A Damp Morning at the Beckhams

Thursday November 16th saw a party of 15 volunteers back at West Beckham Old Allotments for the second week running, but this time in overcast and occasionally drizzly conditions. Nearly all of the work before the coffee break centred on shifting the brash taken down the week before to fill gaps in the hedge on the southern and northern boundaries. This involved a lot of dragging of recalcitrant and prickly branches along rather wet paths and plugging gaps with the Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Dogrose and Ivy cuttings. Some of the Ivy was stripped of its leaves and placed carefully in the pond to provide perching places for birds and dragonflies, while some of the submerged branches may even be used by moths that lay their eggs in underwater wood.

After the break, most of us continued the gap-filling, while a small party decamped to East Beckham Common where they cut back nettles and made inroads into the massive brambles at the top end of the common, as well as doing some path clearance at the bottom end.

We discovered that the pond liner in the new-ish pond at the top end of the common is leaking – but felt that, in the current very rainy spell, this was not going to be a problem for the time being – a job for another day!

A damp but productive morning – thanks to all who came. The next work party is on Saturday November 25th at the Hindolveston and Wood Norton sites.

Peter Maingay & Alan Stevens

November 16th 2023