Hinksey Heights Nature Reserve, Saturday 11th of June 2022

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This week's blog post was written by AGG Chair, Eleanor D.!

Our numbers were somewhat depleted as the ATOM Science festival had poached some of our regular volunteers, so only eight of us made the long trek from the Golf Club car park to the site on this extensive nature reserve where we were working.

Adrian explained the tasks to us. The main one was to transfer the piles of bramble and brush, which had been cut on a previous visit, across the stream to be made into a dead hedge on the other side. As this area will be used by schools as a Forest School, this meant pupils would be able to access the stream but not escape over the other side. Meanwhile Adrian and Jim set to work scything the grass.

Transferring the brambles and scrub across the stream proved quite hard work as many of the brambles needed cutting up and the sides of the stream and stepping stones across were uneven and slippery, but Graham, Roger and Michele made a really good job of building the dead hedge.

We were glad to stop for our tea break, which we had at a table by the pond. After the break some of us carried on with the hedge while other raked up the grass which Jim and Adrian had cut.

When it was time to pack up we were pleased at how much our small group had got done and we received a note of congratulation from the landowner, John Brimble. 

Some of our members had also done us proud by representing Abingdon Green Gym at the Abingdon Jubilee celebrations, which included a day showcasing all of the different community groups working around Abingdon at Rye Farm Meadow. 


The Abingdon Green Gym stall at Rye Farm Meadow


The pond at Hinksey Heights, which holds many a tantalising amphibian! 

Dieuwke and Mags pass the baton

Impressive raking prowess

Eleanor (ever impressive with her sun hats)


Michelle triumphant by a newly-formed dead hedge! 

Graham, hard at work 

Roger at the edge of the lair 



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