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