Burnt Platt, Sonning Common Green Gym 25th Anniversary, 1st April 2023

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 This Weeks' blog was written by Margaret


This weeks’ activity saw 11 intrepid Abingdon Green Gymers travel to a site near Stoke Row. We were to join in with the Sonning Common Green Gym to celebrate their 25th anniversary of starting up, along with members of other green Gyms from Bicester, Chipping Norton, Wallingford and Newbury.

We set off early on our journeys to get to Burnt Platt for 09:15, which is owned and managed by the Forestry Commission. There was about 50 – 60 green gymers present when all assembled and our task for the morning was to clear a large expanse of heathland from bracken in between forested areas to enable the open heathland to expand its current population of heather. Also part of the task we were to create wildlife corridors (small dead hedges) using the raked up bracken to give enclosed paths to enable vulnerable animals to hide in and get from one end of the heath to the other without being in the open. Around the edge of the heath a larger dead hedge was added to, to discourage walkers and dogs from entering the heath area.

After our task briefing, we set to work raking, clearing and making heaps of bracken, awaiting instructions from Rod D’Ayala about where the corridors were needed.  We were instructed to imagine we were lizards with everything around being a predator - where would we want the cover to be!

The end game for this work is to link up the wildlife corridors to the next door nature site at Peppard Common.

Tea break soon came around, with a massive cake home baked with 2 tiers, one of fruit cake and one of sponge with a jammy layer, both adorned in marzipan and icing, which was enjoyed by  many. There was lots left over and offers to take a piece or two home to share was gladly received.

The local press came along to hear the story of Sonning Common Green Gym and its success over the years, where by a group photo of us all was taken at the end of tea break.

After tea break we continued with the tasks, happily chatting to people seen before at joint green gym events we have had over the years, and making new friends with people we had not met before. It was a very good event for getting a large activity completed where we could see the end results of our efforts and also very sociable.

We departed the site around 12:30 to head to the Peppard Memorial hall for a lunch gathering where we were all treated to a greekilicious wrap and beverages with more time to chat to folks from other green gyms.


arriving to site

assembled by the tools

just getting going


lots of raking going on

making heaps of bracken

imagine you're a lizard!

direction in making wildlife corridors


AGG completing a wildlife corridor 



stopping for tea

cutting the cake

2 layers of cake

Kevin enjoying fruit cake

digging out unwanted trees

building the boundary hedge

the after photos







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