Stock fencing and sheep grazing

September saw the completion of the first of the paddocks being fenced to allow grazing as part of the restoration of the meadows. In late November sheep were grazing the meadows for the first time in many years. So far, the specially designed river-side fencing has survived the ravages of the Wye floods!  Since September we’ve had 3 flood events, the second one of which led to the evacuation of the newly arrived sheep which were taken away to nearby pasture while flood waters receded. They returned on 10^th December and will stay until the end of January or until the next flood!

The longer-term plan is to use cattle as well as sheep to graze the meadows after a hay crop is cut but we will need to install more stock handling facilities before this can be done.  The fencing is designed to allow the fields to be grazed safely while still allowing people to walk well-trodden paths with their dogs.

Meadows management and barn owls!

Late September saw most of the meadow restoration fields being topped to reduce seeding of docks, thistles, nettles and ragwort. Ideally, we would like to have taken the cut material to a composting or anaerobic digester site as they were in June, but no local sites were able to take it this time.

The resulting patchwork of rough grass and weed is providing a perfect habitat for thousands of voles which are in turn being hunted by a barn owl which has made a welcome return to the meadows after an absence of two years. During 2025 we hope to start carrying out various techniques to introduce wildflowers and grasses from large scale interventions using agricultural machinery, to smaller scale work using traditional tools and techniques such as establishing small re-locatable areas (see below).                                                                                

We’ve established five 10 x 10 m permanent quadrats in the two fenced fields which we hope to get groups of people to adopt and look after over the next few years. So far, these plots have been mowed, cuttings raked off and some have been planted with approximately 100 plug plants of two floodplain meadow species, narrow-leaved water dropwort and sneezewort.   If your group would like to adopt one of these plots and help look after them over the next few years, please get in touch with d.hutton@herefordshirewt.co.uk

Training/workshops involving local volunteers

In September the project held its first training/workshop event for people wishing to get involved in managing and monitoring the meadows. Experts from Herefordshire Meadows and the Floodplain Meadows Partnership gave us very informative talks on the importance of the habitat nationally as well as the various restoration techniques used to restore them. The afternoon was spent touring the site looking at soils and discussing the current vegetation and what can be done to restore the meadows.

During the session the 32 people present were asked to register their area of interest whether it be practical work parties, working with school groups or monitoring wildlife. From this list we will be inviting people to attend training courses and workshops, the first of which was in December with a small group learning about monitoring soils and subsurface water levels on the meadows. The session was led by experts from the Floodplain Meadows Partnership.         

Community Groups & Events

We attended Hereford Ceramics Festival back at the start of November. Working with CUP ceramics we devised an activity creating clay tiles based on Bartonsham’s wildlife. It was a busy event; 650 attended with many coming into our space and there were some good conversations had, new volunteers recruited and lots of interest in family events and activities on the meadows.

In November some of Hereford Sixth Form College’s Environmental Science students visited Bartonsham Meadows as part of their enrichment programme. We’ll be working with this group monthly, taking part in a range of activities including soil, bird, plant and bee monitoring as well as some practical tasks.

We’ve also been working with Hereford College of Arts, talking to students about the meadows as part of their Sustainability Fortnight and working with their Photography Degree students.

Together with the Rebecca Beinart, Artist in Residence, we have been meeting new community groups and developing a programme of events for 2025. This includes Rose Tinted Rags and Close House Youth Club.

We’ve also been developing a new programme of learning for schools. Sessions for primary schools are taking shape, with a few local schools interested in coming out in the spring. Conversations have also started with a Secondary School about developing a regular opportunity for ‘non-curriculum’ learning at the meadows. We’re hoping to have a busy programme of school visits over the Spring and Summer so watch this space....

New faces in the Team

We recently advertised an opportunity for a Volunteer Trainee Project Assistant to join us for up to 12 months. We’re very pleased to confirm Jessica Roberts will be joining us in the New Year. She’ll be working across the project, on management, monitoring, schools and events so please do give her a warm welcome if you see her.

Plans for next year

There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved including:

• Monthly work parties
• Training courses in safe use of brush cutters 
• First aid for work parties
• Bird identification and monitoring
• Plant identification and monitoring
• Bee identification and monitoring
• Adopt a plot and look after it

Contact David if you are a volunteer – want to be one, and /or interested in any of the above on d.hutton@herefordshirewt.co.uk

 ‘Restoring Bartonsham Meadows’ is a National Heritage Lottery Funded Project.  We are grateful to players of the Lottery for making all this possible.