the park
Goodworth Clatford
APRIL / MAY 2019:
We were thrilled to hear recently that one of our two applications for external funding has been successful; we await the result of the other application this month. As a result of the funding from IGas, by the time you read this article the Water Meadow should have been re-fenced. The cattle will then graze both of our meadows in rotation.
April has, as normal, brought a flush of growth in our meadows, hedgerows, and woodland. Due to poor maintenance in the past, nettles have established themselves in both our meadows and along our bridleway, particularly near the River Entrance, off Church Lane. Nettles provide a wonderful source of food for many insects, including butterflies, and therefore should be valued. However they are best kept away from places where people walk. We want to continue to maintain The Park without the use of chemicals, and the best way to discourage the growth of nettles is to cut them regularly! You won’t find nettles in your lawn, or in well-grazed meadows, because they are mown or cropped regularly. Nettles can’t tolerate continual regular cutting. Cutting once or twice a year won’t work, the cutting needs to take place every time the nettles are about ankle-high. We hope the cattle will enjoy the nettles in the meadows, but wonder if you can help us cut the nettles on the bridleway? We are looking for ‘Nettle Monitors’ - would you be willing to cut the nettles within an agreed area on a regular basis for this growing season? The area you take on can be very small or larger – it’s your choice. If you would like to help, please contact Geoff Scard on 01264 353055, or geoffscard@gmail.com.
The Woodland Belt has recently been fenced at the north end (the end nearest to the church). A small gap has been left, next to the Parkland Meadow fence, to enable you to gain access on foot to and from Church Lane. This temporary access will remain in place until a new kissing gate is installed at the adjacent St Francis’ Entrance. In the autumn, we will be re-planting the north end of the woodland belt with young trees, but at the moment we are stockpiling wood chip, which will be spread on the ground to help de-compact the area. Trees don’t grow well on compacted ground.
The Estate Management Group
April has, as normal, brought a flush of growth in our meadows, hedgerows, and woodland. Due to poor maintenance in the past, nettles have established themselves in both our meadows and along our bridleway, particularly near the River Entrance, off Church Lane. Nettles provide a wonderful source of food for many insects, including butterflies, and therefore should be valued. However they are best kept away from places where people walk. We want to continue to maintain The Park without the use of chemicals, and the best way to discourage the growth of nettles is to cut them regularly! You won’t find nettles in your lawn, or in well-grazed meadows, because they are mown or cropped regularly. Nettles can’t tolerate continual regular cutting. Cutting once or twice a year won’t work, the cutting needs to take place every time the nettles are about ankle-high. We hope the cattle will enjoy the nettles in the meadows, but wonder if you can help us cut the nettles on the bridleway? We are looking for ‘Nettle Monitors’ - would you be willing to cut the nettles within an agreed area on a regular basis for this growing season? The area you take on can be very small or larger – it’s your choice. If you would like to help, please contact Geoff Scard on 01264 353055, or geoffscard@gmail.com.
The Woodland Belt has recently been fenced at the north end (the end nearest to the church). A small gap has been left, next to the Parkland Meadow fence, to enable you to gain access on foot to and from Church Lane. This temporary access will remain in place until a new kissing gate is installed at the adjacent St Francis’ Entrance. In the autumn, we will be re-planting the north end of the woodland belt with young trees, but at the moment we are stockpiling wood chip, which will be spread on the ground to help de-compact the area. Trees don’t grow well on compacted ground.
The Estate Management Group
MARCH / APRIL 2019:
The fence sub-dividing the Parkland Meadow has now been removed enabling the cattle to graze the whole meadow. We hope the Water Meadow will be re-fenced by late spring, so that the farmer can move his cattle easily between the two meadows to prevent overgrazing. Conservation grazing promotes biodiversity, it is good for creating flower-rich swards, & as cattle don’t graze too close to the ground they are less likely to create bare patches like horses. Tufts of vegetation left by the cattle will also provide habitats for butterflies & other insects.
We are keen to collate as much information about the history of The Park as possible, so if you are interested in helping us by delving into historical records, please let us know. Two hundred years ago The Park formed part of the grounds of the extensive Goodworth Clatford vicarage. Parkland landscapes were the height of fashion in the late 17th& early 18thcentury. Please contact Anne Keenan (01264 324193 or anne@annekeenan.co.uk) to find out more about helping with the on-going research.
We have gratefully received two major donations from villagers to enable us to install two more kissing gates to improve access into the Parkland Meadow.One kissing gate will be located at the south end of the meadow, next to the bridleway & the old chalk pit knownas ‘the chalkies’. The second kissing gate will allow access to the north-east corner of the meadow from Church Lane, via the track near the church. This entrance will be known as St Francis’ Entrance in recognition of the Home of St Francis that was established at the former vicarage in the early 20thcentury.
We have recently applied for funding from two external sources. We will know the results of these applications during May and June. If we are successful, we hope to be able to start improving the current entrance to The Park, from Church Lane near the river, install signage, & provide more new gates to further improve access for both people and livestock.
The Estate Management Group
