Green Gym has (bramble)balls

By the session leader

I did not know that the hill we had worked on before was called Bald Hill.   Wishful thinking perhaps?  Or maybe once upon a time it was bald, but the brambles and thorn have been doing their best to give it a decent head of hair.

Today we welcomed a new site warden, Kate, who took us to a different part of the hill from where we had worked last time. 

 

This had at one time been an area where ponies were expected to graze.  So the site of a beautiful yew tree had been fenced off to stop ponies poisoning themselves on the yew.  Then plans changed.  The ponies never made an appearance.  Brambles, thorns, and grass took advantage and completely took over the site, the fence, and the surrounds.

Our task was to clear and burn as much of the scrub and bramble as we could, but – to the disappointment of some Green-Gymmers – not to take down the fence itself.  Cutting back vegetation had to take priority, as it had to be done before nesting season, which will be very soon.

 

Which are the best tools for clearing such a mixture?  Shears could cut the grass and thinner brambles, but loppers were needed for the thicker brambles and thorns, while a dashel basher was useless.  A slasher could also be useful, but only where there was more room to take a good swing without endangering fellow-workers: sometimes a pause had to be inserted.

Ed: On the way over, from RV point to work-site, someone asked if the view would be good where we would be working.  “Absolutely marvellous!” came the reply.  This was the view from where I was working:

Though I suppose it became more of a view once Green Gym got to work:

With lovely weather, the usual enthusiasm, and disregard of scratches, the team made good progress in hacking the scrub off. 

  

A bonus: some of the fence did need to be dismantled, so that there was room for a bonfire to dispose of our cuttings.

A much needed break, an opportunity to enjoy the Red Kites’ flying display – and time to admire the famous view: 

Then the team had to carry or roll reluctant piles of cut scrub to the fire.  [Ed: The ‘piles’ were soon dubbed ‘(bramble)balls’ by other volunteers looking on in admiration.]  Getting the largest bramble-ball safely on to the small fire was the work of several pairs of hands:  

Next time, perhaps we shall be allowed to take down the rest of the fence, but we have heard tell of another volunteer group scheduled to work at the site on Thursday.