Countryman Diary - December 2009
To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (see our feature on page 90) the National Trust has launched a new series of free downloadable walks featuring some of its pristine landscapes.
The Act paved the way for the creation of Britain’s fourteen National Parks and forty-nine Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), as well as numerous national trails and nature reserves.
Jo Burgon, head of access and recreation at the National Trust, says:
“The protection of these special landscapes is just as important now as it was sixty years ago. They continue to provide people with a stunning and peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of modern living.
“As well as offering great spaces for outdoor recreation, they are also important for a variety of wildlife and offer inspiration for all to enjoy.”
So sling on your boots, step outside and seek out coastal cliffs and beaches, views from the downs and the windswept uplands.
Areas include: Ashridge in the Chilterns, Blakeney Freshes on the Norfolk Coast, Buttermere Valley in the Lake District, Morwenstow in Cornwall, Bossington on Exmoor, Castle Ward at Strangford Lough, Ditchling Beacon to Devil’s Dyke on the South Downs, Kinder Scout in the Peak District, Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales, Nant Gwynant, Snowdonia National Park, and St David’s Head in Pembrokeshire.
New allotments for Kent
The New Allotment Company has created 300 allotments in Kent on the borders of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
These are the first of many locations planned by the company aiming to transform allotments in the UK. Managing director Rudi Schogge says:
“We know there are long waiting lists in this area, so our private allotments should bring allotment ownership to many people much sooner.”
With a growing demand across the UK and the likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall championing allotments and growing your own, you cannot escape the growing popularity and allure of allotments, whether for reasons of health, environment, leisure and economy. Privately owned allotments are therefore a way of increasing available allotment numbers and often quicker than waiting for local councils to meet their obligations.
Railway aids conservation
A major conservation project by the Forestry Commission in the New Forest is using an ingenious light railway, to help restore areas of wetland that have been missing since Victorian times. The 800-yard rail line has been built to transport large quantities of local gravel and clay to infill unwanted drainage dykes.
The water from these is then being redirected along the courses of bygone meandering streams, in a scheme designed to bring about the return of ‘lost’ wildlife to the forest.
As an alternative to dumper trucks, the rail system prevents severe damage being caused to the fragile habitat of the forest floor. Furthermore it is about seventy-five per cent more fuel efficient, thus significantly reducing the carbon footprint. In total, up to 300 tonnes is being moved each day.
Back in the 1850s, straight channels were dug to drain the forest. Ecologists found these channels to be damaging to the habitats that make the area so special, and needed to return to the forgotten streams and mires.
An extensive programme is now underway, starting with this one at Warwickslade, which leads in to the Lymington River. The original course of the stream was established through research of old maps and photos, and the use of aerial photography as well as ground surveys.
Grant for Fenland
The Wildlife Habitat Trust (WHT) has approved a loan to the Fenland Wildfowlers’ Association for £72,000 so the club can purchase twenty-four acres (10 ha) of land at Sutton Gault, Cambridgeshire. The WHT trustees felt that the loan would help secure another piece of the Ouse Washes for the future of wildfowling in the area.
A rose by any other name
Several times I’ve been asked for details about the Countryman Rose (pictured below), a variety produced to mark our sixtieth anniversary back in 1987.
It was launched at the Chelsea Flower Show in May of that year and was bred by David Austin of Albrighton, near Wolverhampton.
David told us at the time that it is a cross between an English rose and a Portland rose:
“It is a shorter rose, perhaps three feet high, the growth bending over and taking on the excellent arching habit of Lilian Austin.
“The flowers are quite large, loosely double rosettes, deep pink in colour, with an exceptional old-rose fragrance. The leaves have something of the character of a Portland rose, quite large with well-spaced leaflets.
“It is important to remove the dead flowers to encourage quick new growth. We should then get two good periods of flower, with an occasional bloom in between.”
Are any readers still enjoying a Countryman Rose? Send me a photo and brief details so we can share your story with other readers.
The roses are still available from:
David Austin Roses, Bowling Green Lane, Albrighton, Wolverhampton WV7 3HB
or from the website www.davidaustinroses.com, or telephone 01902 376300 for orders or to request a catalogue. The normal price is £10.95 each plus p&p but we have arranged for a ten per cent discount for Countryman readers who buy by mail order before 28 February 2010 — please quote the code CM3.
Ghostly goings-on
Thank you to all those who submitted ghost stories following our request in October’s issue — we’ll publish the best in our October 2010 isue.
Raise a toast to Christmas
The festive season is a time for celebration, and nobody can celebrate as well as the farming community.
Last Christmas I attended a farmers’ ‘do’. The singing was loud and lusty. A lot of beer was consumed. When I saw one of my farming neighbours the next day, he asked me: “Did you notice me spending £100 last night?”
“Yes I did,” I said. “You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself.”
He thought for a while, then sighed: “Well that’s a relief — I thought I’d lost it.”
Competition winner
Congratulations to Mrs A Greenhill of Totland, Isle of Wight, who won our October competition for a one-night stay for two at Hartwell House Hotel in Buckinghamshire.
Paul Jackson
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