Old Berkeley Golf Course and Abraham Wood, Boars Hill - Saturday, 8 February 2025

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Blog by Sally, Photos by Eleanor, Julio and Sally

Despite the dull, grey inclement weather on Saturday, 8 February, 21 people turned out to volunteer at Oxford Preservation Trust's adjoining sites at Old Berkeley Golf Course and Abraham Wood, Boars Hill, including new member, Clare, two volunteers from the Chilswell Valley site, Richard and Denis, and Simon who is one of the OPT volunteers.  

Eleanor was our leader for the morning and she explained that one group of people was needed to clear holly seedlings and remove encroaching vegetation such as bramble from the paths in the Wood and also any straying bamboo from neighbouring gardens, whilst the other group would be working under the guidance of Richard Newton, who is the Ashmolean Natural History Society of Oxfordshire's Flora Guardian for the ivy-leaved crowfoot, which is a diminutive plant favouring shallow pools and can easily get crowded out by the much bolder rushes.  This is the only site in Oxfordshire where it grows.  

We set up our base near the gate to the wood and to the main area of flush where we would be working.  We were grateful for our tarpaulin, which we used to cover our bags to keep them dry in the damp weather.

There are at least two flushes on the former Golf Course site and our task was to cut (by scything) the tall vegetation, which mainly consisted of hard rush, and then dig these out.  By inverting the clumps, small dams could be formed allowing shallow pools of water to form.

We soon found some little clumps of the ivy-leaved crowfoot and also unearthed signs of field voles and even disturbed a few in the course of our work.  With 7 scythers in the group, we finished scything the bottom section of the main flush before break time was called.  We left some cover for field voles.  The cut material was put onto existing heaps, which are habitat piles in their own right.  

After a warming cup of coffee and a biscuit or two, Richard asked the scythers to separate into two groups.  A couple of scythers were asked to go to the second flush, which we started to clear last spring before being rudely disturbed by some very inquisitive cattle and their calves.  We arrived to find that the pool Richard had managed to create last year was intact and a beautiful patch of ivy-leaved crowfoot was thriving.  The mud was very oozy and we had to be careful not to get stuck or lose a wellington boot!  Again, we found the tell-tale signs of field vole, with their larders of cut vegetation.  We were soon joined by Rhian and Julio who came to rake up after us.  The cut material was tucked into the hedge.  Whilst all this was going on, the second group of scythers had gone "upstream" of the main flush and scythed the hard rush in this area.

Meanwhile, Eleanor and her group of volunteers were doing sterling work in the Wood.  Whilst we all love holly, because we also love the bluebells, we need to keep the holly in check so that the bluebells and other woodland flora can enjoy the light, which would get blocked out by the evergreen holly.

It was soon time to pack up and go home, but we all left feeling as though we had done a good morning's work and achieved what we had been asked to do for this rare plant and for the bluebell wood.  We left Richard smiling and were all grateful at the prospect of getting home and drying off.

Eleanor instructs the group

Adrian checking for the ivy-leaved crowfoot

A field vole's larder

Work underway on the first flush

The ivy-leaved crowfoot, with its heart-shaped leaves

Just before break time

A welcome break!

Tackling the second flush

The first flush cleared - allowing plenty of light for the ivy-leaved crowfoot

A happy Richard!

We came across an unfortunate fox.  We puzzled on how it died.

Barbara showing our efforts on clearing the second flush

Joan clearing laurel in Abraham Wood

James at work in the Wood

After a welcome break, 

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