DERELICT SUNDAY - AND A WALK IN THE FOREST

After watching our usual church service on Facebook, and as the weather had brightened up, we decided to go out for a drive.  Mr. HCB thought it might be a good idea to go up to Savernake Forest and drive along the Grand Avenue to see if the trees had changed into their Autumn garb.  However, we think that it will be another couple of weeks before the leaves have all changed, but it was good to be out together.  

Savernake Forest, near Marlborough, has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its rare concentration of ancient trees and relic wood pasture.  It is also home to many deadwood invertebrates and has lots of fungi and lichen.  We haven’t been up to the forest for some years, but will be going again quite soon to see the trees in all their splendour. 

As we were walking, we came across a padlocked and gated area and wondered what it was.  There was a map just behind one of the gates, so we were able to read that around 40 Hereford cows, a native British breed, and their calves are suited to woodland grazing and can be seen within the fenced off area between May and October.  Through natural browsing and trampling, the cattle help reduce bracken and scrub.  When the gate is locked, it means that the cows are somewhere in the paddock.  Apparently, they are trying to recreate traditional woodland grazing under a programme developed by the Forest and Natural England.  This long-established tradition of grazing will hopefully help to restore the grassland and create a patchwork of diverse habitats.

As we wandered along the various forest paths, although we didn’t see any of the Hereford cows, I took several photographs of trees that had fallen - so derelict trees for Derelict Sunday - and of course, being a good Girl Guide in my youth, I was well prepared and had one of my pink ribbons with me!  On our walk through the forest, we looked for pink flowers, but all we saw was a white convolvulus, so it was a good job I had brought the pink BCAM ribbon.

After a rainy morning, it turned into a lovely afternoon and the Wiltshire countryside was looking beautiful, so I have made a collage and put this in as an extra - I am wearing my pink gilet, so two for one today - and I do mean about the pink, not the dereliction!

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you what to do for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - but for those who don’t know, please click on this LINK so that those who are not able to pay may have a free mammogram.  Thank you so much.  M xx 

“Get through cancer 
     by promising yourself 
          a better you is in the making.”
Ilse Anderson