 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
No. 10 - SIDEHILL SPINNEY
|
|
|
From this
point you can chose to carry on along the bridleway,
or climb the little bank to your right and take one
of 3 alternatives:
|
|
|
•
|
the sunny ride between the
hedge and the spinney
|
|
|
•
|
through the spinney itself
(following the signs - or not!)
|
|
|
•
|
to the north side of the spinney,
alongside another small wild bird mix plot. The
field, here, is called 'High Back Lands', the
farming name for 'ridge and furrow', which was
virtually the only way of farming such heavy land
150 years ago - before the advent of steam driven
machinery.
|
|
|
|
Side Hill Spinney
|
|
|
|
|
This is the largest of the dozen
or so small copses planted around the farm. We have
used varying proportions of the same wide range of species,
planted in a random (hopefully 'natural') pattern in
all of them.
They are intended to be coppiced on a medium rotation
(10-15 years) for firewood and poles, with some trees
(mainly oaks) being left to grow in to mature constructional
timber. The ground is being planted to woodland plants
(Violet, Wood Anemone, Primrose and Bluebell - English
of course!).
|
|
|
Straw Bales
|
|
|
|
|
Keeping our cattle and pigs bedded
down, during the winter time, requires a lot of straw.
For ease and speed of baling, mechanized handling and
bedding down, we use large round bales (such as can
be seen in the stack in front of you to the left).
After the combine has finished harvesting the grain
from a cereal crop, the stalks (straw) are left in long
rows (swarths).These swarths are picked up by the baler
and rolled up into tight round packages, all tied up
with string (or net).
We then unroll one or two a day for our cows to lie
on in the barn.
|
|
|
Whitwell Drift
|
|
|
|
|
The South-North track at the (western)
end of Side Hill Spinney is called Whitwell Drift, a
very old droveway leading to Whitwell Farm in an outlying
spur of Barton Parish. Whitwell is an ancient, well
name, referring to a pre Christian White Goddess.
|
|
|
Beetle Bank
|
|
|
|
|
Another of our beetle banks can be
seen across to your left, dividing Longshotts field
(nearby) from Stimsons Lane field. If you are here at
dusk you may see one of our Barn Owls hunting along
it.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
