunteers 18 Diary Dates 19 Education 20 Farm Diaries 22 Merchandise 24
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Trust News
The Chairman’s Thoughts So much has happened and keeps happening... Sadly some more Friends of the CRT have passed on in addition to much missed John Rogers, and Lulu has accompanied me to funerals in Dorset and Yorkshire. In addition I made a quick dash out to Nairobi to the Memorial Service for Simonne Cheffings – a good friend to Lulu and I, and to the CRT. It is a consolation that through the CRT we are helping to create a countryside that they all wanted to see flourishing and which they supported. They have all helped us to create something that is good, while in so many areas we see the countryside under pressure. There is much talk about climate change – but the climate has always changed and we live on an island which makes the weather even more changeable. Is it man- made climate change? It could well be. There are so many polluting activities going on, driven by people and “growth”, that man-made climate change is a reasonable assumption. On the other hand nature is astonishing and so climate change and even the control of climate may well be part of natural patterns and functions – I have no idea. Consequently you can tell from this that “climate change” is virtually the only subject on which I sit on the fence. All I would say is that we all have a personal responsibility to keep our own output of pollution as low as possible – as an attempt to be on the safe side. During my life I have seen wet periods and dry periods – hot spells and cold – I have no idea what drives it all. For instance 2015 was simply an astonishing year as far as local weather was concerned. The spring and early summer were unusually cold and many birds had a tough time, including our farmyard swallows. But then late autumn and early winter were unusually mild. Can you believe it, a few lesser-celandines and cowslips were flowering on Christmas Day – extraordinary? At the same time there was a small group of swallows seen regularly on the North Norfolk coast at Holkham, the gang included a RedRumped Swallow – rare in Britain even in the summer. Locally at Lark Rise Farm I have seen more Woodcock than usual this winter. Again I don’t understand it. Woodcock are normally associated with very cold winters. After the disastrous breeding season for our Barn Owls, it is good to report that the surviving adults are being seen regularly.
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From the last copy of The Lark you will know that our Grey Partridges have been doing very well at Lark Rise Farm. Now, we have just learnt that we are going to get an award for having the highest count of Yellowhammers on a standardised survey – not just in Cambridgeshire, but in the country. Very exciting, and there will be more on this award in the next edition of The Lark. I have to confess that the Yellowhammer is one of my favourite birds. THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
Also in the next edition of The Lark there will be, I hope, an important announcement concerning the purchase of a farm in Dorset which we hope will be developed in a way that will remember and commemorate the artist Gordon Beningfield. Gordon was a founder-trustee and was so important in the establishment of the CRT; in addition he always wanted the CRT to have a farm in Dorset as the county’s landscapes, wildlife, traditions, shepherding and the links with Thomas Hardy were such an inspiration to him. Once all the i’s have been dotted and the t’s crossed, there will be the hard task of raising the money to complete the purchase. We will be making an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, but whether we are successful or not we have a lot of work to fund raise and to make the whole thing a success. I hope The Daily Telegraph will give me space to report on this project. Remember, in his time Gordon was very popular on television – and I hope Countryfile will consider helping us to remember his work, his vision and his art. I don’t want to get too political but I think I should mention two things to do with population. The population of Britain continues to grow at a ridiculous speed and in my view population density and population increase poses huge problems for our countryside, its farming, its people and its wildlife. At 1065 people per square mile† England already has the highest density of population in Europe and it is also higher than the population densities of India and China. Alarmingly too, new research now shows that Britain imports more than half of its food and animal feed, and that between the years 2040 and 2050 it is expected that the British population will rise to over 77 million†† and our population will be the highest in Europe. At the recent Oxford Farming Conference Ms Truss, our Secretary of State at Defra, said astonishingly that her department has made no plans to support British agriculture in the event of the referendum vote wanting Britain to leave the EU. In other words Britain hasn’t got a coherent rural policy. It seems to me that rural Britain needs a voice – the CRT has never been more needed.
Robin Page http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/compendiums/compendium-of-ukstatistics/population-and-migration/index.html †† http://www.cityam.com/221125/population-growth-uk-become-biggest-countryeuropean-union-2050 †
Photography © David Rose/The Daily Telegraph
Howzat! I wish I had been able to go to South Africa recently – too late in the year to see whales, but I would have loved to have seen South Africa playing England at cricket – it was quite a Series. Too much to do for the CRT however and in any case the Page family piggy-bank would have become far too stretched. Instead, I travelled to Wansford in Northamptonshire, next to the River Nene, where a pleasant and loyal CRT member Mr Eric Standen, left us a beautiful river-side field. Most of the field will remain a place of summer grazing and hay making – but on the wettest part we decided to plant 120 cricket bat willows (Salix alba caerulea). It will stop the wet part being poached and spoilt by cattle and as they grow they will add something pleasant to the landscape – then after twenty to twenty-five years they will have a good commercial value and be felled for cricket bats – it is something that can be called an eco-crop. We also have a wet piece of brook-side land at Lark Rise Farm that could also take a few trees – adding something to the landscape at the same time. It was always my dream to plant a cricket bat willow and then open the batting for my village team using a bat made from the wood. Well, I did plant a tree at Wansford, when it reaches maturity and is made into a bat I will be 92. Consequently if I am still about and using a bat, it will be for support only and there will be no quick singles. The five year old willows were being planted by two men and their dog – Shaun Baker and his son Paul (the dog was called Marley) – 120 “sets” for J.S.Wright and Sons of Essex the oldest (1894) and largest cricket bat willow producer in the country – possibly in the world with 80% of their
production being exported to the England team’s keenest opponents. Planting is simple – on the farm – push a willow stake into the ground and it will strike roots and grow. With a T-bar made from a length of scaffold pipe, and fitted with a stainless steel tip, Shaun and Paul were driving the bar into the ground. The resulting hole was half filled with water and the “set” heeled in solidly – job done. I shall watch my tree with interest over the next twenty years and during the summer, I hope to visit Essex to see this year’s willow harvest ready to be made into bats, and then visit the Gunn and Moore bat-makers in Nottingham to see the job completed – from boggy hole to cricket wicket – brilliant. Why Gunn and Moore? I simply got on well with their bats in my playing days – I still haven’t retired, I just don’t get time to play. Cricket has become a subject talked about in the CRT office too these days because of Lois Dixon our new, and very good Marketing Manager (she previously worked for Surrey County Cricket Club at the Oval). Her great uncle, Malcolm Hilton was a left-arm spin bowler for Lancashire and England and in his hay-day is reputed to be the only man who got Sir Donald Bradman out twice in the same game. Her grandad Jim Hilton, was also a cricketer, playing for Lancashire and Somerset. Robin Page
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Feature
The Mudflat at Balmangan Farm
Balmangan Farm; South West Scotland
I wrote in The Lark one year ago, about how we are trying to work with other farmers to influence them in their wildlifefriendly efforts. One farmer with whom I have been involved in 2015 was Neil Picken who, with his wife Rockrose & Sorrel Patricia, farms on the Solway coast in South-West Scotland, at Balmangan Farm in Dumfries. The farm is on quite difficult land, with many rocky outcrops in the fields. It is on the coast, with great views across the Solway Firth, so adding a holiday visitor element is a logical way of adding to the farm’s income. Having been keen campers themselves, with clear ideas on what makes a great camping experience, they have come up with a formula that really works. The reason for asking us to advise them, is that being a visitor attraction, the farm has wonderful views and a great setting, but if there were more wildlife it would clearly add to the visitor attraction. My first visit was in February 2015, with Kenny Mackay, the Conservation and Education Adviser from Barton. We stayed in one of the wooden ‘Wigwams’, which are really well appointed comfortable little cabins, big enough for a whole family and with kitchen and bathroom facilities. For a tent user like myself, this was luxury and much appreciated in the depths of a Scottish February! Neil gave us a tractor-and-trailer tour of the farm (something he also offers to visitors in the summer) and this gave us insight into the potential for the farm. After a great nights sleep in the Wigwam, I took myself off for a thorough look round and collected as much wildlife information as possible in this short visit. The farm is grassland, with several clumps of woodland and patches of scrub, predominantly gorse,
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and lots of rocky limestone outcrops. There are also some nice wetlands. The surrounding habitats are woodland, and coast, with rocky, sandy and mudflat areas all represented. The woodland owner also met with us and was equally keen to increase the wildlife potential of his property. The latest news was that Red Squirrels had recently been seen - possibly being pushed out of nearby plantations as a result of large scale felling operations, due to larch disease. The wildlife was a good reflection of the habitats present. There were Roe Deer and Hares enjoying the mix of cover and grassland, and plenty of woodland birds like Song Thrush and Bullfinch. Around the coast, more variety with sea-duck like Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser, while both Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese flew over in small groups. The Balmangan wetlands are probably too small to tempt these birds to land, but Lapwings and Wigeon were happy enough. The mudflats had more water-birds like Curlew and Shelduck and Rock Pipits were on the rocky shores. The old farm buildings are great for nesting House Sparrows, and a Barn Owl is in residence. I had a second visit in the June, en route to Argyll for a week’s holiday. Unfortunately, summer weather didn’t come with me and a rather damp, grey spell meant that some of my wildlife survey plans had to be ditched. This time, I used my little tent and the indoor cooking area was much appreciated. All types of camping can be enjoyed on the site. The cool late spring meant that birds kept
Photography © Dr Vince Lea
By Dr Vince Lea, Head of Wildlife Monitoring
Luxury wooden Wigwams! more bird nesting areas. A lot of this work would probably benefit from having a volunteer group, and we are looking at ways of finding local volunteers and maybe getting groups willing to come from further afield who could stay on the farm for a few days. The best areas of grassland could be managed differently to enhance the wildflower elements, other areas could be left longer in winter for Barn Owl hunting areas while the areas favoured by
The Gorse and Lighthouse singing through the day and a more comprehensive bird survey could be conducted. This revealed great numbers of breeding birds like Willow Warblers, Chaffinch, Linnet and Song Thrush. There were lots of Swallows around, but as spring was so delayed, many still hadn’t started nesting. One of the great features of the wooden Wigwams is that many of them have a Swallow nest over the door (with a tray to catch the inevitable!) but on this occasion the majority of nests were in more sheltered spots inside the farm buildings. The cooler conditions had not deterred the hardy Meadow Pipits, however, and a pair was feeding chicks right in the middle of the camping area. The wildflowers were performing despite the gloom, and lots of patches were dotted around the farm, particularly on the edges of the rock outcrops and around the coastline. The species include many important butterfly plants like Birdsfoot Trefoil and Rockrose, so it was disappointing that the weather was so butterfly-unfriendly. The woods were also still showing signs of spring flowers like Bluebell and Wood Sorrel, indicative of longstanding woods here. There are various potential options for improvements to the wildlife habitats here. With Red Squirrels around, anything that can be done to help them has to be worth considering. The farm is fringed by woods, but the woods on the farm are somewhat isolated so linking them together would help the squirrels utilise the whole site. Varying the woods with a few more seed-bearing species and a greater range of tree ages would help. Many of the hedgerows have become old and gappy, so a programme of laying and gapping up might help act as squirrel corridors and also provide
Thrift & Birdsfoot Trefoil
Lapwings could have a few tweaks to the grazing regime, to ensure that they are in good condition when the birds are looking to nest, but avoid having stock present during the vulnerable egg stages. In due course, there is every potential for Balmangan to become a CRT associate farm, which hopefully would benefit Neil’s business as well as the wildlife of the area. If this sounds interesting, the farm’s contact details are below. There is the offer of free pitches or wigwams for volunteers: Solway View Holidays Patricia & Neil Picken Balmangan Farm, Borgue, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, DG6 4TR Email: n.picken@btconnect.com Phone: 01557 870 206 (9am – 8pm) Web: http://www.solwayviewholidays.co.uk/ THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
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Feature
Holding water up in the countryside to reduce flooding downstream Can farmers help?
By John Terry - Former CRT Employee & Member of the Cambridge Flood Mitigation Group Introduction The recent floods in the North of England and South Scotland underline that we must brace ourselves for more severe events and that we must look for better ways of countering these threats. The Government spokesmen have announced that farmers could be paid for holding up water in the countryside to reduce flood events in towns and villages. Holding water up in the countryside to reduce flooding downstream is far from new; indeed it is the traditional way of dealing with heavy rainfall. Water meadows, with traditional grass species which tolerate flooding, are an example. Extensive building developments, especially those in flood plains, and intensive farming have helped to increase downstream flood risk. They have helped to cover soil with tarmac, speed up water flow from improved soil drainage, increased soil compaction so surface water run-off is more immediate, and destroyed habitats that traditionally held on to water or at least, slowed down its release. These include reed beds, wetland areas and broadleaved woodland as well as water meadows. During the seventies and eighties, many rivers and streams were canalised, so water flows were further speeded up. Half the ponds in the UK, present in the first half of the twentieth century, have been filled in to provide more land for cropping. In uplands, many areas have been drained for sheep, cattle and grouse production so that water moves quickly downstream. Climate change, with its promise of more storm events of greater intensity, can only make flood management more difficult.
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Sustainable water management THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
Flood problems can be significantly reduced by sustainable and whole catchment approach and according to WWF work, the results are more successful and only cost 10% of hard engineering solutions (e. g. concrete). This is about replacing the lost habitats, and putting back meanders in water courses. Attenuation ponds can be part of this natural approach. Improving soil structure and management on farms is also important. Badly compacted soils, usually a result of tractor operations when the soils are too wet, or poaching by livestock, can induce instant water run-off rather than a degree of infiltration. If farmers address these problems, can they be paid for these improvements? Countryside Stewardship Schemes (CSS) aim to pay farmers the profit forgone for making changes on their farms, mainly to improve biodiversity. The current scheme offers three tiers of commitment. Tier three demands most attention to detail and will only appeal to farmers heavily committed to delivering the most environmental benefits. CSS is generally designed to deliver biodiversity improvements and there is little scope, at present, for farmers who may wish to deliver flood protection. Woodland Grant Schemes can help in the cost of woodland creation and management. Trees are vital in helping to hold up water. This is well recognised in countries like Bangladesh but is less well accepted in the UK. Work at Pontbren, at the headwaters of the Severn, suggested that water under broadleaved trees, sinks 67 times the rate it does under grass by encouraging water down roots and providing underground storage. In turn, grass holds up water much more than bare soil or arable. Trees and grass at Pontbren reduced flooding peaks by 50%. Tree planting and fencing to allow natural regeneration of trees and shrubs in contours, was encouraged. More trees also reduce the carbon dioxide in the air and help in carbon storage.
The National Farmers’ Union have mixed feelings about the approach and do not support ‘compulsory capture’ i.e. farmers must have the choice. Loss of income through reductions in cattle and sheep numbers can be compensated by flood mitigation payments. Could agencies find the concept of temporary storage workable? Catchment Sensitive Farming is the Government’s approach to addressing the needs of the EU Water Framework Directive. It involves the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), The Environment Agency (EA) and others. There are demonstration catchments all over the country. The objectives include reducing flood risk and the project officers seem open to new approaches. The EA has responsibility for flood defence and some staff find the idea of sustainable flood management, interesting. The EA are fond of modelling water movement and storage but hopefully this could be minimised or even disregarded to avoid this time consuming and expensive work when encouraging this approach. Similarly, it is hoped that district councils would not view this as a change of land use requiring planning permission. The storage is only temporary, not like permanent ponds. The concept is, after all, just a traditional way of using land, that for most of the year, simply collects rainfall.
Recommendations • Flood events are occurring more frequently. For example, villages north of Cambridge are in one of the driest parts of the country, with an annual rainfall of about 26in (650mm), but on August 8th, 2014, 124mm rain fell between 2pm and 6pm and a total of 144mm that day (nearly six inches), over three times the average for the whole of August. This is recorded as a one in 340 year event. The villages have experienced 8 one in 100 year events in the last fifty years. We have to be prepared for the exceptional and be more expansive and creative in our thinking. The recent Cumbria floods followed 14 inches of rain in one day. • There should be no more building on flood plains. The EA discourage planning applications but district councils often ignore their recommendations presumably for income reasons. Every-one should be able to enjoy rivers, not just those who can afford to live next to them. • We must encourage landowners to think even more about land and water management for the good of all. Holding up water in the countryside is a very cost effective way of dealing with heavy rainfall, even when farmers are paid for flood mitigation. The aim is to help in the reduction of flows but also to reduce the speed of water release. • Plans must be catchment based. Moving the problem to the next settlement is not helpful. • We must find ways of encouraging farmers to store water temporarily to reduce flood risks downstream, with realistic payments. CSS already exists to encourage biodiversity. This could be extended, for example under Feature Management, the addition of (FM3) etc or Sediment ponds and traps (RP7). The alternative is another specialist scheme. Woodland planting or fencing from grazing animals to encourage natural regeneration of trees and shrubs, under Woodland Grant Schemes, would also help.
Photography © John Terry
What are farmers’ views? A Norfolk farmer and chair of his IDB, believes he and many of his colleagues would be happy with £200/ha to allow their grass to be flooded. He has the River Nar flowing through his land and has worked on a ‘lazy river scheme’, with meanders. Farmers could benefit from some silt deposition on the grass to bring nutrients to their grassland.
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Feature
Going Batty... The bats of Awnells Farm and Turnastone Court Farm in Herefordshire By Viv Geen, Monitoring Officer (Herefordshire) Bats are a much misunderstood group of animals. They are not mice with wings, and are more closely related to humans than they are to rodents. Although they appear to be a very primitive life form, they are in fact a complex and well adapted organism. However, bats need help as they have experienced a dramatic decline over the last 100 years caused by the intensification of agricultural and arboricultural practices, and the conversion of old buildings in the landscape. The traditionally farmed landscapes of Awnells Farm and Turnastone Court Farm provide a wealth of habitats for many different species of bat. There are 18 species of bat native to the UK, however, as we learn more about this elusive creature, we discover further species; some known to migrate from the continent. Of these 18 species; 14 have been recorded on the Herefordshire farms:
The lovely and very fragile Brown Long-eared bat Brown Long-eared bats are not crevice dwellers, but cluster together usually along the ridge beam of the building, and can often be found hanging from the beams in lofts. These bats are particularly associated with old barns as they require a large void in which to fly before emerging into the open air to go off and feed. Bats also use buildings as feeding sites. The feeding perches of Brown Long-eared (BLE) bats have been recorded in the barns with piles of bat droppings and the wings of moths scattered over the floors. Both Soprano and Common Pipistrelles have been recorded feeding over the cattle stalls at Awnells Farm, catching the flies and other insects attracted to the animal dung. Pipistrelles will eat over one and half million gnats in a month!
Barbastelle • Bechstein’s • Brown Long-eared • Common Pipistrelle • Daubenton’s • Greater Horseshoe • Leisler’s Lesser Horseshoe • Natterer’s • Noctule • Serotine • Soprano Pipistrelle • Whiskered/Brandt’s •
Left: The wings of a Large Yellow Underwing moth and the chunky droppings, full of insect parts, of the BLE bat found beneath a feeding perch. Right: An ideal joint in which Natterer’s bats can roost
Bats in buildings The old farm buildings at both farms provide excellent roosting sites for bats. Soprano Pipistrelle bats, Common Pipistrelle bats and Brown Long-eared bats all roost in the barns at Awnells Farm, and at Turnastone Court Farm. Natterer’s bat has also been recorded roosting in the roadside barns at Turnastone. But, not all the barns are suitable for roosting bats because they are open to the elements and too draughty for bats.
Most of the bat roosts at the farms consist of just a couple of bats, but one of the cottages on Awnells Farm supports a maternity roost of Brown long-eared bats. A maternity roost supports a group of female bats that congregate to have their young. This roost is therefore very important and a yellow plaque has been put up in the attic to alert people to the fact that there is an important roost and there must be no disturbance. Male bats will roost in a separate roost. Mating occurs in the autumn when the male and female bats congregate in yet another roost; a swarming roost. The females are impregnated, but the young are not born until after the winter hibernation period; in June the following year.
Crevice dwelling bats, like the Pipistrelles, as the name suggests, roost in the smallest of spaces or crevices within the structure of the building, E.G. under the tiles of the roof. The Natterer’s bat is also a crevice dweller, and is often recorded roosting in the joints of the roof timbers.
The location of swarming roosts is not well documented, however, a Noctule bat swarming roost has been recorded in the road side barns at Turnastone, and swarming was recorded on the remote bat recorder placed in the wood pasture at the end of the summer of 2014.
Soprano Pipistrelle bats
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Bats in trees (tree roosts) Although we often associate bats with buildings such as churches (‘bats in the belfry’), bats evolved a long time before buildings ever existed and they started as tree dwelling creatures. With the loss of woodland through the UK as humans became domesticated and started to farm and build settlements constructed of wood, bats adapted and moved into these new roost sites.
The Noctule bat; our largest bat and my favourite Greater Horseshoe bat has been recorded at Turnastone; this is a very rare bat, which along with the Lesser Horseshoe bat forms a completely separate group of bats called the Rhinolophidae. These bats roost in large stone buildings and houses that exist in the area, however, these bats are known to travel kilometres from a roost site to feed. Lesser Horseshoe bats have been recorded flying over the orchards and meadows at Awnells Farm to feed on the large beetles attracted by the dung of the Hereford cattle on the farm. The Maybug or Cockchafer has been recorded in the orchard. It is known that there is a maternity roost of more than 100 bats in the local area. Serotine bats also hunt around the cow pastures. The organic orchards at Awnells and their ancient fruit trees support bat roosts and excellent feeding sites. A bat roost was discovered in a veteran pear tree when carrying out a Noble Chafer beetle survey. A lot of loud shrill chattering noises could be heard coming from within the tree, and the roost was quickly left alone. Although it is mostly old and veteran deciduous trees that provide habitat for bats, conifers are also important to certain bats. So it is important keep a mixed woodland site and not fell all of the conifers when carrying out woodland management. It is known that the Natterer’s bat has a preference for spiders and conifers are known to support large numbers of this prey.
Left: Old woodpecker holes provide excellent roost sites for bats in the orchard. Right: a SMZC remote bat recorder in the wood pasture Hibernation roosts Bats, like many other British mammals, hibernate in the winter months when the temperature drops and food is difficult to find. They will not hibernate in their summer roost sites, but travel to hibernation roosts where the temperature and humidity remains constant throughout the season. This ensures that the bats do not wake up when they shut down, as this would use up valuable energy. Hibernation sites include caves and mines, and the cellars of buildings. The location of many of these roost sites is unknown. With the warm winter that we are experiencing, it will be interesting to see if it has an impact on our bats and their hibernation. Other important features in the landscape on both farms support a rich mosaic of habitats. Bats are not blind, as the saying goes, and navigate around the landscape using features such as hedgerows and trees. Hedgerows are not only used as flight lines by certain species of bat to guide them from its roost site to a feeding site, but also act as important foraging areas for bats like Pipistrelles. It is therefore important to retain the hedgerow corridors, and other landscape features.
Photography © Viv Geen
Old and veteran trees form important roost sites for wood dwelling bats such as Noctule, Barbastelle, and Bechstein’s bat; all of which have been recorded at Turnastone Court Farm in the wood pasture area. However, tree bat roosts are very difficult to find, and although there are trees with woodpecker holes, loose bark, and cavities on the farms, the exact location of a tree bat roost is difficult to detect. Urine staining and droppings beneath the exit hole, and oily staining around the hole (from the bat’s fur) may give an indication of occupation, but is not always present. The veteran and mature trees at Turnastone provide excellent habitat for bats, and the low management regime also ensures that old and dead trees remain on the site.
The water bodies on both farms support important feeding sites for bats. The ponds at Awnells, and the River Dore and its tributaries provide habitat for Daubenton’s bat and the Soprano Pipistrelle. Water bodies attract insects on which the bats feed. It is wonderful to see swarms of the white-bellied Daubenton’s bat flying over a river at night. These bats have especially large feet to take insects from the surface of the water. Bat Surveys So how do we know all this about the bats found on the farms? Several different surveys techniques have been used to record the bat activity. Activity surveys were carried out along different transects around the farms to incorporate optimum bat habitat. Walking surveys were carried out using a hand held bat detector at night between 8pm and 1am. The data is recorded and analysed. This is a very time consuming survey technique, but gives a good indication of the areas used by the bats, and the different species of bat using different habitats. The following year, a remote bat recorder SMZC was purchased and used to record the bat activity in the woodlands, orchards, and buildings at both farms. This device can be left out for weeks at a time, and gives more THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
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Feature
The Brown Long-eared bat in flight
Other methods were used in the farm buildings; where bat roost surveys were carried out. Initially I was helped by licensed bat workers; James Bisset and Steve Coney, as I did not hold a bat licence, but I can now carry these out unassisted as I gained my bat licence in 2015. The buildings were inspected with a torch to record evidence of bat occupation such as droppings, feeding remains, and urine stains. Emergence surveys were also carried out to record where the bats were emerging from the buildings. Trees around the farms were also inspected from the ground for their potential to support a bat roost. Of course, the other method of monitoring bat populations over time is to erect structures in which the bats can roost. Wooden bat boxes were erected in the woodlands at Turnastone Farm, and in the orchard at Awnells Farm in 2015 with the help of the volunteers. The boxes have been checked once with a negative result, but it is early days. However, in October 2015 during an inspection of the woodcrete bird boxes in the main orchard at Awnells a Pipistrelle bat was discovered. This was the case for two other bird boxes in the orchard. It appears that the bats preferred the better insulated woodcrete boxes than the wooden boxes high up on the oak tree. It is hoped that funding can be obtained to purchase the more expensive woodcrete bat boxes and put them up in 2016. The species, age, sex, breeding condition and general health of bat can be determined by examining the bat in the hand (with the relevant NE licence). This data is more valuable when studying the bat population of a site. Photo Left: Pipistrelle bat in a bird box at Awnells Farm Photo Right: Signage at a Bat Roost
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THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
Legal Protection of bats All species of bat are protected by law. In England and Wales, all bat species are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended by the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000). All bats are included in Schedule 2 of the Conservation Regulations 1994, and are therefore European protected species. It is illegal to: •Intentionally or deliberately kill, injure or capture (or take) bats •Deliberately disturb bats (whether in a roost or not) •Recklessly disturb roosting bats or obstruct access to their roosts •Damage or destroy bat roosts •Possess or transport a bat or any part of a bat unless acquired legally •Sell (or offer for sale) or exchange bats, or parts of bat N.B. Because bats tend to re-use the same roosts after periods of vacancy, legal opinion is that the roost is protected whether or not the bats are present at the time. (Source: Bat Workers’ Manual, JNCC, 3rd edition) As you can see there is more to a bat than you thought; they are fascinating creatures and important parts of the ecosystem on our farms. I would ask that you learn to love and respect these animals, and learn that they are not to be feared.
Photography © Viv Geen
accurate data for a site between dusk and dawn.
Feature
Farming and Wildlife Sympathetic Farming at Lark Rise Farm By Tim Scott, Lark Rise Tenant Farmer because of the difficulties associated with establishing the subsequent spring crops (poor seedbeds with wet unmanageable soil). We have these spread across the whole farm, but make them work by only cultivating the very heavy areas within individual fields in the autumn DEFRA is throwing money at Stewardship schemes but when the soil is still dry and easy to manage (a field rarely nationally farmland bird numbers (which are the easiest has one soil type across its entire area). I treat my spring indicators) are still declining. I will let the experts tell you crops as a viable low input alternative to the high input/ exactly why, but at high output autumn least I can tell you just norm. I never have what we do. Maybe massively high yields I can say here and with spring crops, but if now our success is not or when they go wrong solely down to me, they have less far to fall. I but down to a whole can give an example with plethora of people, too a field of winter wheat I numerous to mention grew 3 years ago. Due to individually. herbicide resistance the weed killers did not work My aim is to provide and the field was full habitat in as many of blackgrass, but I still places as possible for persevered with this crop 365 days a year and and applied expensive An example of how wheat and oat crops can be grown in most importantly fertilisers and sprays. balance with wildlife, by introducing a ‘beetlebank’ made up of provide food for the My final yield was a flora such Yorkshire Fog in which invertebrates thrive wildlife across the disastrous 1.5 tonnes/acre, whole farm, not just when I was hoping for 4 ‘sexy’ little corners. tonnes/acre. Had I grown Most of us think of spring wheat instead, birds as the key to our success, but then the blackgrass would not be an it’s a question of looking at food issue because it mainly germinates chains and if I have broad leaved in the autumn and my yield would weeds (flowers) in abundance in have been 3 tonnes/acre. Spring wheat both arable and grassland areas can withstand more weeds under the then there will be insects feeding canopy, as the crop matures much on them and then mammals and more quickly than an autumn crop birds feeding on them - simple! so the weeds have less time to be competitive for yield. Winter stubble Look at any average winter wheat field on non CRT land and it will possibly be a barren wilderness devoid of anything other than wheat. To balance this out, In summary, it all we have to feed a nation and maximising yields often comes down to means the removal of competition from the growing attention to detail and crop. The key is all about weed/disease/insect thresholds, being considerate to namely if the problem is highly competitive it needs wildlife on the farm. removing but if it’s not competitive then what is the When I perform any problem? Think of a garden, if it’s only a neat lawn and cultivation task it concrete then it will support little wildlife, but put a bird will result in wildlife table in and then creatures will come in to feed, then bring displacement but for in other plants and they may well live there, and a farm us there is another is no different. At Lark Rise Farm we have a lot of habitat home for them very and then try to create habitats within habitats. For us, close by. I have just throughout the winter the key habitat is the over-wintered cited a couple of examples of our CRT ways but the actual stubbles which provide food with all of those left over blueprint encompasses most aspects of farm methodology. spilt grains. These are very unusual on heavy soil types THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
Photograph courtesy of Tim Scott
In the last year we have won the East Anglian Grey Partridge Trophy and also topped the charts nationally with Yellowhammers - impressive stuff, but why us? What do we do that is so different from others?
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Trust News
Director’s Report As I write this report approaching the end of January, it’s looking more and more likely that winter has passed us by this year. It’s unseasonably mild and all of our farmers are finding conditions difficult following the excessive amount of rainfall we have had in recent weeks. Our pond dipping platform here at Lark Rise is completely submerged and just last week I managed to get our exhibition trailer bogged down and stuck in the mud, when I took it for its annual service. Thanks to our sturdy Land Rover Defender and its winch we were soon able to get it back on terra firma. 2016 is going to be a very busy year and there are lots of exciting challenges ahead of us. Not least of these is the challenge to raise the funds needed to purchase the long awaited farm in Dorset. In the next edition of The Lark we hope to have details of the planned purchase which will include a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to secure some of the funding required. Our thoughts are already turning to the Festivals of Farming, Food & Wildlife and planning meetings are beginning to take place. As you know these have been very successful over the past couple of years and provide the perfect opportunity to showcase our farms to you our “friends” and the general public. Full details of this year’s dates and venues can be found on page 19. In addition to our own events we will be attending some other shows and this year we are trying a couple of different ones. In June for the first time we will be attending Cereals, which is a leading event for arable farmers with over 25,000 farmers attending. Then in September we plan to attend the Frampton Country Fair, who have supported us in previous years.
You will see from their reports that our Education Officers are keeping busy with lots of plans and ideas for the coming year. As you know we completed the new Education Centre and boardwalk at Mayfields last year, and in the spring we hope to complete the installation of a new bird hide that school children and other visitors will be able to use. Children these days spend an increasing amount of time learning about the world they live in via technology on their computers and tablets etc. It is so important to get them away from that environment, albeit briefly, and teach them about the countryside and their food sources in a practical hands on way. The Pierrepont project continues to gather momentum and we have now gained the required planning permission. Without any marketing there has been an amazing amount of interest expressed by individuals wanting take up the occupancy of these redundant farm buildings. Work to turn these rundown buildings into dry, weatherproof units with utilities should commence in March. We already have a successful micro brewery (Frensham Brewery), a chair maker and a florist on site working out of the building that we previously refurbished. Once this project is completed Pierrepont will truly provide a “living, working countryside”. We recently said goodbye to Ken Gifford who has retired as Treasurer and Trustee after 23 years of loyal service. Throughout this time Ken has overseen the finances and in the very early days was the Trust’s bookkeeper. We wish him well in his retirement! Lois Dixon, our new Marketing Manager, has settled well into her new role and I’m sure you will have noticed her influence in this latest edition of The Lark. She is planning to give our website a much needed overhaul so do keep an eye out for that. As always, at this time of the year, I ask if any of you are able to lend a hand on our exhibition trailer at any of the events we will be attending. Even if it’s only for a couple of hours it will be greatly appreciated. Please do get in touch with me if you’d like to help in this way. Finally thank you so much for your continued support. We couldn’t do all that we do without you. THANK YOU! Martin Carter - Director
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THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
Summer in England A Poem by Life Member, Ivy E. Ball
Last Bluebells fading in hot summer sunshine The Hawthorn now fragrant and heavy with blossom Buttercups dusting our shoes with their pollen And Jack-by-the-Hedge crowning each ditch and each headland. While larks carol joyously high overhead. Bluest of blue speedwell adorning the meadows, Queen Anne’s Lace fringeing each track and each lane, Red Campion rising above the tall grasses And wild roses arching and stretching to greet us. While bedstraw so dainty is spreading beneath. Footpaths winding thro’ ripening corn, Grasshopppers insisting we all know their presence. Corkscrews of Bryony spanning the hedgerows And Traveller’s Joy hanging and tangling the bushes. While Heartsease is soothing the cut stalks of barley. Quaking grass nodding and trembling unceasing, Trembling for fear that this breathtaking heritage Will vanish, and fade from our ken If men are indifferent and heed not the warning To treasure and nurture this green pleasant land.
If you would like your work featured in the Lark, please send to Lois Dixon - ldixon@countrysiderestorationtrust.com
Get Involved with the CRT! Visit our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest news, stories and events!
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Fundraising
A thank you from me 2016 is going to be an exceptionally busy year on the fundraising front. We have lots of exciting projects planned along with the ongoing need to raise funds to support the conservation work across the farms. A massive thank you must be given to all that have been so generous over the Christmas period. A fantastic amount of support has been received, both financially and in letters of admiration for the work of the Trust. Thank you, it really does make the job so much more rewarding. Sophie Mathew Fundraising Manager
We received a grant from Biffa Award The award was granted to restore an area of wet woodlands on a former clay pit site. The rare habitat has attracted a variety of unusual plants and wildlife which we want to conserve, preserve and share with the local community. The grant from Biffa Award has enabled us to open up the area, making it tidier, safer and more accessible. A wooden board walk has been put down through the area and information signs added to make the area more enjoyable for visitors. The work at Mayfields Farm’s clay pits will hopefully see an increase in wildlife thanks to the conservation work that was undertaken alongside the installation of the board walk. Thank you to those that were involved in this project.
Legacies Have you considered leaving a Living Legacy to the Countryside Restoration Trust? Legacies have made a huge difference to the work of the CRT, helping us to acquire and manage land, promote wildlife-friendly, environmentally sensitive food production, develop conservation initiatives and ensure our rural heritage is kept vibrant for future generations. No matter how large or small, leaving a legacy is a great way to leave your mark and such gifts make a real difference to what we are able to achieve. The CRT has a free information pack explaining everything you ever needed to know about legacies and writing a Will. Š
If you would like a copy please contact Sophie on 01223 262 999 or smathew@countrysiderestorationtrust.com
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Images -Top: Sluice at Turnastone Court Farm, Middle: Wet woodlands at Mayfields Farm, Bottom: Common Blue butterfly
How you can help Legacies
How your legacy could help create a living, working countryside: • £100 could fund the conservation of a section of water course running through farmland for one year in order to protect a vital habitat for species such as otters and water voles. • £250 could enable us to bring a school group onto our farms to learn about nature, the countryside and farming. • £500 could enable us to carry out a season of regular surveys on one of our farms to make sure particularly important species are thriving.
Would you like to know the birds will still be flying after you have gone?
• £1,000 could pay for the equipment needed by one of our volunteer teams to carry out vital conservation work on the land.
For more information and a free legacy information pack please contact 01223 262 999 or visit countrysiderestorationtrust.com
Calling all CRT Film Makers! Are there any CRT Members in the Cambridge area with Film Making/Editing software (i.e. Final Cut Pro), who can help to edit video footage recorded on Lark Rise Farm? If you think you can help, or would like to know more about the creation of a CRT Film Archive, please contact the office on 01223 262999 or info@countrysiderestorationtrust.com
Can you help us? Over the course of the year we send out various press releases. Unfortunately we don’t always get to hear if they are printed, so it is therefore difficult to gauge how successful we are with these. It is too expensive to hire a Press Cutting Agency so please can you help us? If you see CRT in any publication, please can you send us a copy...Thank you
THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
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Volunteers
Volunteer News Since the last edition of the Lark on the volunteering front we have heard that The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) have been awarded funding to start a regular group that will divide itself between Mayfields and Foxely Wood. The Mayfields’ team and I met with the Project Officer, Mark Webster (TCV), last month to walk around Mayfields and come up with some activities for the next few months. Starting from the 5th of February, every 2nd Friday will give people the chance to take a trip to Mayfields. There will be free minibus transport from the centre of East Dereham or Norwich. The activities will run within the school day (11.15am - 2.15pm on site) and so are suitable for parents of school-aged children. There will be a mixture of practical activities and training will be given on the day. We hope that there will be opportunities for people to begin learning to identify local wild plants and animals and with this in mind in time we will be able to build up an accurate picture of the biodiversity at the site. I am hopeful that this concept can be repeated at other properties. Without our valiant volunteers at all properties we would not be able to complete as much of our conservation work as we do. So if you are one of these valiant volunteers, thank you for your continued hard work. Lark Rise volunteers continue their hard work over the winter; they have laid more hedges and have been cutting Osiers. If you would like to get involved at any of the CRT properties please get in touch with us.
Volunteer Dates
Kenny MacKay Conservation and Education Adviser
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Volunteers for any of our properties are always welcome! Please email info@countrysiderestorationtrust.com or get in touch using the contact details below. LARK RISE FARM, Barton, Cambridgeshire: Volunteer Conservation Days – Usually held on the second Saturday of every month. Please call the office on 01223 262999 for more information.
PIERREPONT FARM, Frensham, Surrey: Volunteer Monitoring Group – Please call Bill Young on 01243 811563
or email bill@parmelia.me.uk for more information. Volunteer Conservation Days – Held every 2 weeks. For more information, contact Brian Lavers on 01276 471870 or brian.lavers@btopenworld.com or visit www.crtinsurrey.org.uk
GREEN FARM, Churt, Surrey: Volunteer Work Days – please contact Kenny MacKay on 01223 262999 MARGARET WOOD, Upper Denby, West Yorkshire: Volunteer Conservation Days – please contact Phil Opie on 07762 642814 or jpo.92@live.co.uk for more information.
TURNASTONE COURT FARM & AWNELLS: Vowchurch, Herefordshire: Volunteer Conservation Days – please contact the CRT office on 01223 262999 for more information.
MAYFIELDS, Themelthorpe, Norfolk: Please call Sarah Jenkins on 01362 683337 or visit www.mayfieldsfarm.co.uk for more information.
THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
Dates for your diary We will be holding a number of open days and festivals at each of our properties throughout the spring and summer. Please put these dates in your diary as we would love to welcome you and give you a tour of each CRT property. Saturday 30th April
Margaret Wood Open Day
Sunday 1st May
Twyford Festival of Food, Farming & Wildlife
Saturday 7th May
Mayfields Festival of Food, Farming & Wildlife
Sunday 5th June Pierrepont Festival of Food, Farming & Wildlife (Open Farm Sunday) Sunday 26th June
Turnastone Festival of Food, Farming & Wildlife
Sunday 21st August
Green Farm Open Day
Sunday 25th September Lark Rise Festival of Food, Farming & Wildlife For more information or to register your interest for each event, please contact the CRT head office on 01223 262999 or email info@countrysiderestorationtrust.com.
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THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
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Education
Education At Mayfields Farm On a Saturday morning in late November, we hosted an educational visit from an additional needs group from a Norwich youth club, ‘The Base’. The young people and their leaders donned their wellies, faced the mud and experienced life at Mayfields by taking part in a farm challenge trail. This led us along the new boardwalk through the clay pits, where we spotted different types of trees and hunted for autumnal leaves, and up to meet the red squirrels, where we played a ‘true or false’ game and learned about what red squirrels like to eat. Along the way we tried to identify the different breeds of sheep, found old birds’ nests and autumn berries in the hedgerows and watched Sarah training working sheepdogs. After a well deserved lunch and warm-up, Jen led a hands-on session about wool, showing different fleeces, yarns and garments. Trying on Jen’s woolly hats proved very popular! The group were also shown how a spinning wheel works and had a try at creating a yarn bracelet using a simple twisting technique. Lastly, the young people met some of the other Mayfields residents up close: Dove the pony, the pygmy and Anglo Nubian goats, and Kiwi the Huntaway puppy. All in all a
Pierrepont Farm
The launch of Pierrepont’s new Saturday Safari Club 2016 sees the launch of a brand new Saturday Club. Aimed at children 7 – 11 years old with a keen interest in nature, the club will meet once a month and explore the farm’s wild side. Each two hour session will be seasonally themed around a particular aspect of the natural world, and the activities will encourage the discovery and exploration of a variety of natural habitats. I am also hoping to give this group of budding young naturalists the opportunity to contribute to meaningful scientific studies. Citizen science is a great way for large amounts of data to be collected for particular studies and experiments, but is also a great tool to encourage people to get outside and gain knowledge first-hand about the natural environment that surrounds them. Collecting data for a variety of studies in a fun, interactive way, will be just one of the many activities that the club’s members will be able to take part in. At their first session, each participant will receive a notebook so that they can record their experiences month by month in which ever way they choose, whether that’s drawing pictures of things they’ve found or making notes. It’s their own personal record.
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great day, enjoyed by both the young people and us adults. The start to 2016 has been busy, with our education garden project getting underway. Next week, a class from Bawdeswell Community Primary School are coming along to cast their expert eyes over our classroom garden area in order to provide us with some ideas for transforming it into a growing and outdoor learning space. We will be brainstorming ideas and taking some measurements, as well as learning a bit about Mayfields with a walk around the farm. Then back to school to work on their designs which we will be eagerly awaiting! The next stage will be to put some of these ideas into practice when the children return in the spring to get down to some more practical tasks. Watch this space... Hopefully we will be aided in some of the manual work involved by the new TCV Heritage Lottery Fund group. However, we are looking for more willing volunteers with gardening/construction expertise who may be able to give advice or practical help with materials, design or construction of features such as vegetable beds, a keyhole garden and a raised pond. If you are interested in getting involved in this great education project in Norfolk please do get in touch! Teresa Linford, Education Officer, Mayfields Farm
The first session was on Saturday 20th February 2016, just as the Lark was going to print. The following two sessions will be the 19th March and 16th April, so put them in your diary now. If you think this club would be perfect for a young person in your family, sign them up today. Email annikar@countrysiderestorationtrust.com to book a place. Annika Rees Education Officer, Pierrepont Farm
Education
Lark Rise, Cambridgeshire I was recently contacted by Barton Primary School and was asked to go and meet with the Head Mistress, whom I had contacted some time ago regarding their outdoor curriculum needs. I was delighted to hear from them as they are the local school to Lark Rise. Since the meeting, the entire teaching staff from the school came to visit Lark Rise; I was expecting maybe ten people and was a little taken aback when around thirty arrived! Robin gave them a short introduction to the CRT and then I took them all for a ramble around the farm and answered any questions they had. We did nearly lose a member of staff in a rather large muddy puddle, but thankfully she was pulled to safety by her colleagues. After the tour they went back to school for a brainstorming session and I was invited to joined themat the end. We are now expecting each year to come to the farm to have a tour with myself, with a view to the children thinking about what they would like to learn about.
carried out some investigations of the school grounds and the little orchard nearby. We were searching for signs of winter and with the mild weather were able to see some signs of spring. The teachers are keen to get across the importance and an overall understanding of the seasons, which I think is great. This helps children understand how flora and fauna are bound to the seasons and of course how farming is affected by each season. We hope to welcome year one back to the farm at least four times over the year so that we can track the seasonal changes. Kenny MacKay Conservation and Education Adviser
On the 1st of February, Vince Lea and I went back to the school amd spent some time with the year one class and
Education in Herefordshire Over the past four months children in the Golden Valley in Herefordshire have been having lots of fun learning about an array of different aspects of the countryside. At the end of the autumn children participated in ‘autumn crafts’, learning about the different habitats and animals on the farm and how they adapt and change in preparation for winter. We then moved onto winter and learnt about hedgehogs and why they hibernate. The children had great fun going out onto the school playing fields and finding suitable locations to put a hedgehog house. Just before Christmas I visited a very excited class to learn about habitats and species around the farm in the winter. They particularly enjoyed making the robin Christmas tree decoration I have also been involved in a number of visits linked to the seasons. We have been learning about the farming year and how trees change throughout the year. We have an ongoing project at one school to create a season display board which we will be finishing in mid February. Helen Jones Education Officer, Turnastone Court
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Farm Diaries Lark Rise Farm, Cambridgeshire Farmers tend to have a reputation for moaning, but it’s hard to report on the farm without sounding like an old whinger! The problem is that there is always so much to go wrong and if it’s within a crop, you then have to live with it until harvest, so taking my age into account I only have about 20 more attempts to get it right before I hang up my wellies. I have mentioned about the issues associated with blackgrass before, but it’s rather looking as if several crops will have to be ripped up and replaced with spring crops instead. This is due to so much resistant blackgrass surviving and the chances are it will out compete the crop, resulting in very low yields and a massive seed return to deal with in future years. The whole decision process is made even harder this year with wheat prices at £100/tonne, which is about half of its value of
18 months ago. It’s been a strange autumn and early winter with lots of overcast drizzly days leading to wet sodden mud everywhere, even though rainfall figures have been lower than average, unlike in Yorkshire and Cumbria. This year so far we have oilseed rape, barley, oats and wheat in the ground. Getting the crops in the ground proved a bit of a struggle following the wet summer, simply because last years harvest ended up coming in a month later than usual so the knock on is this years sowing has been later than ideal. Finishing on a positive, I can report that the wildlife on the farm continues to increase and we are now No.1 for Yellowhammers in a countrywide survey. Tim Scott
Pierrepont Farm, Surrey
Margaret Wood, South Yorkshire
A quiet Christmas allowed us to relax slightly and enjoy a few quieter days with the family, the only problem arising the day after Boxing Day when a phone call from the police at 7am informed us that they had rounded up some cows. A quick trip up the road found 13 yearling heifers penned up behind police tape. I wish I’d taken a photo as it was a comical sight, they looked so innocent.
How has the climate change affected Margaret Wood this winter? As with much of the country, we have noticed some changes to the year’s progress. It has been very damp most of the winter with little snow or ice but fortunately we haven’t experienced the worst of the storms like friends further west; the bracken has died down very early and we can now rescue saplings which have succumbed to the weight and height of the bracken and, most significantly, the Bluebells have been showing green shoots since before Christmas. Any bets on when they will flower this year?
With 2016 looking like a very tough one financially we are now looking into selling unpasteurised milk direct to the public. This will probably be through a vending machine located on the farm allowing people to pop in at any time and pick up fresh milk. Because the milk will be unpasteurised we have to apply for a special licence and have extra tests carried out on the milk to make sure it will be safe to drink (it’s never done us any harm!) and the cows will have to be tested for TB annually. If all goes well we hope to be up and running by 5th June for our Open Day and people will be able to enjoy the taste and health benefits of fresh, unadulterated Jersey milk. The exceptionally mild winter maybe playing havoc with nature, but it has provided us with plenty of winter grass which has allowed us to reduce the supplementary feed for the youngstock which are out wintered. This has saved us a bit of money which in the light of the ongoing milk price crisis is very welcome. With Patrick hoping to go to university next year to study Marine Biology and Zoe planning on going to Agricultural College this coming autumn, we seem to have spent a lot of our spare time touring the country visiting various Ag Colleges and Unis leaving them with some very big decisions to make and the prospect of Bev losing two thirds of her calf rearing team! This January saw the 5th anniversary of the cows milking on the robots, how time flies. One of the most common questions we get is, ‘do we miss milking the cows in a parlour?’, most of the time the answer is ‘no’ as our time is a little more flexible and the cows are so happy, healthy and productive running their own lives. The only down side being the occasional night time call out by the robots if they get a problem. Mike and Bev Clear
I suppose that being a conservation charity we should respect all creatures great and small but last year we had cause to pursue a policy against one of our smallest creatures. The year saw an explosion of population of wood worm in the barn which has been noticeable by the amount of wood dust everywhere. Our concerns for the structural security of the roof and the wood worm ridden boards of the elevated flooring led to the costly operation of full spraying of the barn to eliminate the danger of further deterioration. So a large number of one of nature’s successful insects have met their end on CRT property, not that we are bemoaning their loss but the cost involved of the operation! Thanks to a generous grant we have been able to purchase several pieces of equipment which will make management of the woodland much easier. We have a wheeled strimmer to knock back the bramble in places, to keep it under control, without destroying all the habitat which it creates; extending tree loppers and saw will enable us to remove overhanging or broken branches and prune some of the new trees to allow light to reach the ground; and a pair of extending ladders will make inspection of bird boxes much more accessible. The growth of the saplings we planted in recent years has been very pleasing and this is despite the effect of prolific and high growth of bracken which tends to bury the saplings as it dies away in the winter. Its one of our regular jobs to play ‘find the sapling’ and hopefully save them to grow to maturity when they will gain their revenge and overshadow the bracken. There are always jobs to do on our workdays so if you would like to have a day out in delightful countryside with a bit of job satisfaction please contact Phil Opie ( 01226 270578) or John Dunn (01777 818732). John Dunn
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Farm Diaries Twyford Farm, West Sussex Like everyone, we at Twyford have had a pretty wet winter; the fields are all sodden and we had to house all of the ewes by Christmas. The streams have been running at full tilt and the second lake has burst its dam. On the positives we have now had a dry week and have installed grips and a French drain the length of the steep tracks, all part of the Ouse Upstream thinking plan. The builders are making good progress with Garden Cottage; the roof is going back on as we write, the structural work is all complete, and it is now a matter of finishing the interior. We will then have the job of landscaping the garden. Hopefully we shall be ready to open at the end of April. The B&B has been quieter than we had hoped over the winter, but we are starting to get some interest as the days are lengthening. We are offering three nights for the price of two until the 14th March.
Our higher tier Countryside Stewardship application has been accepted, and this will work in conjunction with the woodland management plan. We have also discovered that we have an ancient monument in the form of an old traditional Sussex ironworks. Natural England are supervising the clearance of the site, this will be an educational asset. In the autumn we travelled up to Buckinghamshire and bought a small flock of Llanwenog ewes who have been running with Umberto who came from the New Forest. These are a rare breed who seem to thrive on our poor Forest pasture. Gale our collie pup is getting much more useful and loves to ride in the tractor. Our volunteer numbers have grown as a result of the open day, which will be very useful for the planned tree pruning and preparation for our May 1st open day, trusting that we have few bluebells about by then. Bob Felton & Liz Wallis
Mayfields Farm, Norfolk WET! WET! WET!!!!......I am told by my neighbour and friend, himself a retired farmer, that he has never seen the Themelthorpe heavy clay ground so desperately water logged. An unexpected nasty for us livestock farmers in the area has been that a clostridial form of tetanus has reared it’s ugly and fatal head. It thrives in ground deprived of oxygen such as flooded areas, and enters the animal through semi healed wounds such as drying navels on newborns. Thankfully we are not lambing yet, and we hope that much of this water will have gone by the time we start. Another unexpected nasty for me occurred just before the Christmas festivities. A very serious attempt was made at stealing our Suffolk Punch gelding from his yard at the farm. The thieves were thankfully disturbed by our neighbours at 3am in the morning. We have also had a new electric fencer unit and battery stolen in the last few days and this once again continues to underline our continuing problems with security at the farm. On a much more positive and encouraging note we now have two established groups of conservation volunteers keen to get on with the many jobs that we have on our to do list such as new hedge management, coppicing of willows, creating a safer access to the red squirrel enclosures and many more things. We are hoping to develop a wild bird feeding station on an area that was a former pig building, complete with a raised hide so that visitors and schoolchildren can see into the wet woodland area, and over the grass meadows, thus learning about how habitat attracts different species. On the red squirrel front, the second litter of kittens was disappointing. We had three kits, but lost a very small kit who had appeared weak all the way through. We do however have two good strong kits remaining who will be transferred to Pensthorpe at Fakenham in the very near future. The adult trio remaining look in good health, and I am hoping that new kittens will be born in February. I am having a very enjoyable nursery trial season with my two young sheepdogs...Greg and Jack. Both dogs are regularly in the placings at local trials put on by the East Anglian Sheepdog Society. They will move out into open qualifying trials this summer, and I hope to gain enough national points on them to enter the English National Sheepdog Trial.... however we have a very long road ahead and many miles
to travel if we are to succeed. Greg’s sire is my friend Ricky Hutchinson’s dog. His name is Sweep and last year he and Ricky were Reserve International Supreme Champions. Greg has inherited a lot of his father’s ability in his work, so here’s hoping. Finally, back to wet, wet, wet... On the plus side, mild temperatures have meant that the grass has not stopped growing over the winter. We have had to purchase no supplementary feed for the sheep, which is probably just as well, because the sheep industry, like all livestock at the moment is in dire straights. The average lamb producer is said to be losing around £30 a lamb. The sun appeared briefly this morning and I look forward to the summer and its return. Sarah Jenkins
Turnastone Court Farm, Herefordshire Well, after a ridiculously wet December/January it is finally starting to dry up. We had to bring the majority of our sheep indoors because the fields were so wet. We have nearly finished lambing our early lot of Suffolk x ewes, they have had some wonderful Texel and Charolais lambs. As the late lambing ewes have had to be brought in early and we cannot yet put our ewes and lambs out we are slowly running out of shed space! We hope the weather improves slightly so we can at least put the stronger lambs out! Our Charolais x Steers went clear on their TB test and we sold them at the local market making top price! We have now purchased seven South Devon steers and seven Saler x steers to bring on through the summer. Cattle seem to do well on this farm as we usually have a lot of grass in the summer. The volunteers haven’t been able to get on with much through December because of the weather. They cleared the scrub out of the Trench Royal and have nearly finished pollarding some willows. They are hoping to carry out some hedge laying in February. Gareth & Madeleine Boaz THE COUNTRYSIDE RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER
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