November

There is good news for the bird watchers who come to Warley Place.  The North Hide now has two Perspex windows so that it is possible to watch the pond without having to open the shutters, although they can be opened if required.  This will be warmer in the winter and may cause less disturbance to the birds.  I believe the South Hide will soon be fitted out in the same way.  Thank you Richard for installing these, it will be so much safer than blundering around in the darkened hide.    Looking at the pond by the north hide really demonstrates how short of water the reserve is.  The rainfall over the last month has been very low and one little beech tree near the gorge has died in the drought.    The last week has shown a real change in the leaf colours and suddenly copper brown is to be seen everywhere.  The walk along by the Spanish Chestnuts is covered in russet brown leaves which are lovely to crunch through.  Get there before the volunteers sweep them up.   Tree surgeons have been working in the reserve and have reduced the weight at the top of a beech tree near the Terrace and taken out some sycamores with split trunks that were in danger of falling down suddenly.  Once they are cleared the view of the daffodil bank will open up further improving the view from the top of the slope.   This time of year is good for getting at those long rooted docs and dandelions that like to grow in the walled garden.  We are able to work on these beds briefly before the bulbs start to develop for the spring.  It will be a battle to get this huge task finished before any possible snow, thinking back to last winter.  We have also been working hard to clear the east meadow of ragwort.  We thought we had cleared it last year but what with seeds already in the ground and also blowing from the field on the other side of the main road we really didn't stand a chance.  Still, maybe next year?   This topsy turvy season got me looking for flowers around the reserve and my attention was drawn to a little shiny lesser celandine blossoming near the conservatory.  Many of the flowers are on plants that are just extending their flowering time, but it was very strange to see the confetti of white holly flowers below one of the trees in the drive.  What will happen next year, will it flower again in the spring and will it have berries next autumn?   There is another group of cows with their calves grazing the fields briefly.  Do be careful where you tread when coming through the field (cowpats) and remember to shut all gates.

October 2011

It is such a pleasure to walk round the reserve making a few notes for this article.  Last week the potential for beautiful autumn colours was showing. The extreme temperatures of the last few days have taken a toll and made the trees look drier and I wonder if the leaves will just shrivel up before we get the blast of colour.  Despite this the crab apples, sweet chestnuts and other fruiting trees are laden with a store of food for the birds and small mammals.  The oaks seem to have a huge number of acorns which thunder down on the volunteers when they are working under them.   One of the treats that welcomes visitors is the striking Swedish Birch (Betula pendula cv Dalecarlica) in the West Meadow, probably best seen from the car park.  This tree is shown in one of Miss Willmott's photographs and therefore is well over a hundred years old.  We may be lucky to see it with its yellow autumn colours, but if the leaves fall very quickly it will still present a graceful outline with delicate pendulous branches.   Another favourite at this time of year are the Spindle bushes (Euonymus europaeus) near post 19a.  There are two varieties, one with coral pink fruits and one with bright red seed pods.  The coral pink one is covered with fruit this year and as they open up the tiny red seeds peep out giving a strong colour contrast.  Behind these is the Persian Ironwood (Parrotia Persica) which is gradually changing from a strong dark green into flaming red.   A plant which may have been brought in by Miss Willmott is the Pokeweed which is an intriguing plant although it is said to be very poisonous.  The tiny pumpkin shaped shiny black berries grow around the stalk but must be avoided – look but don't touch.  Interesting fungi are also thriving with the heat and the damp but identifying them is very difficult unless you are an expert, again they should be left to grow untouched.   We shall be saying goodbye to the heifers soon. They have done a splendid job of mowing the grass and fertilizing the two meadows.  They will be returning to their farm to give birth to their calves, and the meadows will be left empty over winter to prepare for the show of crocuses and daffodils that the reserve is so rightly known for each spring. The two newly dug out Ha Has have kept the cows out of the reserve this year, although I believe they paid a short visit to the Thatchers Pub during the summer!   Volunteers have spent time recently working in the Boating Lake to further reveal the original walls.  This gives a clearer idea of the size of the lake which must have given great pleasure to those who were able to paddle around in boats on a sunny afternoon.  Volunteers have been repairing leaf bins and packing up bags of leaf mould.  This wonderful soil conditioner takes several years to rot down, and bags of three or four year old vintage are available to purchase from the gate.  Once again we will start collecting fallen leaves from the paths in order to keep the cycle rolling.

September 2011

As we approach the late summer bank holiday we are preparing to welcome visitors over the Heritage weekend.  Warley Place will be open to the public from 10.00 am to 5.00pm on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September, with guided talks taking place at 11.00, 13.00 and 15.00 on both days.   If your last visit was to one of the spring open days you may notice some of the changes that have been written about in previous newsletters.  You will find that there are benches in some new places offering slightly different views.  It is hoped that work on the pathways will make them easier to navigate in a wheelchair, although some steps remain which will necessitate a U turn in parts of the reserve.   The volunteers have continued with the constant task of playing 'referee' between the thuggish invasive plants such as bracken and bamboo that would like to take over the garden, in order to maintain space for the beautiful daffodils and other more fragile plants.  In order to deter the bamboo from spreading near post 6 we have dug a small trench so that if the roots do try to cross it they can be seen and cut off.  That trench has to be cleared every so often and will also need to be extended.   Years of silt and mud have been cleared away to reveal the Victorian gulley which runs through the butterfly glade – which used to be part of the main road to Brentwood, then later the north end of the drive through Warley Place leading to North Lodge.  With the recent rain we should be able to check the effectiveness of this feature.  Another 'reveal' is the base of a small summer house adjacent to the walled garden where we can imagine Miss Willmott enjoying a view across west meadow to the trees in Dark Lane.    The approach of autumn is showing on the glossy hollies with red and yellow berries.  We will be looking out for the first autumn crocus flowers (colchicum) and the striking colours of the ginko tree.   Just be careful where you tread over the next month.  The cows are cutting the grass for us which they process and then dump as soggy browny-green cow pats – and they don't mind if they are on the paths through the east meadow.   Thanks to Mick Hedges for his interesting newsletters which he has now relinquished owing to a new post he is developing.  We miss his coordination of the volunteers on Monday morning, but we soldier on with Richard at our head.  For the time being I will try to keep you in touch with the changes that happen from month to month.   Jenny Fisher

August 2011

At Warley Place we try to strike a balance between nature conservation and those plants and trees that have been inherited before Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) turned it into a nature reserve. From feedback at open days, we think we have got it about right. However, someone decided that the Hogweed growing amongst the Campanula outside the walled garden wasn't right and bent over all the flowering heads. Clearly we are not pleasing everyone. The South Essex EWT reserves warden meeting was held at Warley Place last month and some emphasis placed on Health and Safety for visitors and volunteers alike. One of the points raised was regarding the risk of people access to the Ha Ha, opposite the turning circle, which is at the top of the main drive. Visitors will notice that a low level railing has now been put in to deter people from wandering onto the grass area and falling into the abyss. Although it looks a little unsightly, there is a very good reason for the guard rails. Yet more exciting work has been done maintaining the invasive plants; a second sweep of the East Meadow for Ragwort has been done, also, Himalayan Balsam. The latter we get on the islands of the North Pond and around its edge. This plant was featured on BBC's 'Country File' during July and both sides of the eradication argument were reviewed. Interestingly, one of the reasons for it spreading so abundantly is that there are no natural predators in this country and scientists have been to India to identify its adversary. It is believed it makes wonderful honey though. Some of our volunteers in July have spent some of their Monday time at Thorndon Park, helping with the setup, manning and dismantling of the two week art exhibition. This is a significant source of charity funds for EWT and a fraction under £3,000 has been raised by the Brentwood and Billericay Branch. A big thank you goes to the dedicated branch committee and other volunteers for organising and running this annual event. All funds raised go towards maintaining the EWT reserves at the discretion of the local committee.

July 2011

Many thanks to all you who performed a rain dance last month, the rain brought much needed relief, although there is still some catching up to do and more rain won't go a miss. Once again this year we have a wonderful display of Campanula, especially outside the walled garden leading towards the terrace. It also crops up inside the walled garden where we have tended to protect these with wire fencing to prevent the muntjac  deer stripping off the young leaves. Nobody is really sure whether this flower is a relic from Ellen Willmott's day.  As last month, much of our volunteers work has been centred on checking some of the invasive plants. The East Meadow has been cleared of Ragwort, which is poisonous to grazing animals, we don't want a herd of cows going down with dodgy tummies, they make enough mess as it is. Ragwort throughout the rest of the reserve will be left to grow naturally, this plant attracts the black and red Cinnabar Moth to lay its eggs, which produces  a vibrant yellow and black striped caterpillar. The Dock Leaves have been cleared from the Walled garden area and the Bracken has been 'bashed' on the Daffodil Bank, also near information Post 6. Bashing the fibrous Bracken stem with a stout stick will gradually weaken the plant's Rhizome and it will eventually die, however, this may take up to ten years before it's fully effective. So, we can look forward to plenty more opportunities for volunteers to get rid of any frustrations. Visitors may have noticed that bamboo grows in various places around the reserve, especially on the east side next to the Brentwood road       . Here, three years ago work was done at cutting back and digging up the prolific and much tangled roots system just under the soil surface. A trench was also dug to stop the root system spreading further. It is now evident that not all the roots were cleared successfully and the bamboo is re-establishing itself in the cleared area where foxgloves are now growing. We've just started to clear this area again and it has been very hot and hard work with one or two volunteers shirking away after a period – new volunteers wanted who don't mind getting very hot a sweaty. Perhaps in future we'll need to maintain this area on an annual basis. Another one for the diary Warden. As reported in April, work continues on making the pathways more accessible for wheelchairs and those who are not so steady on their feet by earthing over some of the exposed tree roots on the pathways. Due to the steep terrain, where pathway steps are necessary, some parts of the reserve are likely to remain unsuitable for wheelchairs.  There has been a bit of a rush over the past few months from people wanting to have memorial benches provided around the reserve, these have now been installed and have their remembered name carved into the back rest. It makes us realise how much pleasure and peace the reserve gives to some of our visitors. One of the benches provided is in memory of our former Deputy Warden, Len Dewelll who passed away earlier this year. As an exception a small plaque has also been provided on the southern wall inside the walled garden, which he so expertly and lovingly restored.

June 2011

Still there is very little rain; although the trees and vegetation may be looking very green, when you get close up there are some signs that some of the trees are getting desperate for water and some leaves are starting to turn brown. They absorb a great deal and therefore leave the soil very dry for the plants that try to thrive under and around the canopies. Well, I suppose nature must take its course, or is it nature's fault. I guess that's a different can of worms and not for discussion here. The new intake of cows have arrived and have made themselves at home in the East Meadow. Like last year's cows they look quite mature beasts with horns, first impressions are they are just like those in a Spanish bullring. Visitors to the reserve should be assured that they are very placid animals, although very curious about what is going on. If they stand and stare please don't take offence, they are not intentionally rude. If you do see them with corks on their horns, this is just one of our volunteers' ideas of toning down their appearance. It is noticeable, given the warm and sunny springtime, that plants are ahead of themselves this year which means that work to clear some invasive plants needs to start early. Work at clearing nettles where the bell flowers and naked ladies (Colchicum) are to be found at Post 5 is now completed, (the latter always raises a titter amongst those who don't appreciate what we mean, another name being autumn crocus)  Also, work in the walled garden to clear the dock leaves before they start to seed is well underway. Thankfully they are not so numerous this year, we like to think it is down to our efforts over recent years when we have dug them up, roots and all, but then it might be down to the climate. We'll have a better idea next year. Recent visitors will have noticed brash piling up in the area near the conservatory. Normally this would be burnt, but with the very dry weather, there is a danger of us having a much bigger bonfire than intended – sorry to spoil the views. Anyone for an excuse me rain dance?  We have also had a big clear out of accumulated rubbish; it's amazing how many things we keep 'that might be useful one day' and never get used. Many a garden shed or garage is full of this sort of 'useful' stuff. Concern has been raised about the poor state of the cottage that is to the left as you enter the reserve. Although this grade II listed building is not part of the reserve and not the responsibility of the Essex Wildlife Trust, it has a big part to play in the history of Ellen Willmott, as does Warley Place. Jacob Maurer, Ellen's specialist head alpine gardener lived here with his wife and nine children. The wooden shingle roof is leaking badly and needs replacing, thus causing further damage inside and repair work needs to be done urgently. The building is the responsibility of Scottish and Newcastle Breweries who, we understand, cannot afford the repairs. You may have noticed that some excellent bird photographs are starting to appear in that section of this website.  These are mostly the work of visitors whose names appear on them.  They are well worth a look.

May 2011

What a very successful month it's been for raising funds for the Essex Wildlife Trust at Warley Place. The total profit from the weeks spanning the Open Days and the extra days on Easter Sunday and Monday (26th March – 25th April) raised a staggering £6,254. This included donations provided by the majority of the total visitors during this period (nearly 3,750 at the weekends); sales of the crafts, bird boxes, fat poles, leaf mould, prints and books. Guided walks were also conducted that received much appreciated donations from interested groups. The open days have been running for a few years now, however, they don't happen automatically and an enormous thank-you to Fiona Agassiz who organised the volunteers from across the Brentwood and Billericay branch area to man the tented reception area, and car park attendants, who did a great job to ensure drivers didn't have the luxury to park where they wanted to, ensuring as many as possible could get in. Also, to John Cannell, who always seemed to be there at the weekends. Some questioned whether he has really got a home to go to. The funds raised by Warley Place for the Brentwood and Billericay Branch of the Essex Wildlife Trust are allocated at the discretion of the branch committee. In March £8,000 was allocated to the Trust's reserve at Fingringhoe Wick to purchase a new bird hide. Other spend has been provided locally for a new cooker at the Thorndon Visitor Centre and some new tools at Warley Place. Additional, funding has also been provided for a detailed survey of Warley Place, which started in April. The objective is to accurately map all the important features of the reserve, of which there are countless, and to make it easily updatable as new things are unearthed. Many thanks for all your donations and monies from bought goods to enable these things to happen. The tireless John Cannell has again been back to Spetchley Park in Gloucestershire (formally the home of Ellen Willmott's sister) to photograph Ellen's photographic negatives. There are numerous boxes of them and appear to be in no specific order, so all are being copied. Volunteers are trawling through those we have so far trying to identify what they are of, especially Warley Place. More trips are planned to capture all the negatives available in the archived store there. Ha, ha no digger – well, the digger did turn up and made an initial scrape to deepen the ha ha near the Main Drive and promptly decided it had had enough. Repairs are under way as I write and visitors in early May should see some progress here. This work will also be done to the ha ha next to the sweet chestnuts, this work is to stop cattle in the meadows with delusions of mountaineering making an exit into the reserve again this year. During May at Warley Place the last of the familiar spring flowering bulbs will have died off and weeds will come into their own. Or, are they wild plants in places that we don't really want them? In essence these plants are left to their own devices, however, there is a need to manage these in certain areas of the reserve to ensure they don't engulf and kill of some of the inherited plants from Ellen Willmott's day. One area is the Walled Garden where, in the previous years, an effort has been made to get rid of dock leaves, which have become abundant. An effort is made to dig out the plants with its root before they seed. However, this is much more practical when the ground is wet. Like many gardeners we will welcome a downpour of rain. Mick Hedges

April 2011

The Open Days got off to a slow start this year due to the cold weather in the first two weeks; following this there have been good attendances with the sunshine bringing people out of their homes to take in the spectacle of the Warley Place colours. It is still surprising how many local people are visiting the reserve for the first time, may many more learn of this unique Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve. Open Day weekends continue until Sunday 10th April, but in addition we shall be opening on Easter Day (Sunday 24 April) and Easter Monday (25 April). Glorious are the daffodils across the reserve again this year. The bulbs continue to spread themselves naturally and clearly have much better success in each of the meadows where there is less competition for space. Although some of the early bloomers are now starting to fade, other varieties, like   narcissus are taking their place. All the garden type bulbs in the reserve, including crocus and snowdrops, are a relic of Ellen Willmott's time and one can't help wondering what she would think of the reserve today. Given that she is said to have been rather bossy, perhaps we are better off without her view on how we now manage her 'garden'. During early April look out for the Camellia, behind the Information Centre and just inside the walled garden; it has noticeably fewer flowers than previous years, this is because Camellia buds start to develop very early and the dry summer last year and the two bouts of snow in the winter have affected their development. All are confident it will recover next year. Also in the walled garden the Magnolias are about to erupt their splendour. On the wilder side at the beginning of April it is evident that the primroses have done well this year, especially on top of the Ha Ha. Although not prolific, it is pleasing to see that they are spreading naturally. On the far side of the walled garden can be seen a large splash of purple lungwort with its dappled leaves, making a nice alternative to the spring yellows favoured by the insects at this time of year. During April look out for white ramsons and wood anemones; also the Rhododendrons and bluebells will start blooming. Richard Barklem, the Warden, has done much work recently making life a bit easier for the generally 'senior' volunteer luddite workforce force by converting a rotovator to pull the large heavy trailer (One or two would like to call them George and Mildred, but Richard will have none of it). Instead of manually pushing and pulling the trailer around the reserve with much wheezing, coughing and puffing there is now more enthusiasm when the trailer is pulled out of the store for the day's work.  Richard has also been busy making a chainsaw jig to make planks out of the felled trees. Visitors will see the first product of his labours, two new oak benches outside the conservatory. One of the tasks during March for the working parties has been to make improvements to the pathways. Over the years roots have appeared through the soil and some had become pronounced, so some work has now been done to smooth these out by infilling with soil, also some of the smaller steps have been converted to a slope making walking easier and providing better wheelchair access. More pathways work is to be done during April. Don't forget this year's plant sale at Thorndon Park, 30th April, !st & 2nd May. All proceeds going to Essex Wildlife Trust.

The Wall

Sales of John Cannell's novel The Wall have exceeded expectations and a fourth print run was required to meet continuing demand. After a short period when none were to be had, they are now available again at Waterstone's in Brentwood, at Thorndon Country Park Visitor Centre and at Warley Place during open weekends. Waterstone's have been extremely supportive, selling over 200 without taking a penny for administrative costs. After deducting a small amount for printing costs all the money goes to Essex Wildlife Trust. The book comprises linked fictitious accounts of events in a period late in the First World War and also in the present day. Great care has been taken to ensure that the backgrounds are as accurate as possible. Copies of a follow-on novel, The Walnut Tree, are also available.  Both books are priced at £5.

March 2011

Len Dewell 1932 – 2011 A tribute to our Deputy Warden who died last month. From an email by Michael Leach, one of Len's Warley Place colleagues….. Len had a cheerful optimism in the face of adversity, as well as a dedication to Warley Place, which should be an example to us all.  I love, Michael goes on, the way that he was rarely defeated by a practical problem and I have always envied his natural ingenuity which enabled him to turn his hand to so many different things.  He made a superb job of the walled garden brickwork, so much so that most of his repairs are now invisible, exactly what was needed – and he was so much better than the professional bricklayer whom he initially assisted!  The physical evidence of his ingenuity and enthusiasm will remain at Warley Place for a long time, as well as our own individual memories of him – such as his makeshift tent in the ha-ha and his cheerful phrase "All right, then?" Other volunteers remember him finding several drowned voles in one of the many galvanised dipping tanks buried in the ground.  They had fallen in and could not get out.  Within a few days all such tanks round the reserve had little ladders in them so that animals could escape. Len was a man who cared. We'll miss him. And now for the rest of the news: I wonder what that is sticking out of the ground? Thoughts that went through our volunteer John Cannell's mind while raking mole hills flat in the West Meadow by the car park. Well, when pulled out of the ground the shape resembled a small bomb, but it couldn't be, could it? He carried it to the car park where Richard, our reserve Warden (who has some wartime armament knowledge) had a look the following Monday and said 'I think we had better call the police' and carried it back to the meadow. The police came and promptly called the Bomb Disposal team who said it was probably a wartime shell and decided, just to be on the safe side, to dig a small hole in the ground, set a small explosive charge, cover with sand bags and earth and then assured us that there will be little to see in the way of an explosion. Well, there was an enormous bang and sand and soil was seen trying to escape the earth's gravity for nearly 100 yards either side, this due to the high explosive content of what turned out to be an anti-aircraft shell. What do moles do when they have a headache? We need more parking spaces, these words have been echoing since our first of two guided snowdrop walks last month. It was estimated that there was over sixty visitors on the first morning, with four separate guided tours and due to the weather, slightly less people on the following weekend walks. Olive and Thelma, two of our volunteers, who have an expert knowledge of Ellen Willmott and Warley Place lead these guided walks and as always are very well received, but this year had to be supplemented by John and Fiona. Many thanks to Warley Cricket Club who kindly let us use their car park as an overspill. It certainly lightens the heart at this time of year to have such a fantastic show of colour from the various bulbs giving their all to the spring sunshine. Snowdrops and snowflakes are always the first to show with crocus and daffodils following closely behind. Others that are flowering at the end of this February at Warley Place are the lesser celandine with brilliant yellow flowers, usually nine petals; the yellow winter aconite, violets and the small blue scilla that grows well in the walled garden. Also, you can't help notice the smell of the wild garlic, this plant is abundant around the reserve. If the smell of garlic is not to your liking, don't be put off, come along for a stroll around, its nature as it's intended to be. In March, look out for primroses.

February 2011

We certainly like to talk about the weather don't we and it's certainly one of the topics at Warley Place amongst the volunteers, knowing the impact this can have on the wildlife and the reserve it lives in. Thankfully, no matter what the elements are throwing at us, every Monday the volunteers turn up in the worst of it and are prepared to tough it out. However there is a limit for all of us and on the 17th Jan it was bucketing down with no sign of relenting for the nine foolhardy folk that did turn out in the hope that it might ease off. The consensus was that it probably wouldn't, so we called it a day before getting soaked through. But what dedication this represents, turning out in the coldest and wettest time of the year and still wanting to do their bit.  Hip Hop Hooray to all the volunteers whose help is greatly appreciated and relied upon to make and keep Warley Place as it is today. Recent visitors will have noticed that the tree work is ongoing in the 'Pleasance' (the open area south of the conservatory) with most of the thinning out now completed. Also, some improvement work to the safety railings around the old house cellar area is complete with more robust fencing now in place. Such work of course does cost money and it's through visitors contributions; firewood logs sale; the selling of leaf mould and other initiatives that such projects can be completed. Many thanks to all those who help support this ongoing work for the upkeep of the reserve. Once the snow had disappeared earlier in January the new splendour that Warley Place is well known for was evident in the early beginnings of snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses. Each is pushing shoots up fast all over the place and by the end of January the first snowdrops are now flowering. All being well we shall see a further spread of the crocuses in the East Meadow as has been the case in recent years.  No sign yet of the primroses though. Some of the most obvious wildlife at this time of year are the birds that frequent the reserve and wherever conservation work is being done you can expect a least one robin to be flitting about any turned over undergrowth or fallen branches looking for grubs and insects. Sometimes there are two or three and each will try to chase the other away to protect this potential new source of food. Very much 'I was here first, stay away'. They soon all come back and the survival game continues. Two pairs of mallard duck have been seen on each of the ponds overlooked by the bird hides and, hopefully, this year we will see ducklings as we have in past years. There is also what seems to be a resident pair of moorhens on the South Pond, they have been very successful in the past by raising a least two broods a year, fingers crossed for a repeat this year. A 'drumming' sound heard and which will continue into the spring is the Great Spotted Woodpecker at work; they are often seen on the old Sweet Chestnut trees and the drumming  is their statement "I am the master of this area, keep away from my breeding area". If we look and listen it doesn't take much to realise that spring is on its way and the time of plenty for the wildlife is just around the corner.  Stop Press The Big Cat of Warley Place, well someone saw it from the gorge bridge, looking down to the South Pond, or did they? No doubt a largish mammal was spotted, but was it a fox or a muntjac deer, which are reported as very shy animals, although they have been seen during the day on the reserve. Mmmm we shall have to wait and see for another confirmed sighting.

January 2011

Fund raising quiz night
First, a date for your diary.  Saturday 5th March at 7.00pm, a fund raising Quiz night, always a popular event.  You can form your own team of 8, or come along and meet new friends by forming a team on the night. 

Tickets are £8 per person and the price includes some light refreshments. 
Bring your own drinks and glasses. 
Contact Mick Hedges on 01277 231367 for ticket reservations.


The weather
Now for the rest of the news. Brrr, what a shock to the system the weather has been. It’s ok for us humans, we really don’t have reasons to moan too much because we can stay in our warm homes; or when we go out put on an extra layer, hat, gloves, coat and boots to ward off the worst of the weather.

Some of this is true for some of our resident animals of course – some do put on a thicker coat of fur, others hibernate and hopefully will have found themselves a cosy corner and covered themselves in a thick enough layer of floor litter to ward of the extreme temperatures we have experienced. However, unfortunately not all will have prepared well enough.

Others animals need to be out and about finding some hard found morsels to sustain them and it was a delight to see on the Monday before Christmas exactly where some our residents have been; scattered over the snow-covered meadows, pathways and between the trees and vegetation footprints were plentiful of various shapes and sizes. Their tell-tale signs make you realise how plentiful wildlife is at this time of year.

Tree management at Warley Place
One major task our volunteers have now started at Warley Place is the management of trees to the south of the Conservatory, which used to be a lawn in Ellen Willmott’s time and referred to as the ‘Pleasance’.

Numerous trees have grown in this area unchecked since Essex Wildlife Trust took over the management in 1977. There are some older and rarer trees that need to be preserved and are being crowded out by newcomers reducing their sunlight and ability to spread their branches naturally. Also, for some of the newer trees growing close to each other, their canopies are growing in abnormal shapes as they also vie for the sunlight they must have to promote healthy growth.

The tree management work will include thinning out some of this relatively new growth to allow a healthier environment for the remaining flora and generate some floor space for new vegetation to thrive.

Open Weekends
For those wishing to visit Warley Place we do have some public Open Weekends from 26th February through to 10th April, 10.00am – 5.00pm.

The Warley Place team wish everyone a Happy New Year.

New Website
We are working on a new website at the moment and would appreciate your help. 

We would be grateful if you could let us know if there is anything about the site that you think could be improved and if so how.  Also is there anything you would like us to add? 

You will have seen that the news item is now more of a chatty blog appearing each month rather than three times a year.  Is this OK? 

We were wondering if more pictures should be included, perhaps changed more often?  Perhaps different tabs for Flora, Fauna and general pictures? 

Is the opening page OK or should it be more attractive than informative?  We won't get grumpy if you criticize - well, perhaps a bit - as long as it's constructive so that we have an idea of how we can improve it.

Thanks.  Just email John at john.cannell2@btinternet.com.