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Month: May 2016

New bench unveiled in Charlcombe to mark the work of the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens

May 16, 2016 by Chris Brant
Last edited on May 16, 2016

A new bench has been installed beside the public footpath between Langridge and Woolley to the north of Bath.  The bench was donated by Charlcombe Parish Council for public enjoyment in appreciation of work done by the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens.

Over 350 Cotswold Voluntary Wardens dedicate thousands of hours of practical conservation work every year across the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), as well as lead an annual programme of guided walks and undertake a range of promotional and educational work.

Parish Councillors and Cotswold Voluntary Wardens met to celebrate the installation of the new bench.

At the unveiling ceremony, Alastair MacKichan, Chairman of Charlcombe Parish Council said: “Charlcombe Parish Council are delighted with the way in which the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens are pressing forward the modernisation of our footpaths within the parish and elsewhere.  Here in Charlcombe Parish we have glorious countryside and the Wardens’ work will help the enjoyment of this by responsible walkers for many years to come."

In reply, Keith Weller, Cotswold Parish Warden said: “The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens carry out countryside maintenance and improvement works throughout the Cotswolds parishes.  We are grateful to Charlcombe Parish Council for acknowledging our work in this tangible way which will provide an additional amenity for the public".

The bench provides a welcome rest stop to enjoy extensive views along the Lam Brook Valley.

 

Hedgelaying Courses

May 12, 2016 by Chris Brant
Last edited on May 20, 2016

The Cotswolds are renowned for their quaint villages, bountiful wildlife and beautiful scenery of rolling hills, dry stone walls and traditional hedges. It is these hedges that hold the key to much of the flourishing wildlife seen throughout the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
 
The art of hedgelaying has been part of the Cotswolds landscape for centuries. Traditionally developed and managed as stock-proof barriers and to mark ownership boundaries, the skill of hedgelaying was once common practice.
 
 
Over the years, hedges have developed to possess their own distinctive range of species. Surveys in the AONB show us that our hedges are providing essential habitats for bats, reptiles, badgers, hedgehogs, birds, invertebrates, and the rarer hazel dormice and great crested newts (RSPB).
 
Overall in the UK, hedges have been recorded to house and/or provide food for over 1500 insect species as well as 600 floral species, 65 avian species and 20 mammal species (Hedgelink).
 
The hedge structure absorbs the wind’s energy, which creates perfect microclimates for sheltering and nesting animals. Hedges also provide food (pollen and nectar) and nesting resources for pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and butterflies. These pollinators collectively provide the UK with an estimated £510m worth of pollination services annually. Without these pollinators, the production of many of our agricultural products would not be possible.
 
Many researchers have talked about the role hedges play as ‘wildlife corridors’. Many studies have shown that birds, small mammals (shrews, mice, hedgehogs, rabbits, badgers), pollinators and invertebrates choose to travel along hedges instead of crossing exposed open fields. Hedges provide a safe travelling medium that these animals can disperse from, allowing wider-scale colonisation and access to habitats and resources otherwise too hazardous or remote to use.
 
So by taking one of our hedgelaying courses, you are helping to preserve and increase the numbers and extent of floral and animal species within the AONB for years to come. If you fancy becoming an ambassador for the traditional art of hedgelaying, visit our website at www.cotswoldsruralskills.org.uk and book on!
 

Dry Stone Walling Courses

May 12, 2016 by Chris Brant
Last edited on June 7, 2022

Dry stone walls are truly an icon of our heritage, our countryside and our beautiful Cotswolds landscapes- it’s practically impossible to miss them! With such importance throughout the AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) our landscapes would be unrecognisable without them!
The Cotswold landscape is marked with over 4,000 miles of dry stone walls. These unique and distinctive landscape features are typically constructed from locally sourced stone- namely the thin strata of Oolitic limestone, which lines the Cotswold Hills.
For many centuries, dry stone walls have been across the AONB; with their uses including demarcation of ownership boundaries and as stock-proof barriers. The earliest known dry stone wall can be found at Belas Knapp near Winchcombe and dates back to Neolithic times (approximately 3,000 BC). However, the majority of dry stone walls seen today were built during the 18th and 19th centuries. At these times, the labour and material costs were relatively inexpensive and readily available. This meant that dry stone walls were a worthwhile long term investment for landowners.
Surprisingly to some, dry stone walls contain a wealth of diversity. Offering shelter from wind and rain, dry stone walls provide fantastic habitat opportunities and wildlife corridors for a wide range of plant and animal species. Dry stone walls support species of mosses, lichens, pennywort, stonecrop, ivy and cranesbill. Slow worms and invertebrates including snails live within nooks and crannies between stones, alongside spiders, woodlice, springtails, millipedes, bees and wasps. Birds such as wrens, wheateaters, robins, redstarts, coal tits and little owls also nest within cavities, alongside toads, adders, voles, fieldmice, shrews, hedgehogs and bats.
Sadly, over the years many dry stone walls have fallen into disrepair. This has mostly been down to the high cost of upkeep and shifts in agricultural practices towards arable farming. The decline in the number of dry stone wallers has also been a widespread problem.
The process of dry stone walling requires some skill, as they are constructed without the aid of mortar and cement. The structure relies entirely upon the ability of the waller to carefully place stones, so that the weight of stones themselves keep the structure standing. Walls still standing after more than 100 years are certainly very well built walls!
To tackle the problem of the decline in wallers, the Cotswolds Dry Stone Walling Academy has been established. With the aim of keeping the skilled practice alive, we run a range of courses for all skill levels. From absolute novices, to the intermediately-skilled and the professional waller- we will always have something available to suit you!
If you want to create your own Cotswolds legacy, if you want to keep the historic skill living on, and if you’re keen on giving dry stone walling a go you can view our courses at http://www.cotswoldsruralskills.org.uk/events/?searchfilter=type&searchquery=1 and book on now!

New 2016 Dry Stone Walling Competition

May 12, 2016 by Chris Brant
Last edited on June 16, 2022

2016: the year of our 50th anniversary celebrations and the year of exciting new courses and competitions.
 
This year, one of our new competitions comes in the form of our revised dry stone walling competition! The Cotswolds Rural Skills team has decided to mix it up this year, and bring a fresh take on one of our classic competitions. In 2016, the Best Cotswolds dry-stone wall competition will offer wallers of all abilities the opportunity to showcase the best of their skill at this traditional rural craft.
 
We have decided to move away from the old layout for the competition and focus on a new and updated format. However, we want to continue to promote the skills of local dry-stone wallers and recognise the importance of their craft within the wider Cotswolds AONB.
 
This year, we’d like our contestants to send photos into us of their best or favourite drystone wall that they have built in 2015 or 2016 within the Cotswolds. It could be a feature wall which incorporates technical skills such as curved or high walls, pillars, lunkies and other bespoke dry wall design or a field wall- be it a field boundaries or livestock barrier. There will additionally be a category for the best amateur wall, built by a part time, LANTRA Level 1 or low experienced dry-stone waller.
 
Our expert judges will closely examine the photographs and the best 3 walls in each category will be visited and viewed. Marks will be awarded for style, standard, features, landscape and a tidy site, taking into consideration impact and difficultly of terrain.
 
 
 
The winners of each class will have their winning wall featured in a full page spread in a prominent local media source such as the Cotswold Lion Magazine to promote their business and celebrate their great achievements! Second and Third place finishers will receive a free advert for their business in the Cotswolds Lion magazine and a certificate.
 
The competition is free to enter and awards will be made for the entries which in the opinion of the judges merit recognition because the walling is to a high standard, blends well with the existing walls and uses the local style. Either the owner of the wall or the craftsman who built it can enter the competition.
 
So, if you’re a keen drystone waller – be it professional, amateur or novice, what are you waiting for?! Enter this year and get the recognition for your skills and your company! For full details, terms and conditions and how to enter, please contact Rural Skills & Grants Officer, David Molloy on 01451 862002 or by email david.molloy@cotswolds-nl.org.uk
 
If you haven’t tried drystone walling before, but are keen to have a go, why not check out our wide range of rural skills courses available through the Cotswolds Rural Skills website http://www.cotswoldsruralskills.org.uk/events/?searchfilter=type&searchquery=1
 
 

Cotswolds Stepping Stones Programme

May 12, 2016 by Chris Brant
Last edited on January 23, 2017

Are you a level 1 dry-stone waller? Are you looking to branch out your skills into the commercial world of walling? If so, the stepping stones project is your chance!
 
From March 2016, newly qualified level 1 dry-stone wallers have the opportunity to take on their own dry-stone walling projects and get paid for it by the Cotswolds dry-stone walling academy.
 
Our ‘stepping stones’ initiative falls under the umbrella of the Cotswolds Dry-Stone Walling Academy. Through this program we aim to give level 1 dry-stone wallers the chance to develop a portfolio of their own dry stone walls and showcase their skills. This will enable level 1 wallers to understand the pressures of being a professional waller.
 
We currently have our first Stepping Stones candidate who is working hard undertaking work on her wall which she will be completing within the next 5 weeks!
 
If you missed the previous article, the aim of the programme is to offer newly qualified wallers the opportunity to develop their skills by taking on the repair of a 10-20m section of traditional Cotswolds field wall. Working alone, the waller is given a set period of time (as negotiated by the Board and the waller) in which they must compete the work.
 
With total flexibility, an assigned professional dry-stone waller acting as a mentor, and the opportunity to begin to create a portfolio of your own work, the programme is a must for anyone hoping to get into professional dry-stone walling!
 
Currently, existing locations for Stepping Stones include;
 
Burford (Oxfordshire)
 
Chedworth (Gloucestershire)
 
Charlbury (Oxfordshire)
 
If you fancy joining the Stepping Stones Programme, or you would like to take your level 1 walling qualification in order to qualify, or if you know someone who would be interested, please contact Rural Skills & Grants Officer, David Molloy on 01451 862002 or by email david.molloy@cotswolds-nl.org.uk