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Hoe Fen Task at Anglesey Abbey - 19th November

(Photos: Tom / Clive )

On the coldest morning of the winter so far 5 intrepid volunteers made their way to Hoe Fen.
Our job was to dismantle a large game pen, but despite its size it is well hidden and it even took Iwan a little time to find it.
The pen is about 50 metres square and still in good condition. In order to get inside Clive decided to climb a partly fallen tree, only to discover later that there are 2 doors that would have made his job much easier!
The size and construction of the pen were slightly daunting; the fencing was 6 foot high, made up of 4 different lengths of chicken wire- that makes nearly 2 kilometres for us to sort out. Surrounding the outside is an old electric fence which needed to come down first- that's about ½ kilometre of wire to roll up.
Our first task was with loppers and bow saws to cut back the undergrowth do that we could get at the pen. We then managed to get rid of the electric fence completely, and made good inroads into the chicken wire, as you can see from the photo - but we have left more for the next group to do!
It was a good day - the sun shone all day and we made good progress - so what more could we ask for?!
[from Val - Chairman]

Make A Difference Day (MADD) - 22nd October

What's MADD all about? - find out here).

CNTV participated on Make A Difference Day (MADD) at Wimpole Hall by clearing part of the Ha-Ha wall,
and installed more fencing around the Walled Garden. The aim was to improve the view of the house and folly.
Once fencing and clearing work is completed, the area around the walled garden will be opened to the public.

Below: Volunteer group with Wimpole Hall in background with Phil, the head gardener to the left.

Below left: clearing the ha-ha....... Below right: lunch break

Below left: installing fencing and gate posts........ Below right: pile clearings from ha-ha ready for shredding

Anglesey Abbey, yet more grass raking! - 20th August
Continuing the clearing of grass in the wild flower meadows

Above: Val and Joan throwing cut grass into the trailer of the Kawasaki Mule.
Steve and Mark on the right with Lop in the background. (Photo: Tom Howes)

Programme was to continue clearing the paths to the wildlife area we has started earlier this year.
However, that had now been completed by 350 employees from Goldman Sachs volunteering
as part of their work team building exercise.

Wimpole Gardens fencing and clearing the ha-ha - 13th August
(how did that ha-ha get its name? click here to find out)

The ha-ha includes a grassed area with trees and is adjoining the Victorian Gardens.
The ha-ha area is currently un-accessable to the public, but does offer magnificent views
of Wimpole House across the fields. Our task for this Sunday was to help Phil erect
a fence and prune trees in preparation for the opening of this area to the public.

Above: clearing and pruning in the ha-ha
Below: erecting metal fence posts

Anglesey Abbey meadows cut and clear - 23rd July
Our Sunday task was to clear the cut grass in the meadows.
Yet another very warm summers day - great to be outside.

Left: cut grass in the meadows .. Right: Clyde, Mark, Joan and Val pose in front of the Abbey

Above: Clyde, Val and Joan collecting grass into heaps using modified turnip forks and wooden rake.
The meadows and gardens are excellent places for wildlife, over lunch a deer passed within 50metres of us.

This time of the year is also great for photographing butterflies and where better than
in the gardens of National Trust properties. Below are two examples from Anglesey Abbey gardens.
Right: common blue (female)

Below: painted lady sipping nectar from a Dahlia in the gardens. Butterflies can only sip liquid food such as
nectar from flowers using its proboscus or "tongue". You can just make out the tongue
in the photo below - look for the fine black line just below the head.

Henman Weekend Task pictures - 7-9th July

A weekend task at Henman basecamp in the North Downs near Dorking clearing ragwort.
download our photo album of the weekend - 1.5MB file for viewing with Adobe Acrobat reader.

Left: Henman basecamp...............................Right: pond in basecamp gardens

That's it for the diary pages.....we hope you enjoyed reading.....perhaps you'd like to join us?