With the clocks going forward, and recent warm sunshine, spring seems to have sprung and we welcome you to the current edition of the Friends of Bartonsham Meadows newsletter.

LAND MANAGEMENT UPDATE 

Negotiations between Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and the Church Commissioners are ongoing. 

Ruth’s discussion of the work of FoBM with the HWT’s Conservation Committee was apparently well received. 

GRASSLAND CARBON

For anyone who wasn’t able to attend the recent online discussion ‘Grassland Carbon – restoration, creation and management practices that affect carbon sequestration in grasslands’, a recording of the webinar is now available on the Plantlife YouTube Channel here. Two experts took part, Penny Anderson BSc., MSc., CEcol, FCIEEM, Ecologist, drew on her 2021 review on this topic. ‘Carbon and ecosystems: restoration and creation to capture carbon’ also focused on addressing the biodiversity crisis and incorporating other ecosystem services. 

Phil Wilson PhD MCIEEM, Ecologist and Devon farmer, talked about data he is publishing from over 1400 NE and landowner grassland sites across the UK. This includes analyses of soil nutrients and soil carbon over different management systems and grassland condition status.

Hosted by Plantlife for the wider GRCF Meadow Makers partnership around the country, it was chaired by Caroline Hanks of Herefordshire Meadows, and in her words, “fits well with our series “Meadows, Mosaics and Mitigating climate change”.  

LOOKING BACK 

Outside the Scout Hut, on the Green off Eign Road, over ninety mums, dads, children, grandparents and teddy bears gather for a photo shoot. It’s June 1953 and they’re celebrating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. 

Judith Morgan (nee Broad) from Whitecross was there that day. “We were holding a children’s party in Park Street for the Queen’s Coronation. But when it rained we beat a hasty retreat to Scout’s Corner.” 

The street party, organised by Mrs A Barber with singing and dancing provided by a Mr Chambers’ radiogram, was officially opened by Hereford United’s Charlie Thompson. 

Bartonsham History Group will host a Pop Up History Day – FoBM will be there – when they recreate the historic parish picture during the Queens Jubilee Bank Holiday on Friday, June 3. 

LOOKING FURTHER BACK 

Check out the images of the meadows as they were in 1933…

LOOKING FORWARD

5 April at 7.30pm. Regenerative Farming Project at Knepp. Join this online talk to hear Herefordshire-born Russ Carrington discuss regenerative farming at Knepp and how nature recovery and the creation of habitat networks can work in harmony with food production. This talk will be of interest and relevance to Herefordshire farmers and non-farmers alike.  Hosted by the City Branch of  the Wildlife Trust. 

For more information and booking click here. 

MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY

The meadows have lain fallow for a year and a half now. We are keen to record changes to the flora and fauna in this time. Hence our monthly bird survey.

Dick Jones and Bill Laws are on the case and spotted:

Blackbird	Nuthatch	Lesser black-backed gull
Grey wagtail	Mute swan	Great spotted woodpecker (heard)
Blue tit	Mistle thrush	Moorhen
Goldcrest	Cormorant	Great tit
Magpie	Goosander	Greenfinch
Chiffchaff (heard)	Robin	Mallard
Wren	Dunnock	Skylark
Crow	Woodpigeon	Herring gull
House sparrow

Dick said, ‘Good to see nuthatch, greenfinch, grey wagtail and goldcrest and 14 goosander in total spotted.’ 25 species in total. Gareth noted, ‘Down one from last month: hope you’re not losing your touch boys…’

BUTTERFLIES

Please get let us know any of your sightings of flora, fauna and floods. Send to info@friendsofbartonshammeadows.org. Elaine let us know that in March she recorded the first sightings of butterflies, including Peacock, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, and Large White.

SPRING REPTILE SURVEY – JOIN US ON SUNDAY 3 APRIL 2PM

Last summer we placed reptile mats along the Row Ditch but alas found nothing bar snails and mice. This spring we will survey the riverbank, particularly behind the treatment works. We’ll lay the mats this coming Sunday.

Meet at 2pm by the Green Street entrance to the Meadows. 

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
 

14 MAY at Bishops Meadows, St. James’ Community Association balsam bash and litter pick on Saturday May 14th from 10.30 at Bishop’s Meadow riverbank, King Georges Field at Victoria Bridge.  See http://www.jaba.org.uk/.
 

22 MAY  at Bartonsham Meadows, Friends Working Group, meet at Green Street entrance to Meadows, 2pm. 
 

3 JUNE  afternoon. Bartonsham History Group will commemorate this street party from 1953. We’ll be there to wax lyrical about floodplain restoration. And eat cake.
 

12 JUNE  at Bartonsham Meadows, Friends Working Group, meet at Green Street entrance to Meadows, 2pm.

25 JUNE  Wye Campaign (time and place TBC): update on Save the Wye Campaign. Hosted by the Hereford and South Herefordshire Labour Party.*

*Ruth swam from the bassom on Sunday gone and confirms the river is pretty stinky. And cold.

CALL OUT

As always, if you could do any of the following we'd be super grateful:

- Share this newsletter 
- Join us on Instagram and Facebook
- Become a formal member of the Friends Group - sign up here
- Become a member of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust here

Best wishes,

Anna, Bill, Charlie, Chloe, Dick, Gareth, Jeremy, Mo, Rhys, Ruth & Will

CELEBRATING TWO YEARS CAMPAIGNING FOR FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION AT BARTONSHAM MEADOWS

Remember this? The historic floods two years ago (left) swept much of the topsoil off the meadows and into the Wye after its transition to arable (versus 2022 Storm Eunice floods captured by Will, right) - and prompted us to set up Friends of Bartonsham Meadows to campaign for restoration of floodplain meadows for the benefit of local people, wildlife, biodiversity, and climate. Two years later high floods struck again, as they tend to do on floodplains.

This newsletter marks our two year anniversary. Here are some of the things we are delighted to have achieved in that time.

• Community engagement through in-person events, online events and social media
• Wildlife and ecological surveys (bioblitz with Hidden Herefordshire, moths, hedgerows, reptiles, birds)
• Development of an interactive map showing what floodplain restoration with heritage measures could look like (here)
• Working groups on litter picking, tree-guard removal and balsam bashing
• Secured support of the MP, Bishop, local church and leader of the council
• Fostered relationships between advisory groups such as Herefordshire Meadows and the Floodplain Meadows Partnership with the Church Commissioners
• We have raised sufficient funds to cover our activities and ensure we can continue to campaign for better management of this land
• More details on the history and activities we have undertaken is available here 
• An overview of our November 2021 event with expert groups and the Church Commissioners is available here  and a recording of the event here
• We have developed in-depth research on grasslands (here), the history of the site (here), the relationship between the church and the meadows (here) and an extensive article in the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Flycatcher Magazine (here).
• We have constituted as a community association with elected officers including Treasurer, Secretary and Convenor

LAND MANAGEMENT UPDATE

As a result of our activities and with the solid support of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust throughout the last two years, the Church Commissioners have entered into negotiations with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to take a long lease on the management of the land.

Watch this space as we hope to bring you an official announcement soon.

BIRDS

Dick Jones and Bill Laws have started conducting a monthly bird survey. This month (23rd. February between 9:00 and 11:45)  they spotted:

Skylark (heard)	Tree creeper	Herring gull
Wood pigeon	Blue tit	Pied wagtail
Robin	Great tit	Buzzard
Wren	Goosander	Tree creeper
Crow	Magpie	Long tailed tit
Jackdaw	Black headed gull	Moorhen
Blackbird	Starling	House sparrow
Mallard	Cormorant	Dunnock
Lesser blback backed gull	Rook

FUTURE EVENTS

Hereford Wildlife Trust visit- Trustees of the HWT, led by Andrew Nixon, visited the Meadows on a wet afternoon on Monday 28th February.  Here they are with Ruth.

PLANNING MATTERS

An application from Connexus, the housing association, for 1-66 River View (no 214582) has the potential to affect views across the River. This is the group of six large blocks of flats which can be seen looking south across the Meadows and are especially visible from the riverbank public footpath in the winter. The flats, which were built in the ‘Cornish Unit’ style soon after the 1939-45 War do not meet modern standards for energy efficiency and the idea is to clad them with external wall and roof insulation. They would be faced on the ground floor with a grey/blue brick slip, on the first floor with white render and on the second floor with a red coloured metal.  The proposal, which includes changing all the windows to single glazed lights, would add to the bulk and height of the building by about 18 inches. Following consideration by the planning officer around the impact of the scheme on the setting of the Meadows, the scheme has been withdrawn for a rethink. 

CALL OUT

Please get in touch with your sightings of flora and fauna – and floods! We keep a record and would really appreciate any notes or images you take. Send to info@friendsofbartonshammeadows.org 

As always, if you could do any of the following we’d be super grateful:

• Share this newsletter 
• Join us on Instagram and Facebook
• Become a formal member of the Friends Group – sign up here
• Become a member of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust here

Best wishes,

Anna, Bill, Charlie, Chloe, Dick, Gareth, Jeremy, Mo, Rhys, Ruth & Will

HELLO
Welcome to this latest edition of the FoBM Newsletter.

REPORT OF PUBLIC MEETING 9TH NOVEMBER

We held an online lecture, Q&A and discussion with the experts on floodplain meadows restoration. We were delighted to be joined by local and national leaders in floodplain meadow, grassland, and wetland restoration and management.

Emma Rothero from the Floodplain Meadows Partnership

Caroline Hanks from Herefordshire Meadows

Andrew Nixon from Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

This information-rich event is available to watch on our YouTube channel (minus the discussion and Q&A) and Jenny-May has written a full blog report available here on our website.

See some sneak peeks of the presentations below!

Slide 26 by Emma Rothero.

“On one level my task was easy -as these meadows are naturally stunning -and art that communicates the beauty and wonder of the natural world draws our attention to it, brings us joy and reminds us how much we value it and that we should protect it.”

“But more than that it was important to me to amplify the message that these vital floodplain meadows are still under threat; from agricultural practices, housing and road developments and even flood defence measures.”

Words by artist Alice Walker

5 principles of regenerative agriculture. Groundswell, the regenerative Agriculture Show and Conference.

LAND MANAGEMENT UPDATE

At our online event the land agent for the  Church Commissioners responsible for Bartonsham Meadows gave a management update. Matthew Scott, of Strutt and Parker, stated that Bartonsham Farm forms an important green space in central Hereford, without which lots of people wouldn’t have access to outdoor green spaces. The Church appreciates that it is a key asset to the people of Hereford. He said that the Commissioners are looking at changing from an arable farming system to some form of floodplain meadow restoration - ‘that’s a plan we’re looking to put together’. He said they are considering how best to do that as they come out of the environmental stewardship scheme (which was in place for the previous tenant farmer). This involves  looking at a range of options for future tenancy. 

The final word of the event went to Andrew Mottram (erstwhile Vicar of St. Paul’s Church) who was kind enough to share his views on the project. He flagged up that the Church of England has a serious zero carbon target and environmental programme, which both congregations and commissioners have to work to. It will be published next Spring. Church Commissioners are stewards, and they have responsibility as trustees to ensure a return on investment; but also a responsibility to ensure that assets ‘do not suffer from loss, degradation or depreciation’. This is the other side of the Bartonsham Meadows project. It needs to be recognised that the mistake of it going to arable has done a lot of damage. But look at the way that land recovers. The site needs to be given time, and the Church Commissioners need to have a longer-term view, for example 25 years rather than five. Andrew shared the example of the flood plains down the Thames in Oxfordshire that are now beautiful, richly biodiverse grasslands. Andrew had these final words of encouragement to everyone involved with Friends of Bartonsham Meadows: ‘It’s a great project. It’s brilliant that the community of Bartonsham have woken up to this. It could so easily have been lost. So well done to everybody involved’.

Please see our blog and YouTube for further details. 

Friends of Bartonsham Meadows will continue to work hard to promote a long-term solution with floodplain meadow restoration accompanied by heritage and environmental restoration - ponds, hedgerows, orchards and wetlands.

SPOTLIGHT: “ARE YOU TESTING THE WATER?” CITIZEN SCIENCE AND THE WYE RIVER

Fran Morgan has been volunteering for a citizen science project monitoring the health of the River Wye as it passes by the Meadows. We asked her for an update.

“Are you testing the water?”

I was delighted to be asked. Here was my opportunity to talk with people about the state of the river and quite often they will have typed Friends of the Upper Wye into their phones before they walk away. Today my conversationalists were also searching for veg box deliveries near you before they carried on across the Victoria Bridge! Well it’s all joined up, they said, and I had to agree with them.

Sue Bywater and I have been monitoring the water quality from the middle of the Vicky Bridge twice a week for about 4 months now and today, 16th November, was another “mass testing day”. This means that the quality of the river and its tributaries is measured that day at around 150 sites between the source and Mordiford. The results are transferred via an app to Cardiff University where they are collated and analysed.

What are we checking? Well, the main ingredients of concern are nitrates and phosphates largely running off the land or leaching into the river because of over application. The poo of 20 million chickens in the Upper Wye catchment has to go somewhere and extra fertilisers added to fields can also contribute to this eco disaster which has seen the spread of blue green algae through the river, blocking out the sunlight, depriving the river of weed and oxygen for fish and invertebrates at the bottom of the food chain. It is suggested that swans have not been able to successfully rear their cygnets for 2 years now as the weed has disappeared and the numbers of fish are declining rapidly. A number of angling clubs are involved in river testing too as they see the future of their sport in jeopardy.

The university is looking for correlations with temperature and conductivity so we measure that too, it’s about 12 oC in the river at the moment but summer temperatures of over 20 oC were apparently really too hot for the fish. We also measure the turbidity of the river to give an indication of recent heavy rainfall and flooding and we estimate the size of patches of algae or evidence of particular pollution spills. A serious incident will be reported immediately to the Environment Agency.

It’s feels so hopeful testing the river twice a week, it really complements the meadows campaign. The chance it offers me to talk to folk as they pass along the bridge has been so encouraging. Comments like, I wouldn’t drink it or, as I lower our bucket into the river, you’ll never catch a fish like that, have given way to real interest in the process of testing and enthusiasm to get involved.

I’m sure the world is going to change one test tube at a time.

Fran Morgan – volunteer for Friends of the Upper Wye

https://www.fouw.org.uk/citizen-science

(Fran will provide a further contribution in a future newsletter looking in greater detail at the science behind the project. Thanks Fran!)

BIRD SURVEY AT 9:00AM, FRIDAY 26TH NOVEMBER

Two grey wagtails were spotted very near Greenway Bridge. Three female gooseander were on the Wye. A few birds listed were heard but not seen: great spotted woodpecker, jackdaw and wren. Half a dozen or so birds in flight were finches and listed as chaffinches. No swans, redwing or fieldfare spotted.

List of birds:

Pied wagtail                 Pied wagtail             Pheasant
Grey wagtail                Grey wagtail             Great spotted woodpecker
Mallard                           Mallard                        Gooseander
Black headed gull     Black headed gull  Kingfisher
Magpie                           Magpie                        Jackdaw
Wood pigeon              Wood pigeon            Rook
Bluetit                            Bluetit                           House sparrow
Wren                               Wren                             Robin

JOLLY HISTORY WALK 28TH DECEMBER – AN INVITE FROM THE BARTONSHAM HISTORY GROUP

Famous families from composer Edward Elgar’s to Victorian photographer Alfred Watkins’ have wandered the Wye at our ‘Bassom’. 

Keep their company with Bartonsham History Group for a (free! but donations ALWAYS welcome) family amble across the Meadows on Tuesday 28 December. Gather at the Meadows’ Green Street end around 10.15am – and expect a slice of history from our local experts! Bring your own mince pies.

CALL OUT

Please get in touch with your sightings of flora and fauna - and floods! We keep a record and would really appreciate any notes or images you take. Send to info@friendsofbartonshammeadows.org 

HOLIDAY SEASON

We’re delighted with progress so far but will definitely not let up the pressure. We’re going to take a break from the monthly newsletter and skip the December update. But we will continue all our efforts!

Look out for the next newsletter sometime towards the end of January 2022, just on the cusp of spring, with details of exciting developments and events to look forward to. 

In the meantime, the Friends of Bartonsham Meadows committee would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas (if Christmas is your thing) or a very relaxing holiday season (if it is not) and a very Happy New Year.

Best wishes

Anna, Bill, Charlie, Chloe, Dick, Gareth, Jeremy, Mo, Rhys, Ruth, Will – and our super guest writers Jenny-May While and Fran Morgan