Jarn Mound, Boars Hill - Saturday 9th August

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  Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio and Helen     

Seventeen volunteers assembled for the work party on Jarn Mound on this warm, sunny August day. We were pleased to welcome back Helen and Henry, whom we hadn't seen for a while. We were working under the direction of Rod d'Ayala to clear cut vegetation on the mound and various other tasks.

Arrival at the car park



           Jarn Mound was commissioned by Sir Arthur Evans and completed in 1931. It is 15 metres high with deep steps leading to the top. When constructed, it provided a panoramic view over Oxford, but since then, the trees have grown, blocking out the view. It is now owned and cared for by the Oxford Preservation Trust.

Site notice



                                                                                                                                                    

Briefing from Rod



The main task was to rake up the cut vegetation and pile it up. Jim set to work with his trusty scythe to clear a path for the workers.

The rakers about to set to work




A way through


Other tasks were to cut back brambles, to clear vegetation from the sides of the steps and to grub up pendulous sedge, some big plants and some small shoots which were appearing all over the mound.

Julio and Rhian work on the slope






Helen and Rhian rake up





A heap of cuttings and rakings




At 11 o'clock we gathered everybody together for the tea  break. Carolyn announced next Saturday's annual picnic, which will take place at Hinksey Heights.

Tea break




We set to work after the break, with some of us pulling up pendulous sedge from the ditch below the mound and some people working on the steps. Here are the results of our hard work:

The cleared mound




The cleared steps




Sadly, we found quite a lot of litter at the top of the mound.

Litter



However, there was one interesting historic piece of litter, which Helen photographed.

Horlicks tablets, 9 old pence



I googled Horlicks and apparently you can still buy it, both as powder for a milky drink and as tablets. The oldies among us will remember the adverts, where, if people didn't drink their bedtime Horlicks, they would suffer from "night starvation" and be terribly bad tempered next day.
I hope the tablets got that person to the top of the mound, anyway.

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