Up the hill, down the hill

What more idyllic spot could there be than an English chalk-grassland meadow in June?  Actually, that rather depends on two factors:

• the weather – it is the wettest June in Britain on record; the land needs rain, but there are parts of the country that are copping seriously excess quantities.  We, however, were treated to an (almost) dry, warm morning
• the gradient – the incline on our hill felt like 1 in 3

The task was: ‘upgrade fence enclosing sheep pasture, Pt 1’, ie remove old fence.  Happily, the sheep were busy grazing on the far side of the site – indeed on the other side of the motorway – so we could demolish the old fence with impunity.  (‘We’  = WGG + community-volunteering team from the Environment Agency.)  Other parties of volunteers will come along IDC to hammer more posts in the ground and erect the new fence. 

Removing staples from posts was job enough, but removing the posts themselves ...

The fencing itself, of course, had to be peeled off the posts; and redundant wire and posts carried down to the landie to be taken away:

Inevitably tool wanted was at bottom of hill, so we were well carting old material down and the new up.  One roll of fencing (“Just roll it to the truck, it’s easier than carrying”) took a bid for freedom (Oh no! D-d-d-d-dive!) and a Green-Gymmer was seen chasing it down the hill, only to schlepp it back up to the landie. 

Thanks to the help from our friends from the EA, it was a very productive morning.  With 19 of us working away, we had most of the old fence and posts out before the half-time break.  Tea time featured a feast – and discussion of knee support?

Afterwards, back to work.  Uphill.

The priority now was to dig holes for the two new strainers and get them in.  Even with half a dozen workers in attendance on each post, this was no mean feat.  They sunk one, and got the second well on the way.  [Session Leader says, “Well done teams” – Ed.]

The rest of the party tackled some rabbit fencing, cutting it away at ground level on hands and knees, so as not to rip up the precious turf.  While others trimmed the hedgerow - a thorny mass/mess of rose, brambles, hawthorn - to give line of sight between posts one and two.  

So now it’s over to the next crew.  It has all been nicely set up for them – though they may still get that Grand Old Duke of York feeling: it comes with the territory.