Old Berkeley Golf Course, Boars Hill - Saturday 25th October 2025

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 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Kevin and Eleanor

Only ten Green Gymmers came to this session at Old Berkeley Golf course, next to Abrahams Wood on this cold and occasionally drizzly morning, but we were joined by Richard, an Oxford Preservation Trust volunteer, so that made an extra scyther.

We made our way down to the bottom of the field, where Rod d'Ayala briefed us on the task. The aim is to rewet the area by building dams along the ditch so the water will spread out across the field.

Rod briefs us on the task



Rod instructs Simon





The dam






While the scythers set to work scything the grass and rushes, a task which we had last done in August, the rest of us moved the piles of cut bushes down to the ditch where Simon spread them out. We then had to move the existing heaps of cut grass and rushes and place them on top.

Carrying a load





Kevin moving a load






Carolyn and Dieuwke with a drag sheet






 Working by the ditch






When we had moved the existing heaps, it was time to rake the vegetation that the scythers had cut.


Raking and scything





Rosie scything




At last it was time for our tea break. Luckily, there had only been a few spots of rain and the sun had occasionally appeared.

Tea break




Rod then showed us the places further up the ditch where he wanted dams built. Some of us set to work cutting back the trees and bushes here so we could get access to the ditch. We piled the cut branches in, then heaped the grass and rushes on top. There was plenty more to rake up.

Dieuwke raking





It was important to compress the grass and rushes in the dam as much as possible, which was achieved by jumping on them.

Rosie jumping

It was time to finish, collect the tools together and make our way back up the hill. It will take a lot more work before Rod's plan is achieved, but maybe we have helped a bit.







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