You’re sure of a friendly welcome & fantastic food at The Crown in Church Enstone which has lots of December delights on the menu…
This year the news has been mainly doom gloom, debt and rising prices. But the good news is that nothing feels as though it’s in short supply at The Crown in Church Enstone.
From the moment you step inside the flagstone bar you feel your shoulders dropping, especially once you’ve cosied yourself up next to the roaring fire with a perfectly mixed cocktail in your hand.
There are many easy excuses you can make for making a night of it and booking into one of the five lavishly appointed rooms (from £130 a night on a B&B basis). For one thing, the hearty breakfast served up by the friendly team are legendary, with Cacklebean eggs (any way you like) given a starring role, as well as incredible local sausages and bacon. As this pretty Cotswold village is perfect walking territory, a breakfast like this is the perfect fuel for a stroll across the fields to Soho Farm House at Great Tew.
The Crown, a picture-perfect honey-hued pub dating back to the 17th century, is as charming and gorgeous as a tourist’s dream but it’s been lavished in modern luxury, with all mod cons and stunning details. It it now under the new ownership of Matt and Kate Beamish, who also run the two acclaimed dining pubs with rooms The Kingham Plough and The Hare at Milton-under-Wychwood.
As you’d expect from these gastro geniuses The Crown’s food offering is top-notch, featuring a monthly changing seasonal and locally sourced a la carte menu offering modern British dishes with innovate twists and re-imagined pub classics.
To whet your appetite, here are some of the December delights from the menu… How about a starter of oysters with apple and horseradish dressing (healthy and punchy) or else chicken liver parfait, cranberry, fig marmalade, with chef Mark’s brioche?
If you can tear yourself away from the very tempting rib-eye steak (with peppercorn, red wine or chimichurri sauce) other main course specials for this month include turkey pie with mash, greens and red wine jus or else, a rare vegetarian treat, beetroot wellington with chestnut puree, greens.
Pudding fans… The desserts are too tempting, so here’s a head start to mull over. French lemon tart with meringue; Christmas pudding with brandy sauce; chocolate tart with double cream; sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce & vanilla ice cream; Greek yoghurt with white chocolate ganache, passionfruit pulp; Baked Alaska; affogato with vanilla ice cream & espresso; Black bomber mature cheddar, house chutney, Membrillo & crackers; chocolate, vanilla, mint choc chip, or pistachio ice cream or mango, lemon or raspberry sorbet.
I’ll leave that conundrum with you.. Or maybe make a few return trips?
Thirteen unpaid but dedicated workers have been recognised by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) for decades of work they have put in at the charity’s nature reserves across the three counties
Previously BBOWT has presented one lifetime achievement award at its ceremony, but this year has chosen to award the title to six volunteers.
Richard and Julie Birch have been active and influential members of BBOWT’s Chilterns volunteer group for 20 years. Mr Birch used his marketing and business experience to grow the group while his wife took over management of the newsletter and moved it online. Richard said: “As active conservation work becomes less of a pleasure, there are so many other activities to keep one occupied, making a useful contribution and seeing one’s BBOWT friends – like organising events, meeting and greeting and doing publicity.”
Ched George has been a volunteer at BBOWT since 2014, when he helped the Trust to acquire its Yoesden Bank nature reserve, a 13-hectare site of precious chalk grassland in the Chiltern Hills. He took the role of volunteer warden and helped organise regular conservation work parties and ecological surveys.
Richard Herbert as been volunteering with BBOWT since 1984. For most of that time he has been a core member of the Sunday work party at Bowdown Woods reserve near Newbury, led guided walks around the site and given countless talks to local groups and societies.
David Litchfield has dedicated 15 years to volunteering at BBOWT’s Warburg Nature Reserve near Henley. As well as helping with practical conservation work such as scything and teaching other volunteers a host of skills including tool maintenance. Mr Litchfield has also run ecological surveys on the site and passed on his wealth of knowledge to others.
Outstanding Contribution (Individuals)
Gustav Clark has been an enthusiastic and hard-working volunteer with the West Berkshire Living Landscape team. He has also championed the new online Volunteer Hub where BBOWT and volunteers share news, photos and campaigns.
John Lerpiniere is awarded for his exceptional long-term commitment and contribution to the Trust’s conservation work in Berkshire. He works for the Reserves and Ecology teams, and participates in external volunteer groups on several receivers and is also a volunteer stock watcher.
John Parker has volunteered at Greenham and Crookham commons since 2000. He also volunteers with several other BBOWT groups, occasionally up to five days a week, offering his practical conservation skills as well as his organisational acumen and extra help planning tasks.
David Richardson has been a member of Finemere Wood volunteer work party since 2016. He has taught many volunteers how to scythe and has raised funds to buy more scythes by using his skills as a wood turner to turn felled trees from the reserve into bowls and chopping boards for sale.
Dave Stevens welcomes and engages visitors to College Lake with a ready smile. Dave has also been integral in welcoming new volunteers and will often take them for a tour of the site and stay with them until they feel comfortable.
Phil Townsend has been volunteering for the Trust since 2005 and has been involved with the Reserves Surveying Programme since 2007. During this time, he has helped with butterfly transects, bird surveys, and the dragonfly count at College Lake.
Roger Walton helps provide a rewarding experience for visitors to College Lake through the seasons and helps to make resources for visitor trails.
Outstanding Contribution (Groups)
College Lake Wildlife Garden Group have been going for 30 years. The group is self-led with minimal staff input and come up with ideas and plans to ensure the garden is an inspiration to visitors, demonstrating that anyone can create more nature everywhere, from a few pots in the garden is an inspiration to visitors, demonstrating that anyone can create more nature everywhere, from a few pots in the garden to beautiful nectar-rich borders and bug hotels.
The Greenham and Crookham Common Volunteers (GCCV) were recognised for 25 years of conservation and maintenance work. Working closely with staff, the group is reliable, autonomous and very knowledge about the reserve, its history and ways to assist in its management.
The Oxfordshire Field Team is made up of six volunteers, all retired, racking up 83 years of volunteering for BBOWT between them. The group go out twice a week in all weathers and help with all kinds of tasks to look after BBOWT reveres and the animals that graze them.
Warburg Nature Reserve Volunteer Team includes stockwatchers who help look after livestock that graze the reserve, two work parties which carry out practical habitat management and infrastructure maintenance, and volunteers who make charcoal from by-products of coppicing. The team also volunteer at Hartslock and Cholsey Marsh reserves when needed.
The West Berks Badger bTB Vaccination Team was established in 2021 when they responded to a plea for help with baiting badger traps as part of BBOWT’s successful badger vaccination programme. This involves unsociable hours, long commutes, and assisting with vaccinations at sunrise. Their work has been essential in carrying out this year’s vaccinations.
CareHandle is an exciting new service supporting those exploring Care Homes for the first time
If you are over the threshold and paying privately you often explore care options alone which can be daunting and frustrating, especially when you need to focus on you or your loved one’s well-being.
Looking for care can be confusing, stressful and time-consuming, the team at Carehandle are on a mission to change this by offering advice, support and insight in a personal way.
We take care seekers through a 3-step process first to listen, understand and work through possible options. Next, we help Handle the search, find options and provide a free shortlist, we check availability, costs and quality. We are with you every step of the way to support better outcomes, we can book appointments and work with the provider for the best outcomes, a large number of those in care regret the initial decision so we can help to support and get it right first time.
Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, is launching a luxury Beef Wellington box this Christmas, so why not treat yourself to something special?
The Tom Kerridge Beef Wellington Box is available to pre-order now at www.fromtomkerridge.com for £195 and will be delivered nationwide on December 23rd.
The Beef Wellington Box generously serves four and includes a luxury 1.2kg, 30-day aged fillet of organic British beef, from family-owned Stokes Marsh Farm. With black truffle Duxelle and herb crepe, wrapped in an all-butter puff pastry, alongside a rich red wine sauce and Cumberland pigs in blankets. All you need to do is add your own vegetables. For dessert, enjoy a traditional sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and Christmas spiced brandy butter alongside cubes of salted caramel fudge for the perfect sweet finish.
Delivery is included and there are even a couple of recipes for suggested veggie side dishes. For those who are super organised, early bird orders will receive a free foodie gift from Marks & Spencer with any orders placed before November 18th.
A limited number of Tom Kerridge’s Beef Wellingtons will be available to collect from The Butcher’s Tap and Grill in Marlow, pop in to complete a pre-order form. Prices for Beef Wellington collection at The Butcher’s Tap and Grill are £95 (1.2kg beef Wellington and red wine sauce). Beef Wellington orders at The Butcher’s Tap and Grill must be taken before December 18th and the last collection date is December 24th.
Tom says: “Christmas is a time for coming together and sharing food. There is no better luxury dish than a beautifully cooked beef Wellington to celebrate the festive period. Perfect for Christmas Eve or as an alternative to turkey on Christmas Day. Our beef wellington box is designed to take the stress out of Christmas.”
Cathie Welch explains how to distinguish between the types of Cyclamens available
It’s that time of year again when the garden centres are bombarding us with a beautiful array of houseplants for the festive season. Every year it’s the same and I find myself having to clarify to students and clients how to distinguish between the types of Cyclamens available, so here goes…
Cyclamen hederifolium
These little beauties are 100% hardy and tolerate our climate outside. They’re fabulous for colonising shady areas particularly under trees. They grow from corms and ants help to disperse the seeds. Coming in various shades of pink and white and the leaves vary their variegation between plants. This species is fairly vigorous if it likes its location and flowers in late Summer and Autumn. Ivy is Hedera and these Cyclamen have leaves like ivy forming a beautiful green carpet once the flowers have finished.
Cyclamen coum
These are another species of hardy Cyclamen although a little less vigorous than hederifolium. They flower in the Spring followed by little round leaves, also varying slightly between plants. Shades of pink and white too and similar in their cultivation requirements. Grow the two species in separate swathes or you’ll find that the C. hederifoium takes over. You can see both types growing successfully in many public gardens.
Cyclamen persicum
These are the ones that are in the houseplant section. They can be grown outside briefly but aren’t frost hardy and don’t like our wet winters. Very rarely will they survive outside. I’m tempted by the gorgeous array of colours on offer but that can only be grown in cool conditions inside. A porch or protected area outside is perfect but water carefully!
It’s in the name!
I hope this helps to unravel the confusion. The clue is in the name. They are all in the Cyclamen genus, but the species differ.
Points of sale aren’t always specific but if you’re buying something from a greenhouse or polytunnel at this time of year, check before you plant it in the garden. The hardy Cyclamen will be outside with the perennials whatever the weather. They’re all gorgeous but like I say to my students, you need to do your homework! Happy shopping!
Cathie’s Gardening School Services
Pruning is the skill I am asked most about so I will be running pruning courses and master classes throughout the Summer and Autumn next year. Please come and meet me at Ashdene to discuss your gardening requirements and join in the learning, it’s addictive!
Matt Allwright, one of the stars whose recipes are featured in Food & Wellness: The Sobell House Vegetarian Cook Book, shares his thoughts about local life, good causes and consumer rights…
Q. Hi Matt. It’s great that you’ve been involved in the new Sobell House cookbook. What’s your recipe? “It’s the chilli jam I make every year. I grow my own chillis and I never know quite how hot it’s going to be until its done. Last year it was so hot that you just had to show the jar to a piece of cheese, and that was enough, even with the lid on…”
Q. Is there anything you eat or don’t eat? “I eat everything. Not a massive fan of avocado, but I’ll cope. I’m a grateful diner, and I eat with gusto. I had a real problem with beetroot for years, and now it’s one of my favourite things, so it just goes to show nothing’s really off-limits. Christmas is traditional. There is too much at stake to mess with the formula.”
Q. Why is Sobell House a great charity, deserving of support, including yours? “My good friend Tom is the music therapist at Sobell House. They don’t see our last days and weeks as a waiting game. They see it as an opportunity to help find meaning, to tell a story to heal the spirit and calm the mind. I would love to think that when the time comes, we could all have someone to help us write songs, to tend gardens, to do whatever we think is significant, and to give us the chance to share important ideas and feelings with our loved ones. That’s proper work.”
Q. You’re familiar to millions as a defender of consumer rights… Do rogue traders really make your blood boil? “We always start the process by meeting someone who has been affected by the actions of the trader. You can’t ignore that face-to-face experience. From that point the whole team knows it’s their job to confront the rogue to get answers. I don’t’ feel anger, more a sense of duty to hold to account and bring change. I don’t like letting people down, especially when they’ve taken a risk to talk to us. Also: if you are born with the annoying ability to ask questions when running backwards or being jet washed, you’d better use that power for good.”
Q. Do you feel that as a nation we’re bad at fighting for our rights or complaining? “Not everyone feels they can speak out enough when things aren’t right. When someone tries to impose a way of life on us, or harms with their actions, we can be submissive, or worry about the consequences of standing up for ourselves or others. That’s how bullies get their way, and I’ve always grown up hating bullying. Sometimes you need someone to point out what’s wrong, even if they risk being unpopular by doing so. I try to make my point firmly but politely, bearing in mind that my view is not the only one. You’re much better off if you can find middle ground, but with some people that’s just not possible.”
Growing up
Q. How was your experience of growing up in Berkshire? “Berkshire was always good to me. I was lucky to have a comfortable home in a fun town full of music and friends supported by parents who loved me. I met my wife on the streets of Reading when we were both at school. That’s the most important thing that’s ever happened to me, so thank you, Berkshire.”
Q. What are your favourite aspects of life in Berkshire, and where are your favourite haunts? “I’m lucky that I meet a lot of volunteers through the Pride of Reading Awards and the other organisations I work with. There are so many people who help others because it’s right – not seeking recognition or advancement. These people see the instinctively try to fill the gaps left by society, and they far outweigh the rogues and bullies. Haunts? I love the river. The slipway at Aston near Henley on a spring morning is hard to beat.”
Q. Your dog Ozzy looks cute! Is he? What’s been the most rewarding, and most frustrating, aspect of being a dog owner? “Ozzy is my first dog, and I could never have imagined how wonderful he’d be. He’s transformed family life. Dogs are the greatest gift, like someone decided to parcel up the best bits of humans: loyalty, playfulness and enthusiasm, and then cover them in fur. He barks far too much, eats anything and smells dreadful.”
Q. We’re also supporting Launchpad Reading this month. Why do local heroes working to prevent homelessness also deserve our support, especially at this time of year? “I’ve been a patron of Launchpad for years. The work they do, to help people find homes, and then support them in those homes, is incredible. All charities, particularly local ones, are struggling right now, due to the cost of living crisis. Anything we can do to help Launchpad and others continue and extend their work, will have a huge effect on someone, somewhere, who doesn’t live that far away, and has had some bad luck. So please, donate, volunteer and spread the word.”
Q. Who is your favourite author? “George Orwell. Most people think of the darkness and dystopia of 1984. They don’t always see the humour or the love of nature in his writing which stems from his childhood in Henley and Shiplake. Everywhere tries to lay claim to Orwell, but from clues in his writing it seems to me that Berkshire was where he was happiest, fishing in the river, walking alone through the woods and fields, identifying birds and plants.”
Q. Can you tell us a bit about your love for Bracknell Bees? “The day the ice rink closed was terrible for the community. We loved watching the team play, and being part of the wonderful world of hockey. The players were rough and tough on the ice, but patient and thoughtful with the kids who were learning the game. I imagine they’ll build flats on the site at some point, but the families that live in them won’t have anything as great as the rink to keep them happy.”
Q. Finally, if you could make one wish for the world, what would it be? “Just tolerance, really. Understanding that just because someone doesn’t think, sound or look like you, or come from where you do, it doesn’t make them some sort of threat. We might have lost a bit of that.”
The Sobell House Vegetarian Cook Book is out on 8th November. To buy a copy of this 128-page paperback for £17.50 visitSobell House or buy from Waterstones and Amazon.
The Festival of Light promises to be even more extraordinary than ever, as you’re invited to step into The Wondrous Worlds of Roald Dahl as the lantern festival returns
This winter, The Festival of Light at Longleat will bring Roald Dahl’s much-loved stories to life.
Launching on November 5th and running throughout the festive holidays until January 8th. The Wondrous Worlds of Roald Dahl features a host of the acclaimed author’s most iconic characters. Including The BFG, Willy Wonka, Matilda and Fantastic Mr Fox.
Working in partnership with The Roald Dahl Story Company, Longleat is creating 23 stunning lantern scenes. These will narrate his much-loved stories as part of the Wiltshire attraction’s renowned The Festival of Light.
This year’s fantastical festival is the biggest and most ambitious to date. With over 800 individual lanterns, some more than 15-metres tall. Set against the historic backdrop of Longleat House, formal gardens and ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland.
Visitors can wander through Giant Country, see Sophie in the BFG’s Cave, and accompany them on their visit to Buckingham Palace.
What to expect
Step inside the gates of Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to meet Charlie, Mike TeeVee, Violet, Veruca, Augustus Gloop, and the Oompa Loompas.
Head over to Half Mile Pond to watch James set sail for New York, on the Giant Peach and brave shark-infested seas. Accompany Matilda to Crunchem Hall to meet the fearsome Miss Trunchbull. Finally, join Bruno, as he comes face to face with the wicked Witches.
The illuminated outdoor trail also features key scenes from Esio Trot, The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox, George’s Marvellous Medicine, The Enormous Crocodile, and The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me.
Other highlights include a three-metre-tall book tunnel, The BFG Flight Tunnel and a giant stack of Roald Dahl’s books in Main Square.
The festive fun continues with Longleat’s famous 15-metre Enchanted Christmas Tree Show and Santa Train – separate booking needed.
Tickets to The Festival of Light include the Winter Safari Drive-Through, Enchanted Christmas Tree Show. On-foot animal attractions including Koala Creek, Jungle Cruise and Family Farmyard, Adventure Castle, Rockin’ Rhino, Jungle Cruise and the Hedge Maze.
Well done to all the wildlife lovers who took part in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) competition who snapped some beautiful sights at local nature reserves and green spaces and showed how nature can help our mental health
Winning entries include this stunning shot of a buzzard in flight, this pin-sharp picture of a tiny shield bug emerging from a garden flower and a portrait of a pensive kingfisher.
The winner of this year’s children’s category was eight-year-old Roly Lewis from Oxford. The North Hinksey Primary School pupil took his fantastic photo of a shield bug, poking its head out of a flower in his own front garden.
Roly said: “I wanted to enter the competition, so I took lots of wildlife pictures all spring and summer. I thought this photo was my best one because the blossom was a nice background, and the shield bug had an amazing colour and pattern. This made me look closely at shield bugs which are really amazing. My mum told me I had won when I came out of school, and I was so excited I jumped up and down. I really wanted to win but I thought there would be so many good photos that I wouldn’t.”
Children Winner – Roly Lewis (8) (Sheildbug)Children Runner Up – Hayden Denham (7) (Hummingbird Hawkmoth)
The Wildlife Trust restarted its popular photo competition this summer after a three-year break because of the pandemic. The charity, which manages more than 80 nature reserves across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, challenged everyone aged six and over to take fantastic photos of plants, animals and fungi at its sites, or to capture action for wildlife in their local area.
Roy McDonald took first place with his crystal-clear shot of a buzzard in mid-air at the Trust’s College Lake reserve near Tring. The 45-year-old former courier driver from Berkhamstead revealed after winning the contest that he has struggled with his mental health for some years, and that wildlife photography had helped. He said: “Nature helps me so much, it’s honest and calming and it doesn’t judge you, and just sometimes, if you are calm and patient, it will allow you to get up close into their world. I always take great pleasure when a creature trusts you enough to not scurry or fly away. But you don’t have to take photos: just being in nature and observing it can give you something to focus on.
“I had my encounter with a majestic buzzard on a cold and beautiful winter day. I had seconds to react once I spotted it, and just as my focus locked on, it spotted me and flew directly across my path. So close to me. I chose the first image of the sequence because it had the most amount of action and sense of place. It is by far and away the best shot of a buzzard I have ever managed. They have eluded me for years. I’m quite stunned and delighted to have won.”
Flora and fauna Winner (and overall winner) – Ray McDonald (buzzard in flight) taken at College LakeFlora and fauna Runner Up – Adrianna Bielobradek (Poppy seedhead) taken at Buckleberry Common)
As overall winner, Mr McDonald won a top-of-the-range Panasonic Lumix digital camera and a wildlife photography masterclass. As well as receiving a printed canvas of his picture and having it appear in BBOWT’s 2023 calendar.
This year’s contest had six new categories: flora and fauna; nature reserve landscapes; people in nature; children’s category (ages 6-12), teenagers (ages 13-19) and Team Wilder, for shots of action for nature in the community. Helen Touchard-Paxton, a mum who lives Buckinghamshire, won the Team Wilder category with a snap of a frog in a garden pond that she and her family dug during the coronavirus lockdown.
She said: “I believe this photo shows that you don’t need acres of land to create a successful wildlife area: if you are interested – no matter how small your space – just have a go and see what works. I don’t have high-end expensive equipment, and I have no idea how to use photo editing software – the photo is very much ‘as taken’. I was absolutely amazed to have won the Team Wilder category.”
Team Wilder Winner – Helen Touchard-Paxton (frog)Team Wilder Runner Up – Peter Massam (bug hotel)
The Trust received hundreds of entries, creating an extremely difficult job for this year’s judges. BBOWT communications officer Kate Titford, Trust magazine editor Ben Vanheems and professional photographer Steve Gozdz, who runs local nature safaris in Berkshire through his business GG Wildlife Experiences.
Teenagers Winner – Zachary Osbourne (14) Kingfisher Teenagers Runner Up – Lucy Colston (17) (marbled white on scabious)
Mr Vanheems said: “It’s been a really laborious process with lots of debate going on because we want to get it right, but the competition entrants haven’t exactly made it easy for us.”
People in Nature Winner – Petra Mohr (girl on decking) taken at Weston Turville ReserviorPeople in Nature Runner Up – Lorraine Clarke (man in hide) taken at College Lake
Mr Gozdz added: “What I was looking for was composition, good use of light – an action shot would have been fantastic. What we’ve found is something quite stunning. A real in-the-moment shot with perfect angles and perfect light, and actually something I would have been very happy to have taken myself. In fact, when I first saw it I was quite jealous.”
Landscape Winner – Charlotte Day (sunrise landscape) taken at Cholsey MarshLandscape Runner Up – John Kearns (Warburg trees) taken at Warburg
The trust is grateful to GG Wildlife Experiences, Panasonic and Chroma for sponsoring this year’s competition.
A ground-breaking project created by BBOWT, (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) to create a new channel of the River Thames and restore long-lost wildlife habitat, has been completed.
The 450-metre watercourse at Chimney Meadows nature reserve near Bampton, bypasses a manmade weir and will enable fish to swim along a 30km stretch of the Thames, and spawn for the first time in more than a century.
Created by BBOWT in a £2 million project at its flagship nature reserve. The channel is already populated with native fish, birds and mammals.
Working with the Environment Agency, the trust also created shallow temporary pools called scrapes near the channel. The project has re-established a naturally functioning floodplain habitat. Which was once common across the UK, but was destroyed as rivers were straightened, land was drained and connection with floodplain was lost.
This wetland is now able to store floodwater for longer, helping to protect homes and land from flooding. Predicted to worsen as a result of climate change. The trust is also working in partnership with Bangor University and the EA. Who are undertaking research to demonstrate that active floodplains can store carbon and be part of the solution to the climate crisis.
Estelle Bailey, BBOWT’s chief executive, said: “This project is an amazing achievement for restoring vital habitats for wildlife, to move freely while tackling climate change. Our mission as a trust is to put nature into recovery. We want to see 30% of land in our three counties properly managed for wildlife by 2030. This is a golden piece of that wild jigsaw puzzle. We know we cannot tackle climate change without restoring nature. This project is a shining example to the whole world of how we can achieve that by working together to bring wildlife back.”
‘This is a golden piece of that wild jigsaw puzzle‘
The two-year project was funded by a £2 million Water Environment Grant. From the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The project was managed by environmental consultancy JCTR, designed by environmental engineering consultancy Atkins, and main contractor on site was Hampshire-based FiveRivers. Which delivered all the environmental, wetland and improvement works.
One of the central aims of the work was to create a channel that would bypass Shifford Weir. A structure has existed at this site since the 1890s. When a new ‘short cut’ channel was dug to connect two parts of the Thames and enable easier transportation of wool from the Cotswolds to London. Shifford Weir is owned and operated by the EA and helps with the navigability and flood risk management of the Thames. But blocks the movement of fish. This is one of the reasons that, in recent years, the river environments in the area have been classified as having poor ecological status.
The new channel, in combination with a new rock pool fish pass at Duxford Ford, will allow fish to pass some of the last remaining barriers on the Upper Thames. Fish will now be able to freely swim around the Duxford Loop of the river. Even during low water levels, to access some 30km of Thames between Eynsham and Radcot, including 2.1km of potentially good spawning habitat. Crucially, this helps populations of native species including barbel, chub and dace to be far more resilient to environmental change such as hotter, drier summers, and to pollution events.
The new scrapes around the channel will help the nature reserve’s curlew. An iconic wading bird with a distinctive downward-curved beak that is in national decline. The curlew is an indicator of the wider health of the wetland. But they need wet pools to feed on aquatic insects and longer grass, in which to nest and hide from predators. Both have now been restored.
The project has also attached ‘baffles’ to Great Brook Ford which will further help fish to swim upstream, and planted new, native wet woodland around Duxford Ford. With hundreds of willow, alder, birch and hawthorn trees.
The entire project was overseen by BBOWT Living Landscape Manager for the Upper Thames, Lisa Lane. Despite the fact that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the middle of the work. Lisa said: “It was really challenging to make this project happen for many reasons. It came close to failing a few times. Lizzie Rhymes at the Environment Agency has been a great support in particular, since we first discussed helping fish over or around the various barriers in the river back in 2010! I can’t wait to show people what we have achieved.”
Visit Newbury has launched an updated version of Its Vegan -friendly trail map ahead of World Vegan Month In November
An updated Newbury Vegan-Friendly Trail Map with a new design has been launched to support the many local independents and national brands across the town centre.
The handy pocket map has launched online in advance of World Vegan Month, which starts on November 1st aims to help raise the profile of Newbury as a vegan-friendly destination, while promoting the national and independently owned shops, salons, cafés, and eateries to a vast and growing audience of vegans, v-curious, or simply eco-conscious shoppers.
This is the final map in the Newbury Town Trail map series to launch in 2022. Physical copies of the map are due to be distributed in matching display boxes to all 39 independent businesses and some of the national brands featured, as well as the 20 independent businesses included on the recent Dog-Friendly Trail Map, and 48 brands featured on the Independent Retail Map. The maps will also be available to pick-up from Newbury Library, West Berkshire Museum, and Old Town Hall, as well as from market stall holders at the next seasonal Vegan Market, taking place on Sunday, 20th November in the Market Place.
Additionally, maps will be available to collect outside of the town centre from the gift shop at Shaw House.
"We anticipate that the trail maps will encourage visitors to shop in-store on the vegan market day and beyond"
The Vegan-Friendly Trail Map includes a brief description of each venue and is set to become a useful resource for visitors and local residents who attend Newbury’s popular quarterly Vegan Market, signposting them to other animal-friendly and plant-based venues in the town centre. You can view the Vegan-Friendly Trail Map online here.
The businesses featured on the map will be open to customers on market day, and we anticipate that the trail maps will encourage visitors to shop in-store on the vegan market day and beyond. The trail, spanning from London Road through to Newbury’s Southern Quarter (consisting of Inches Yard, Bartholomew Street and The Arcade), should also help visitors to discover other businesses along the route, as the trail takes shoppers down some of Newbury’s quieter streets, many of which are hidden gems.
Find out more
The themed maps produced at Newbury BID are the third in a series of town centre maps for Newbury under the umbrella term ‘Newbury Town Trail Maps’. Downloadable copies of the physical maps and interactive versions of the Town Trails can be found online here.
