1. DEDHAM VALE &
STOUR VALLEY NEWS
News and Visitor Information for the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org 1
Autumn/Winter 2015/16Free
Here Be Dragons!
Take our Outstanding Landscapes Quiz and discover
what else is lurking in the Dedham Vale and Stour Valley
Page 3
PhotooftheOldBuresdragonbyCathyShelbourne
PhotoofbarnowlbyJonEvans
PhotosuppliedbyDawsHall
Wild about Autumn and Winter
The AONB team suggest what to
see and where to go Pages 8-9
Beautiful
barn owls
Catch up
with the
Suffolk Barn
Owl Project
and Neil
Catchpole’s
Nature
Notes Pages
10 and 15
Ladies who Munch - Outdoors
Find out what’s happening in the Stour
Valley, whatever the weather
Pages 12-15
2. 2
I
am delighted that this year we have again
been able to allocate £30,000 from our
Government grant to directly assist projects
that benefit the economic, social and
environmental aspects of the Dedham Vale.
One scheme that caught my imagination is
the ‘Scattered Orchard’ which offers fruit
or nut trees for public areas to parishes
in the AONB; what a wonderful legacy for
the future! We also have our Stour Valley
Environment Fund, managed by the Essex
Community Foundation, which can offer
grants throughout the entire Project area.
Donations are actively sought – please ask
for details!
We have recently completed the consultation
on the draft of our new Management Plan,
which we trust will assist in balancing the
needs of businesses, the environment,
residents and visitors for the next few years.
As our local population increases we will
host more visitors in the Valley and we must
ensure it can cope. Our aim is to maintain
our thriving, living landscape where natural
assets are conserved and enhanced and
where people, businesses and communities
can prosper into the future. I’m reminded of
the phrase ‘we’re all in this together,’ which
is so true of our protected landscapes; we
are all part of the environment of the Stour
Valley and we must work together for its
future.
Your AONB
Messages from the Chairmen
Councillor Nigel Chapman
Chairman, Dedham Vale
AONB and Stour Valley Joint
Advisory Committee (JAC)
Robert Erith TD DL
Chairman, Dedham Vale AONB
& Stour Valley Partnership
A
t the General Election in May Rory Stewart
MP (well worth doing an internet search on
him!) became the new Minister responsible
for Protected Landscapes. A countryman by
upbringing, the indications are that he will be a
strong supporter of Areas of Outstanding Natural
Beauty.
I never cease to be amazed by the range
of activities undertaken by our Project
officers and volunteers. The Stour Valley
Education Network recently published four
Stour Valley Fact Sheets (funded by the
AONB Sustainable Development Fund). They
are fun to read, packed with information
and a “must” for primary school children in
the whole Stour Valley. Further tourist and
school-friendly information can be found in
the Outstanding Landscapes Quiz, part of the
EU funded project launched in March 2015 at
Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich. Information
is on the website, or contact the team.
It is crucially important that our Partners,
Local Authorities, schools, residents and
visitors know what we do and there is a
vast array of user-friendly information
circulated. The AONB Monthly Update (ask to
receive this) and of course this newspaper,
play key roles in telling our story. All of us
should do our best to ensure information is
distributed as widely as possible – so pass
this newspaper on to others!
A Vision for the Future!
M
aking sure the Dedham Vale Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is as
wonderful in the future as it is today is a
task not just for the AONB team but for all the
Partners, residents and organisations along the
River Stour. It is great that the new Dedham
Vale AONB Management Plan (to be in place
for five years until 2020) has been so widely
supported and commented on by over 50
individuals and organisations. Copies will be
available in late Autumn 2015.
The long term Vision for the Area is as follows:
The Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty (AONB) and Stour Valley Project area
is a distinctive landscape with agriculture
and wildlife at its core that retains its
natural beauty and special qualities, which
is conserved and enhanced by a wide ranging
partnership. It is an area where residents
feel a strong sense belonging, visitors are
welcomed to enjoy the countryside and the
heritage is understood and appreciated by all.
There are many different types of projects
and activities throughout the area, led by a
range of interest groups, and the Management
Plan draws them together in easy-to-follow
sections: The Countryside; Residents and
Villages; Enjoying the Area; The River and
its Tributaries; Climate Change; and Working
Together.
As Nigel Chapman and Robert Erith, Chairs,
say in the Managment Plan Foreword:
For over 30 years the Dedham Vale AONB
and Stour Valley Joint Advisory Committee
(JAC) and Partnership have worked to ensure
that the special qualities and natural beauty
of the area is conserved and enhanced for
future generations. While this benefits those
that live in the area it plays an increasingly
important part in supporting local businesses
that are encouraging visitors to enjoy the
area. Sometimes known as ‘natural capital’
the combination of landscape, history and
wildlife is a big pull to those that want to
enjoy the countryside. Times move on and this
Plan reflects the new priorities for conserving
and enhancing the natural beauty of the area
and all the benefits that the area can bring
to business, wildlife and local communities.
It is not just the work of the AONB JAC and
Partnership to ensure the area remains
important and retains its natural beauty;
everyone has a role to play in ensuring that
the area remains one of England’s finest.
Introducing our new River Stour Project Officer
Alex Moore da Luz (pictured right) lives in Mistley, so leaving behind his post in the London Borough
of Havering for the beautiful Stour Valley was
no hardship!
“What particularly excites me about being the
River Stour Project Officer is the scale of the
area covered by the river and its tributaries.
There are so many opportunities to develop
new projects as well as support the existing
ones. I am looking forward to working with the
volunteers and local communities, as well as
assisting landowners and farmers to manage the
countryside sustainably.”
Alex is an ecologist, and is especially
experienced in project management and
development. Previous jobs include working for
the RSPB as an agricultural project officer, for
Horsham District Council as a nature reserve
warden, and for Havering undertaking a wide
variety of waste reduction and recycling
initiatives. He and his Brazilian wife (hence
the surname) have two young daughters, and
as keen cyclists and ramblers, they know the
eastern end of the Stour Valley very well. No
doubt their cycling expeditions will include the
upper reaches of the river very soon!
Goodbye to Matt Holden, previous River Stour Project Officer (pictured far
left) and bon voyage, as he embarks on a round the world trip. Our thanks go
with him for the excellent progress of the River Stour Project.
Balloon Releases
T
he Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley
Partnership considers that balloon and sky
lantern releases have the potential to
adversely impact upon the special qualities of
the area, and are not supported by the
Partnership.
There is a risk of harm or death to wildlife
and livestock (ingestion, entanglement,
entrapment, panic) from released balloons and
sky lanterns. Unexpired sky lanterns pose a
significant fire hazard. Both contribute to the
defacement of land by litter and waste.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs)
are designated by the Government for the
purpose of ensuring that the natural beauty of
the finest landscapes in England and Wales
is conserved and enhanced. Occasionally we
issue statements outlining our position on
specific issues. Other position statements can
be seen on our website.
Good Neighbours
N
eighbourhood Plans give communities
direct power to develop a shared vision
for their neighbourhood.
The AONBs have produced a guidance
document in conjunction with Touching the
Tide. It’s aimed at Parish Councillors and
anyone else with an interest in shaping their
local place through the planning system.
For more information see www.
dedhamvalestourvalley.org/publications/
wldlife-and-landscape
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
BALANCING PRIORITIES IN THE STOUR VALLEY. Speakers at the annual community conference, the Stour Valley
Forum, held in June at Shrubs Farm, Lamarsh (home of Robert Erith) were, from left to right: Matt Holden,
River Stour Project Officer; Simon Amstutz, AONB Manager; Mary Tebje, Tourism Manager at Visit Essex; Cathy
Shelbourne of Outstanding Landscapes; Ian Williams from Anglia Adventures Ltd; Nigel Chapman, Chairman,
Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Joint Advisory Committee (JAC); and Robert Erith, Chairman, Dedham Vale
AONB & Stour Valley Partnership.
3. 3
Outstanding Landscapes Quiz
An Outstanding Quiz
H
ow well do you know the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Suffolk
and Essex? Take our online quiz to discover the extent of your knowledge
– and to learn so much more!
• What are the special landscape features of our AONBs?
• How many long distance paths are there?
• Which rock band played in Constable Country?
• Where would you find dragons?
These and many other questions make up the online training quiz originally developed for tourism
businesses in the AONBs as part of the Outstanding Landscapes project. Since its launch in March
2015, nearly 50 tourism businesses in the AONBs have been involved in this EU-funded programme
of activities and events demonstrating that landscape features can increase visitor enjoyment,
encourage repeat business and help build a stronger year-round visitor economy.
Using feedback from the tourism businesses taking part in the workshops and tours, the Dedham
Vale AONB and Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB have now launched the online quiz – which is free and
accessible to everyone. There are two quizzes, each specialising in an AONB.
Each question in the quiz gives you four options, and lots of information on the correct answer. There
are 40 questions covering species and habitat, places and attractions, heritage and culture, sounds
and stories, and icons.
On completion you receive a certificate and a useful pack of information, including guides to the
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and a copy of the quiz questions and answers for further
reference.
Go to www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org and www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org to register for the
quiz. You can keep up with all the latest Outstanding Landscapes news via social media using
#outstandinglandscapes and #outstandinglandscapesquiz.
Examples of quiz questions:
Want to know the
answers? Take the quiz!
Register at www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org and
www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org
K
ay and Martin Johnson run a 4 star bed and breakfast business close
to Alton Water, within the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB, and
conveniently placed for the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley too.
“The more knowledge and information that we can assemble the better
the experience our guests will have of our beautiful area,” say Kay and
Martin, who attended the launch of the Outstanding Landscapes project
in March 2015 at Christchurch Mansion.
“Our guests welcome advice on where to go and what to do. We want to
provide added value and hope that they will return. Our website gives
lots of information about the area in advance, and we keep leaflets and
books in the rooms. Most of our guests want to have a natter and to find
out more about the countryside.
This quiz is an excellent opportunity for us to acquire more in-depth
knowledge that we can pass on to our guests.”
www.atthejohnsons.co.uk
At the Johnsons
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
5. 5
News from the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley
LEADER Launch
The latest cycle of the LEADER rural development programme launches nationally on 14th
October 2015. LEADER is a grant-funding programme for local businesses and organisations
to help them carry out projects which create jobs, help their business to grow and which
benefit the rural economy.
Locally, there are two new LEADER areas, the Heritage Coast and the Wool Towns which take
in the south of Suffolk, the coastal areas of Suffolk as well as much of north Essex. The two
areas each have a Local Development Strategy that guides their decision-making on funding
applications.
LEADER has six priorities for funding:
• Increasing farm productivity
• Support to micro and small businesses and farm diversification
• Boost rural tourism
• Provision of rural services
• Provision of cultural and heritage activities; and
• Increasing forestry productivity
In addition to the six main programme priorities each area has specific priorities and
objectives relating to the types of projects they are particularly keen to fund.
The Wool Towns has the following objectives:
• Developing a coherent and distinct tourism branding for the area
• Agricultural and other rural businesses to develop and diversify their businesses
• Maintaining and attracting local services that provides
employment for young people
• Existing community facilities to provide more
services that promote public access to the
countryside
• Improving and enhancing woodland management
and its supply chain
• Innovative methods to conserve natural
resources
More information is available on the website
www.suffolk.gov.uk/business-jobs-and-careers/
funding-for-businesses-charities-and-projects/rural-
development-funding/ or you can contact the Suffolk
County Council team by email on
ruraldevelopment@suffolk.gcsx.gov.uk
Sign up for Scattered Orchards!
The Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has received funding from its Sustainable
Development Fund to set up a Scattered Orchard Project and a pilot Constable Country Volunteer Ranger
Scheme.
The aim of the Scattered Orchard Project is to plant five local varieties of fruit or nut tree in each parish in
the Dedham Vale AONB. Suffolk and Essex once had many traditional orchards but these are now disappearing
from the landscape. Planting small clumps of traditional fruit or nut trees on publicly-accessible land means
local people can benefit from the trees all year round, enjoying the blossom in the spring to eating their fruit
and nuts in the autumn. These trees will not only provide habitats for a wide variety of wildlife but will bring
villagers together on a local community project on their doorstep which will be there for future generations.
So far out of the 21 parishes in the Dedham Vale AONB we have 14 parishes signed up to the scheme - which is
fantastic! Sites include allotments, community wild spaces, recreation grounds, village greens and car park
verges.
During the next couple of months staff and volunteers will be consulting with Suffolk Traditional Orchard
Group regarding the varieties of fruit/nut trees to be planted as well as visiting sites and meeting local
parishioners who will be involved in the planting of the trees in late autumn/winter. This project will provide
a fruitful legacy in the Vale which will be enjoyed by all that live and visit the area.
Constable Country Volunteer Rangers
If you’d like to keep Constable Country special and help enhance the experience of people who
visit the area, become a Volunteer Ranger! The aim of the Ranger scheme is for volunteers to
walk the footpaths between Dedham, Flatford and East Bergholt, engage with the public and
act as the eyes and ears on the ground for the Dedham Vale Visitor Management Group. With
over 210,000 visitors to Constable Country a year the pilot scheme is a way of tackling some of
the tourism related issues that arise in the area, such as litter, dogs off lead and helping
people find their way around!
The scheme will ensure visitors have a good visitor experience, provide visitors with
information about the area, places to go, things to do, how to get there and show that the
area is cared for so visitors, residents and local businesses benefit. So far 12 volunteers have
been trained and equipped with litter picks and green tabards.
Contact Emma Black, Countryside Officer, about these schemes
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
New Constable Country Rangers
attend their first training session
For further information Tel: 01206 299224
e-mail sales@placeforplants.co.uk www.placeforplants.co.uk
PLANT CENTRE & GARDEN
For Specialist and Popular Plants
Trees, Trees, Trees
Plant Centre open daily 10am to 5pm (dusk if earlier)
Situated 2 miles East of the A12 on the B1070,
(Manningtree road) on the edge of East Bergholt.
Visit the nursery for all your plants this Autumn, including trees,
shrubs, fruit, hedging, roses, climbers as well as seeds, terracotta
pots and gardening gifts and sundries.
6. 6 DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
Suffolk norfolk life
magazine
Subscribe a friend
or relative as a
Christmas gift for
just £30 a year
Tel: 01728 622030
www.suffolknorfolklife.com
7. 7
On Your Bike!
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS | www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org
Enjoying two AONBs
New Cycle Explorer Guides
Are you keen to cycle AND explore the AONB at
the same time? Then the new Adnams AONB Cycle
Explorer Guides are just what you need!
There are five new Guides to help
you explore the Suffolk coast:
- Alton Water & Pin Mill
- Woodbridge & Waldringfield
- Rendlesham Forest & Shingle Street
- Snape & Orford
- Dunwich & Minsmere
These guides, similar in style to the highly successful AONB
walking Explorer Guides, offer a selection of what to see along
the way, Route Highlights, a map and directions. There is also
a range of route lengths from 12.5 to 27.5 miles (20 to 44.5
km) showing short cuts or extensions were possible. Included
in each one is the AONB Safe Cycling Guide, with tips on
keeping yourself and others safe so everyone can share the
views and enjoy the roads together.
As Adnams, sponsor of the five Guides, says: “Cycling is
a fun, inclusive and healthy way to enjoy the beautiful
county we live in and it’s made even better by a refreshing
drink in one of our pubs at the end of your
adventure!” Download a free copy from the AONB website.
Alton Water Park & Pin Mill
Suffolk Coast & Heaths Cycle Explorer Guide
Alton Water Park is set in the beautiful countryside of the Shotley Peninsula. Quiet roads lead to Pin Mill,
a well-known riverside hamlet with links to the children’s author Arthur Ransome.
Route Highlights
Alton Water Park. The reservoir was created between
1974 and 1987 to supply water to Ipswich and Felixstowe.
Alton Water Park is owned and managed by Anglian Water.
Before the reservoir was built, several farms and a watermill
nestled in the valley. To preserve local heritage, Alton Watermill
was dismantled and relocated to the Museum of East Anglian
Life in Stowmarket.
Today, Alton Water Park provides a home for many plants and
animals. Thousands of water birds such as wigeon, pochard
and teal spend the winter here. Summer visitors include
chiffchaff and common tern. Anglian Water has created nature
reserve areas to encourage more wildlife.
The Royal Hospital School occupies the buildings on either
side of the B1080 road in Holbrook. The school was
founded in Greenwich in 1712, moving to its present site in
1933. The distinctive buildings were designed by Arts and
Crafts architect Herbert Tudor Buckland. The bell tower is a
local landmark and the bells toll throughout the day. Until
recently, entry to the school was limited to boys from seafaring
families. Although this no longer applies and the school is co-
educational, the maritime links are proudly maintained.
Holbrook Creek is one of many tidal inlets on the River
Stour. The reed beds and salt marshes are a great habitat
for wildlife, particularly birds. Avocet, ringed plover and
redshank are year-round residents, whilst reed warblers arrive
in the spring. Migrating birds, including geese, sandpipers and
greenshank can be spotted in the spring and autumn as they
stop to rest and feed. The nearby mudflats also provide a
magic, sticky habitat for plants and animals.
Pin Mill is a beautiful waterside hamlet. It was once the
centre of a thriving barge- building industry, supplying
vessels to transport goods to and from Ipswich and beyond.
Barges still anchor off the village and boat-building continues
on a smaller scale. Arthur Ransome, the famous children’s
author, lived in the village in the 1930s. His novel, We Didn’t
Mean to Go to Sea, begins at Pin Mill. Ransome was a keen
sailor and his yacht, Nancy Blackett, has been saved by the
Nancy Blackett Trust.
The Tattingstone Wonder is an illusion! In the 1700s, the
local squire, Edward White, wanted to improve the view
from his house, Tattingstone Place. He did this by building a
false tower on a row of cottages to create the outline of a
church. The tower only has three sides and is open at the back.
(Alton Water Park route only)
Download
a free copy
from the
AONB
website!
PhotoofcyclistsonDunwichBeachbyCathyShelbourne
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W
hether you’re an avid cyclist or you’re planning
your first cycle ride, Suffolk is a great place to get
on your bike. And with it being Suffolk’s Year of
Cycling, there’s no better time to explore the county. The
meandering lanes and picturesque byways of the Stour
Valley are ideal for cyclists, and seeing the Dedham Vale
from the saddle guarantees plenty of gorgeous scenery.
The area has day rides and longer routes, including National
Cycle Route 1, the Cycle South Suffolk route and the
‘Painter’s Trail’.
‘Cycling through a Masterpiece’ provides a number of
enjoyable routes through the Stour Valley’s historical
locations and past enchanting views. The seven routes can
be linked together easily to create a longer, more
challenging ride.
Find details of the routes at
www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org/publications/cycling-guides
Keep up to date with all the events and activities taking
place during Suffolk’s Year of Cycling at
www.suffolksyearofcycling.co.uk and share your
experiences of cycling in the AONB @SuffolkSpokes
Helen Raven, Suffolk County Council
9. 9
Autumn and Winter in the AONBs
Neil Catchpole Countryside Officer,
Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project
• Get yourself a Granary Pat [a big round granary loaf with a crusty, floury bottom – available in
large and small] from Lavenham bakery in the market square, a big lump of cheese and a bottle of
Suffolk cider, and sit your back against one of the magnificent old oaks beside the footpaths
above the Box Valley. Speak softly and make no sudden movements and wonder at how soon the
wildlife returns to its daily tasks, especially as this season’s young discover that food is becoming
more difficult to find.
• Now that the bare bones of the countryside are visible once again, and there are a few more
muddy paths to follow, download a basic guide, keep your eyes down, and try your hand at
tracking. Foxes, badgers , deer and the smaller mammals, which are starting to range further
afield as they mature and disperse, will betray their regular tracks and trails. Sketch the routes in a
note-book, creep quietly back at dawn or dusk, and see if your detective work has paid off.
Children and the young at heart will love to have a go at making plaster-casts of the tracks you
find, especially if you come across the pad-mark of the elusive otter on a wet riverbank.
Haidee Stephens
Suffolk Estuaries Officer
Go birdwatching at Holbrook Creek, on the
river Stour: park in the car park at Lower
Holbrook and walk about 200m on a gravel
path down to the estuary. The sight of the
water comes as a surprise as you break out
of the trees and step onto the embankment
– this is where a sluice lets the water drain
back to the estuary from a nice little
reedbed at low tide.
You can walk westwards along the sea wall
and see lots of sea birds and waders
feeding on the mud flats at low tide or
perched rather comically one on each of a
long line of wooden posts, which are
almost submerged at high tide. Keep your eyes open and you’re almost sure
to see the vivid blue flash of a kingfisher as they have a fondness for
Environment Agency structures and there are quite a few of these built
through the sea walls here.
You’ll probably hear ‘the sentinel of the marshes’ before you see it – the
redshank is quite a feisty character with a shrill persistent call and you’ll see a
flash of black and white underwing as it moves across the saltmarshes, often
coming quite close to you.
You’ll get the best view of the birds if you’re quiet, don’t wear bright colours
and are prepared to stand or sit and watch awhile – bring a flask of hot drink
and lots of warm and windproof clothes to keep the chill off and a pair of
binoculars or better still a telescope if you can borrow one for the day.
Birds in winter need to reserve their energy so please try not to startle them
yourself or by letting your dog run off the lead. That’s very important to
remember, and if you can pass that message on to a friend you’ll be doing the
world’s migratory birds which choose our estuaries a good turn. (No Tern
jokes here…)
Lynda Gilbert
Countryside Officer,
Suffolk Coast & Heaths
AONB
• Listen and watch the fallow deer
rut. My favourite place is Hollesley
Commons, around Barthorps Folly.
• A great place any time of the
year is Staverton Thicks near
Rendlesham. It’s a fantastic
woodland of ancient oaks and
hollies, great for trees, deer, birds,
fungi and dappled light.
Alex Moore da Luz
River Stour
Project Officer
• A fantastic place to get a really good
view of the migrant birds that come into
the Stour estuary in the Autumn and
Winter is at The Walls in Manningtree.
The road hugs the shoreline and you can
get so close to the waterfowl and
waders that you can easily identify birds
such as black tailed godwits – which
makes it ideal for bird-watching
beginners too.
• Cattawade marshes, on the other side
of the estuary, just off the A137, is also
good for waterfowl and waders.
Neil Lister
Countryside Officer, Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB
• Hunker down inland of any of the Suffolk estuaries just before high tide (in the lee of some
cover). Wait and see what types of shoreline birds fly overhead as they are pushed off their feeding
grounds by the rising tide. You might see greenshank, golden plover, teal, dunlin or many other
species.
• There are about 4,000 species of fungi to be found in Suffolk, hundreds of which can be
encountered growing in our countryside. The sandy soil areas of the coast and Breckland tend to be
more productive than the rest of the county, so a walk anywhere in the Coast & Heaths with your
‘toadstool hat’ on will be a great experience (ED: although we asked Neil for a photo of him in this
headgear, he tells us that the pixies have requested no publicity). It is best to look and not pick, but
if you can’t resist picking these are some simple guidelines: Go out with someone who knows what
they are looking at and follow the ‘fungi pickers’ code’ see,
www.leics.gov.uk/fungi_code_of_conduct_2012.pdf
PhotoofHaideeStephensbyEADT
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS | www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org
10. 10
News from around the AONBs
P
roject Director Steve Piotrowski celebrates the first
ten years of the Suffolk Community Barn Owl Project
(SCBOP)
SCBOP is dedicated to the successful conservation of barn owls.
Our principal partners are Suffolk Ornithologists Group, Suffolk
Wildlife Trust and BTO, but a number of smaller independent
projects also fall under the SCBOP umbrella including those
administered by Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project,
Thornham Owl Project and Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.
Throughout 2015 we’ve held a series of special events,
starting with my lecture tour and workshops, and ending in a
special talk on 19th October in Halesworth by Dr Colin
Shawyer, author of The Barn Owl
www.halesworthartsfestival.org.uk
The Project was very proud to receive Suffolk County Council’s
Greenest County Award in the Landscape and Diversity
category early in 2015.
The Project has been awarded £2,000 from each of the AONBs’
Sustainable Development Funds, with an additional £1,000
from Touching the Tide Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape
Partnership Scheme. This money will allow us to repair or
replace dilapidated boxes in the two AONB areas. In addition, a
further £1,000 has been raised by Waveney Bird Club, so boxes
in the Waveney Valley can also be repaired or replaced as and
when necessary.
The Project has advised on the fixing of over 1,800 barn owl
nest boxes throughout Suffolk, on nature reserves, farmland
and on community spaces like village greens and school
grounds. In addition, the success of the project has resulted in
requests for the fixing of boxes just across the boundaries in
Norfolk and Essex. By providing an extended connected
network of good habitat and nesting opportunities, we can
give the barn owls the fighting chance they need to thrive.
The Project involves the whole community and the boxes are
made by local organisations and monitored by an army of
expert volunteers each year. This system of raising awareness,
creating nesting opportunities and managing suitable nearby
habitat is having a positive effect on barn owl populations
across Suffolk. This is a project of which all Suffolk people can
call their own and be proud of.
An indication of how barn owls are faring is by the number of
chicks ringed. Last year nearly 1,000 barn owls were ringed
whereas indications for 2015 show that the total is unlikely to
exceed 400, roughly a 50-60% reduction. It should be noted
that we await results of nearly half of the boxes that are
monitored annually and we are aware of the presence of many
late broods. This year is most unusual in that there is a double
first-egg laying period, with many laying their first egg around
the usual time of 20th April and then another batch laying in
the second week of June. Boxes containing late broods are
being monitored; it will be interesting to note whether these
late broods will fare better.
Owl Project Ten Years On
To sustain good barn owl numbers there must be enough prey.
Short-tailed voles need a particular type of habitat - rough,
tussocky grass that they can move through in tunnels and that
provides their own source of food and nesting habitat. This
habitat, in close proximity to correctly positioned barn owl nest
boxes, provides the ideal conditions for the owls to hunt.
Currently, much of the county’s grassland is ‘managed’ by too
much grazing or frequent cutting. The project is committed to
offer advice to provide the grassland that barn owls favour
across the county – with the benefits extending well beyond
barn owls and voles. This habitat is scarce and precious, it holds
up entire ecosystems from diverse flora to many species of
invertebrates that use it for overwintering.
Could it be that Suffolk barn owls are able to diversify more
than those found elsewhere? When food is plentiful, barn owls
will continue to take food to the nest and form larders. Larders
have been few and far between this year, but those that have
been found show a good selection long-tailed field mice and
common, pygmy and rare water shrews.
If you’d like to help the Project, come along to our free
training course, due to take place in February 2016 at
Heveningham Hall. Please call on 01986 893311 or email
spiotrowski@btinternet.com.
ABOVE: Steve Piotrowski from the Suffolk Community Barn Owl
Project (SCBOP) during a talk to children at Bawdsey County Primary
School. Photo by Kathy Piotrowski.
BarnowlbyJonEvans
D
avid Blakesley, from Autism and Nature, introduces
a book which helps younger children with autism
to engage with natural places in the Suffolk Coast
and Heaths AONB.
Autism and Nature staff are working on an illustrated story
book for younger children with autism and related disabilities.
Alex and Rosie’s Adventures in Suffolk describes the
adventures of two children as they visit the natural places
featured in our recent publication Visiting the Suffolk
countryside: a guide for parents and teachers of children with
autism. The book will feature clear and attractive illustrations,
simple language and Widgit symbols for children with speech
and language difficulties who rely on visual supports. The
book should help autistic children to understand and visualise
what they might see and experience in the countryside, and
what activities they might undertake at particular places.
Natural places visited by Alex and Rosie include Flatford
hamlet, Arger Fen, The Place for Plants and Melford Country
Park. The book will be published towards the end of 2015 and
will be free of charge. For more information about Autism and
Nature and its publications for adults and children, please visit
our website www.autismandnature.org.uk.
The book is being funded by Dedham Vale AONB and Suffolk
Coast & Heaths AONB; and the Martineau Fund and Bluebell
Fund (through Suffolk Community Foundation).
Alex and Rosie’s
Adventures in Suffolk
England’s finest landscapes contribute more than £20bn each
year to our economy, similar to that of Birmingham, according
to a new report. The publication ‘So much more than the
view…’ from England’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) and National Parks, highlights the wide range of
benefits these iconic areas provide to society.
Did you know?
• More than two thirds of people in England live within half an
hour’s travel of a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty
• AONBs and National Parks welcome more than 260 million
visitors who spend in excess of £6bn and support thousands of
jobs and more than 85,000 businesses
• They provide a base for businesses that rely on a high quality
environment; creative and sporting inspiration; homes for
people and wildlife; food and drink; and life enhancing
experiences for millions of visitors of all ages.
“Our British landscapes are among the most beautiful and
precious in the world,” says Environment Minister Rory
Stewart. “And such land remains central to the British
imagination, to our souls and to our identity. We have a deep
obligation to protect this land, its farms and its communities.”
www.landscapesforliferesources.org.uk/images/uploads/pdf/
So_much_more_than_the_view.pdf
So Much More than the View
W
orking with local businesses, organisations and
communities, five 2-minute films have been produced
which feature and highlight the landscape, wildlife,
heritage and seasons of the Suffolk and Essex AONBs. Nick
Boulter and film cameraman Carl Stickley spent over 12 months
filming in locations selected to show the diversity and
attractiveness of the areas.
The films are free for businesses and organisations to upload
and embed on to their websites, blogs or social media. By doing
so, the local economy benefits from helping to raise the profile
of the area in general, and local food, drink and
accommodation in particular can be highlighted. This will
increase visits out of season and assist local businesses to
develop and build retail opportunities that do not currently exist.
“A growing number of people now use the internet to access
information on-line,” says Nick Boulter, who has many years’
experience in radio broadcasting and internet technology.
“This film making project is a modern, innovative way to gain
information about the history and environmental issues which
gives visitors more appreciation of the area.”
As part of the project young people were invited to attend a
workshop and a practical demonstration on film-making with
feedback given by Carl Stickley, who has worked extensively in
television and films, and now teaches in FE colleges.
This project was funded by the Amenity and Accessibility
Fund (AAF) and Sustainability Development Fund (SDF) with
additional help from the AONB team. The videos can be viewed
on the AONB websites. To use these films to promote your
business please contact nick@pebble-media.co.uk.
Filming the AONBs
What do Barn Owls need?
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS | www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org
11. 11DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
Box office 01255 686633
Book Online: www.essex-live.co.uk
What’s On: www.tendringdc.gov.uk
Show Date Time
OCTOBER
LDN Wrestling Thurs 29th 7.30pm
The Kast of the Kinks Fri 30th 7.30pm
Peter Pan the Musical Sat 31st Matinee 2.30pm
NOVEMBER
Sally Morgan Fri 6th 7.30pm
Dinosaur Zoo
Tues 10th
Weds 11th
4.30pm
10.30am & 4.30pm
The Frank Sinatra Centennial Concert Sat 21st 7.30pm
The Sherry Babys Fri 27th 7.30pm
The Circus of Horrors Sat 28th 7.30pm
DECEMBER
Christmas Memories Tues 1st Matinee 2.00pm
Aladdin Sat 12th to 3rd Jan Various
Wallings Nursery
Strawberry Growing
Specialists
Soft Fruit Grower of the Year 2011
Trade enquiries welcome
01206 230728
38 Harwich Road, Lawford,
Manningtree, Essex CO11 2LS
We are pleased to support the
Dedham Vale & Stour Valley Project
The Old Surgery, Weavers Court, Halstead
Tel: 01787 472924
We stock everything for
Sugarcraft, Weddings,
Birthday Celebration
& Cake Decoration
Sugarcraft Classes
now available
Halstead Icing
Printing and
Webdesign
Station Road, Framlingham,
Suffolk IP13 9EE
Tel: 01728 720789
www.printingsuffolk.com
www.suffolkwebsites.com
12. 12
Organisations at work in the AONB
The Secret Life of the Stour
A
fter an initial alarming wobble, I manage to sit down
into my kayak, before gliding off over the cool waters
of the Stour River... It’s five o’clock on a hot Sunday
afternoon, and I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing
than setting off on a three-hour paddle up the secret
backwaters of the Stour River, the water running in silvery
streams from each paddle in turn, the warm evening sun on
my back”, reports Shirley Sampson, RSPB Warden, Stour
Estuary Reserves.
Our safari, run by the Outdoor Hire Centre, and with myself
providing narration to the wildlife that surrounds us, begins
at a leafy picnic site at Cattawade, wends its way upstream
to beautiful, timeless Flatford and back again. On the
southern shore of the freshwater river lies the RSPB reserve
Cattawade Marshes, which is a rich breeding site for many
wildfowl and waders.
Our canoes slip silently between tall banks of reeds,
punctuated with lovely wildflowers. We catch a tantalising
glimpse of a male marsh harrier, hovering momentarily
on black-tipped silver-grey wings before dropping into the
reeds. As we near Flatford, the river becomes more
enclosed, with graceful willow trees arching overhead and
trailing their fingers in the water. Gliding between fallen
willow trees through the golden light of evening, we
suddenly catch a glimpse of Willy Lott’s house, made famous
in Constable’s Haywain.
We stop briefly at Flatford,before turning for home with the
evening sun behind us, and a light breeze rippling the cool
surface of the water.”
More trips are planned for 2016. Contact www.
outdoorhirecentres.com/canoe-safari, or telephone
01206 700707.
T
he National Trust will be celebrating Hallowe’en on 31st October with a variety of spooky activities for all ages. “Playing
our game of ‘Witches Bones’ and walking our Hallowe’en Trail has always been very popular, and this year the trail will
be even better! Says Paul Andrae of the National Trust.
Christmas celebrations will be held over two week-ends this year – 28th and 29th November and 5th and 6th December. Santa
and his favourite elf will also be joining us and we are currently finalising some very festive activities and celebrations.”
For more information see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/flatford/things-to-see-and-do/events
Activities at Flatford
L
ast summer saw plenty of exciting activities being held
around Flatford during the two Nature Days in August
2015. Nature Days celebrate the wealth of beautiful
surroundings and the wide range of environmental activity
providers within the Flatford area. Activities included pond
dipping, bug hunting, willow crafts, wooden spoon carving,
nature walks, natural bag decorating, archaeological
digging, boat trips and more besides.
The aim was to enthuse and inspire the visiting families.
Children (and adults) were very excited to encounter their
first kingfisher by the Flatford Millpond - a glint of blue that
perhaps could be added to a modern day Haywain painting!
Many thanks to all activity contributors: Daws Hall Trust,
Dedham Vale AONB, Essex Bat Trust, Field Studies Council,
Gainsborough House, National Trust, River Stour Trust,
RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Travels in Time.
For information on activities in 2016 see the Stour Valley
Educational Network (SVEN) Facebook page or email
enquiries.fm@field-studies-council.org
Summer Nature Days
A
re you between the ages of 13-18 years old? Do you
enjoy being outdoors, learning about nature and doing
something practical? Then the Dedham Vale Youth
Rangers could be for you. We meet every first Sunday of the
month, 10am-1pm. The Youth Rangers have been running for
three years now and have done some fantastic activities such
as geocaching, going on an archaeological dig, coppicing,
waymarking, raking up cut grass from wildflower meadows,
clearing footpaths plus cooking food over a fire. Our
numbers have dropped recently as members have gone off to
study at university or moved away so we would like to
recruit more young people to join the scheme.
The Youth Rangers are run by a partnership of
organisations who take it in turn to co-ordinate the
sessions. They are Flatford Mill Field Studies Centre,
National Trust Flatford, the RSPB and the Dedham
Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project. This means the Youth
Rangers do a wide variety of activities and some have used
this volunteer time as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award.
For more
information
contact
Emma Black,
Countryside
Officer
Youth Rangers
helping out at the
annual cut and
rake of Rowley
Meadow in Stoke
by Nayland
Young Conservationists
needed
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
Enjoying activities at a Flatford Nature Day
“
13. 13
Communities at work in the AONB
“Access to nature is so important,” says Emma Black, Dedham
Vale Countryside Officer. “If a path is well maintained and safe
more people are likely to want to walk along it and have a good
experience.”
The Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project, its partners
and volunteers, work hard to achieve this. Improving access to
the countryside, nature reserves or community wild spaces is
essential for the health and well-being of local residents as well
as visitors to the area.
“Our footpath volunteers, who survey sections of our promoted
routes, check the footpaths twice a year and report back any
problems to us and the Rights of Way teams in Suffolk, Essex and
Cambridgeshire, who then deal with them as appropriate. Often
the AONB Sustainable Development Fund can be granted to
improve footpath infrastructure.”
Stoke by Nayland PC, Suffolk Rights of Way team and the Stour
Valley Volunteers recently replaced two awkward stiles with
kissing gates on the Stoke by Nayland circular walk, also known
as the Tendring circular, one of the AONB Walks off the Stour
Valley Path.
“Thanks to a successful award from the Dedham Vale AONB
Sustainable Development Fund and help from the Stour Valley
Volunteer Group we have recently managed to replace two very
old and insecure footpath stiles with new kissing gates on our
village circular walk,” says Alan Shrosbery, from Stoke By Nayland
Footpaths.
“This will make the route more accessible and easier for many
people who find stiles difficult to negotiate. We are now left with
only one stile which we hope to replace in the Autumn, making
the walk more user-friendly to all age groups.”
The five mile Stoke by Nayland Circular Walk, a very enjoyable
and scenic route around the village and River Box, was one of
The Times’ top Spring walks in 2014.
The Stour Valley Volunteers have also helped out on other access
projects in the last six months such as the bridge repairs at Eden-
Rose Coppice in Sudbury, vegetation clearance on the footpath
between Manningtree and Flatford, and at Loshes Reserve,
Henny.
The new Constable
Country Volunteer
Rangers have also
made an impact on
the footpaths between
Flatford, Dedham
and East Bergholt,
resulting in less litter.
Volunteers help Improve
Footpaths in the Stour Valley Fifteen Years in
the Raking
H
ornestreet Nature Conservation Area in Langham today
is “a gem of a nature park and very peaceful,” says
trustee Ian Sutherland. “I love it.”
It took Ian and fellow volunteers 15 years to transform a
1.5 acre field into a nature reserve. “On 26th November
1999,” recalls Ian, “ten Langham parishioners purchased
an arable field in the parish with a view to creating a
conservation and wildlife area with a pond. Following
advisory discussions with the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour
Valley Project, an overall layout plan was produced for the
site and two site managers (David Hobday and Ian
Sutherland) were asked by the group to proceed with the
scheme.”
Now it is a wonderful wild space for the community, with
a path that meanders round the trees, shrubs, notice
board, small orchard, and wildflowers. “We also have
an area of sweet chestnut trees and nut trees where we
are demonstrating the art of coppicing, and a fenced pond has
enabled us to involve the local schoolchildren in pond dipping
under supervision.”
Students from Birkbeck College, University of London, on a
Conservation Management course visit biennially to look at
community wild spaces and see how local communities set up,
stay involved and sustain wild spaces.
The site is approached by a public footpath from immediately
opposite the Community Shop in School Road, Langham. It is
permanently open and there is no charge.
The Waiver’s Tale
T
he village of Cavendish has, alongside its high street, a pond
known as the Waiver. Water comes from drainage ditches in
local fields and a natural spring in the village, leaving the
Waiver and joining the river Stour further down. In the past this
water was used for the filling of steam engines and the watering of
horses. A brick trackway for entering the water is still in place.
In 2001 the pond underwent a re-design and a raised edge
was created so that the water was held deeper. Plants were
added and all was happy for several years. With insufficient
management some invasive plants such as branch bur reed and
greater pond sedge started to encroach into the pond and were
in danger of doing damage to the pond floor. Drastic moves were
taken, in the form of a digger clearing plants, silt and most other
things in its way. Months passed, the water resembled a green
swamp, and villagers were unhappy.
Then… 27th July 2015 saw ten volunteers armed with rakes and
waders, thirty baskets, ten bags of aquatic compost, two large
buckets of gravel, two bales of barley straw along with over one
hundred new native marginal plants (specifically chosen not to
be invasive) gathering at the Waiver.
With expert help from Emma Black from the AONB guiding us
along the way the Waiver was transformed from being a lifeless
waterhole choked with blanket weed to a pond with a happy
future. Next spring should see the transformation complete.
Kim Shelduck
Left and Below:
Volunteers and AONB
staff renovating a stile;
before and after.
Right:
Volunteers help restore
the Waiver, Cavendish’s
village pond.
Top: Up to his knees: Ian Sutherland clears the pond at Hornestreet.
Bill Ford (front) and Howard Leader (back) rake the wildflower meadow
during a Stour Valley Volunteer task.
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
14. 14
AROUND THE STOUR VALLEY
Putting the Oar in Stour
A
dventure camps and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
expeditions for school groups, organised by AONB based
Anglia Adventures and taking place in the Dedham Vale
and Stour Valley, have proved very popular this summer. Anglia
Adventures received a Dedham Vale AONB Sustainable
Development Fund grant, enabling them to grow their fleet of
canoes to cater for larger school groups.
Anglia Adventures offer canoe expeditions on the
river Stour, with qualified staff providing safety,
tuition if needed, and education on the unique river
environment. They run a range of sustainable tourist
trips from three hours to two days - as in the Sudbury
to Sea event organised by the River Stour Trust.
Ian Williams, Director of Anglia Adventures, was invited to
give a presentation at the Stour Valley Forum in July on
the challenges faced by a business operating in an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty. “We need people to enjoy this
fantastic landscape and river environment to provide local
employment and ensure it remains unspoiled and enjoyed by
all,” said Ian. “The challenge is to leave only footprints - or
perhaps the swirl of water where a paddle has been!”
Anglia Adventures Telephone 07594 304400 or 01473 327440
www.angliaadventures.co.uk
Traditional Sheep Grazing
E
ach Autumn a flock of native breed sheep, usually Soay,
arrives at the Daws Hall Nature Reserve near Sudbury,
to graze our wild flower meadow over the winter
months.
The reason for welcoming the visitors is that a flock of sheep
will create a sward more diverse in height, cover and plant
species than we can easily achieve with machinery. The
resulting variation in habitat provides opportunities for a
whole host of different invertebrate species, and the birds
and small mammals that feed on them, as well as birds of
prey. Their trampling and dunging of the vegetation as they
roam creates patches of bare soil, allowing seeds to
germinate before being crowded out, and redistributing vital
nutrients.
An added benefit is that children on school visits to our
reserve and education centre love to see them and are quite
fascinated to pause and watch them resting or munching for
a while. www.dawshallnature.co.uk
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
Rare Red Breasted
Goslings at Daws Hall
D
aws Hall enjoyed the pitter-patter of tiny feet
when five red breasted goose eggs hatched in
July, and we’re pleased to say that, at the time
of writing, all are thriving.
Red breasted geese are a Red List species, classified by
the IUCN as ‘Endangered’. Estimates of the species’
global population in the wild vary, possibly due to their
variable migratory habits, but it is thought to number
below 60,000.
In the wild, the red breasted goose breeds in the Arctic
regions of northeast Europe, migrating to locations
around the Black Sea for winter. Hunting, climate
change and methods for managing pest species are
thought to be a threat to wild populations, but they
are very well-cared for at Daws Hall.
At 53-56cm they are very small for geese, but with a
striking plumage as you can see in our logo. They also
have excellent parenting skills, but aren’t keen on
paparazzi…
01206 271136 • Green Lane, Boxted,
Colchester, Essex, CO45TS
info@dedhamvalevineyard.com
www.dedhamvalevineyard.com
Come and visit us at the vineyard.
We are open for morning coffee, lunch
and afternoon tea.
Or perhaps you would like to try our self
conducted tour of the vineyard with a tasting
of our wines for £5 per person ( under 18s free).
We are open Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm.
To advertise in the
Dedham Vale &
Stour Valley News
call Tracy on...
01728 622030
Looking for an
extra income?
Look no further!
We are looking for self-motivated individuals / couples with a desire to
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To find out more about this opportunity please contact Greg on
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If you have time on your
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15. 15
Wildlife and Conservation
T
he Polecat (Mustela putorius) is
reported to be raising its piebald head
in East Anglia once more, after an
absence of a hundred years or so, having
been persecuted to the brink of extinction in
most of England towards the end of the 19th
century. The south-eastward march of re-
colonisation, from the Welsh Borders,
continues with several sightings of road
casualties in the Bures/Sudbury area last
spring. The language barrier, of course, may
be slowing this advance. Whether these are
pure Polecats, or hybrid polecat/ferrets, only
an expert can decide, with the help of DNA
testing.
The Vincent Wildlife Trust (www.vwt.org.uk)
is currently carrying out its third survey of
this species and would be grateful to hear of
any sightings, dead or alive. They will even
send you a postage kit for dead specimens,
which should be frozen to preserve them.
Wrap them well, if using your domestic
freezer, as your family might not appreciate
the musty whiff pervading their chips for the
next few weeks!
The Swallow (Hirundo rustica) seems to
have fared better in my home village this
year, with the pair in our cart-lodge, after a
quick refurbishment of their nest, just about
to fledge their second brood (late August).
A good friend at Wormingford Hall reported
over 70 youngsters gathering on the wires
outside her cottage, stretching their wings,
ready to embark on the long journey to their
wintering grounds in Africa.
Even with their superb aerobatics, one of
our fledglings was taken in a puff of feathers
by a male Sparrowhawk, right outside the
bathroom window; gone in a flash back
to the female at the nest, I presume, to
become yet another link in that particular
food-chain.
The Barn-owl (Tyto alba) experienced
a difficult breeding season during the
summer of 2015, as a result of a slump in
the population of their small mammal prey,
and extremely wet hunting conditions on
so many nights. After a late start to
egglaying, many pairs have failed to breed
this year and have been found sitting, looking
rather bewildered, in their nest-boxes.
Brood sizes are low (2-3) and intermediate
results would indicate that the success rate
will be less than half of last year’s record of
70 fledglings ringed.
However, as I have said so many times
before, wild population dynamics rely so
precariously on this intimate relationship
between prey and predator levels. It is our
responsibility to redress the imbalances that
we have often inadvertently caused in the
name of progress, whether for agricultural
or industrial advancement or simply with our
obsessively tidy minds.
Neil Catchpole, Countryside Officer,
Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley
Project
Photos from top: Polecat or possibly a hybrid; a 5-6
week old owl chick, unusually from a barn nesting
site; and swallows nesting at Neil’s home
See page 10 for an update on the Suffolk
Community Barn Owl Project, assisted by
the AONBs.
DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org
Neil’s Nature Notes
Courses are on-going.
See the website for more dates and other topics
Anne Holden, Assington Mill, Assington, Suffolk CO10 5LZ.
Tel: 01787 229955 Email: info@assingtonmill.com
Website: www.assingtonmill.com
Assington
Mill
• Blacksmithing
• Hen keeping
• Scything
• Chainsaw use and
maintenance
• Bread-making
• Landscape painting
• Upholstery
• Food for Free
• Pig-keeping
• Goat & sheep husbandry
• Bees for beginners
• Birds of prey
• Cyder-making
• Calligraphy
• Plumbing DIY
• Dog psychology
• Clay Oven making
• Wild game butchery
• Fruit tree pruning
• Christmas wreath-making
• Willow plant supports
• Willow fencing
• Soap and Cosmetics from
honey and beeswax
Wildlife Courses at Flatford Mill
‘Learning in, about and for the environment’
Drawing and Painting with Water Soluble Pencils: 16 – 18 Oct
Stained Glass: Painting with Light: 30 Oct – 1 Nov
Identifying Migrants: 30 Oct – 1 Nov
Painting Plants, Autumn Colours and Designs: 13 – 15 Nov
Hedgerow Basketry: 13 – 15 Nov
Watercolour: Wet into Wet into Wet: 20 -22 Nov
Wonderful Winter Landscapes : 20 -22 Nov
Stained Glass for Beginners and Near Beginners: 20 -22 Nov
Encaustic Wax: 26 Nov
Tree Identification: 27 – 29 Nov
Portrait Painting and Drawing: 27 Nov – 4 Dec
…and many more short courses in 2015/16
Great value from just £218 (resident)
and £170 (non-resident) for a weekend
Please telephone 0845 330 7368 (local rate)
for our Course Guides
or visit www.field-studies-council.org/flatfordmill
Field Studies Council, Flatford Mill,
East Bergholt, Suffolk, CO7 6UL
FSC is a registered charity : No. 313364
