Warden’s Diary – Summer

So summer is here, or so I am led to believe.  The meadows are not underwater yet, so it has to be better than last year!  We have been hard at work over the last couple of months making sure that the weeds at Castle Meadows don’t get the better of us this summer.  There are definitely fewer ragwort and thistle plants and the cadets from RAF Benson have been hard at work pulling up those that remain.

Much of the work we have done over the last couple of months has been towards the Green Flag assessment of Castle Meadows that took place on 4th June.  The Green Flag is a national award scheme for parks and green spaces and is awarded in recognition of the best green spaces in the country.  Watch this space for news of whether we have won the award this year!  Update: We won - click here.

One of the aspects we concentrated on in the run up to the green flag assessment was access to the site.  We have installed a new, larger kissing gate at the Cemetery Lane entrance that should allow for better wheelchair and buggy access and plan to replace the others in the near future.  The towpath, which runs from Wallingford Bridge north towards Benson, has been improved and re-levelled; and the old farm gateposts, which were dotted around the site, have been removed.

You may have heard about the archaeological investigations taking place around Wallingford this summer.  The archaeologists will be opening up a trench in Castle Meadows between 19th July and 9th August.  Please go down and have a look if you are passing, they will be happy to chat to you about what they are doing.  Further details about the dig and information about finds and open days can be found by clicking here.

We will also be hosting a guided walk around Castle Meadows on Thursday 24th July, where Judy Dewey, a local historian, will be bringing to life the fascinating history of the Castle site.  For further information or to book your place please visit the Northmoor Trust website or phone 01865 407792.

Over at Riverside Meadows we will be busy this summer too.  We plan to reinforce and repair some willow structures that have been in place for a few years now to help prevent erosion along the Thames – assuming the river level ever drops low enough!  The RAF cadets will be giving us a hand excavating a silted up and overgrown drain which should help to prevent flooding of the footpath; and we will be preparing areas of the largest meadow so we can sow more wildflower seed, part of our meadow restoration programme.

If you would like more information about the sites and events or are interested in getting involved with one of our volunteer groups or as a warden please contact me, Lorretta Waters, on 01865 409410 or 07982 218493, or email lorretta.waters@northmoortrust.co.uk