Barn Hill Conservation Group who look after the vast Fryent Country Park and the small and beautiful Roe Green wallked gardem, won a grant last year for work on the Gaderbrook that runs though the park. After one of the contractors decided not to charge them for the work the group allocated it to install new interpretative panels in the park and these were unveiled this morning in bright sunshine.
In the video above Maurice Gold gives the background to the group's work which has been going on for more than 40 years to the benefit of all Brent residents. They were one of the first environmental groups in the borough, long before such an interest was fashionable.
The long establised Barn Hill Conservation Group were put out when they saw a tweet from Veolia congratulating themselves and Brent Council for a London in Bloom Gold Winners award to Roe Green Walled Garden in Kingsbury for the best Small Conservation Area.
In fact the Garden is wholly maintained by the volunteers who work there on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday - Veolia has no involvement.
A volunteer commented that there are two questions:
Why did London in Bloom send the certificate ( on the right in photograph above) to Veolia rather than to Barn Hill Conservation Group?
Why did Veolia not only accept a certificate for something to which they were not entitled but then publicise it?
The Conservation Group do an amazing job in the garden, as the photographsbelow shows, and have been doing so for far longer than Veolia has managed the parks contract.
Roe Green Walled Garden
The Conservation Group also does immensely valuable voluntary conservation work in the vast Fryent Country Park every Sunday:
Fryent Country Park won a Gold in the Country Parks category.
I hope Veolia have the grace to tweet an apology.
Shortly after this story was published Veolia apologised. Thank you.
Barn Hill Conservation Group in its latest Newsletter report some good news in this summer which has not been kind to butterlies and moths. On 14th August, on the Beane Hill Butterfly Transect study, a butterfly was resting on a plant and opened its wings. It was unmistakenly a female Brown Hairstreak – the first adult ever seen at Fryent Country Park. This confirms the presence of the Brown Hairstreak at the Park following the first record of eggs on New Year’s Day 2019. The Brown Hairstreak is an elusive butterfly to observe and has only recently moved into North and West London, and depends on blackthorn for the larval food.
The Brown Hairstreak is on the "at risk" species list, because it relies on hedgerows. Having it in our local Country Park, which has deliberately retained old hedgerows, managed by BHCG, is a great story for a holiday weekend.
Meanwhile Harry Mackie has reported on the website Next Door two sightings in in his Queens Walk garden, 10 minute's walk from the borders of the park.
Fryent Country Park acts like a giant sponge in periods of sustained heavy rain. Some of the ponds and ditches overflow dispersing into the meadows and the meadows become saturated. Much of the excess water ends up in the Gaderbrook.
The video above shows the Gaderbrook at its fullest and you can even hear the rush of the water above the noise from the road and the Jubilee tube line.
Barn Hill Conservation Group is working on the banks of the Gaderbrook at the moment. They are an amazing group who were hard at work this morning, in the rain in the area around Barn Hill Pond. They are always in need of volunteers so if you want to get plenty of exercise during winter lockdown get in touch. This is what they posted about their work (edited):
GADERBROOK AND PRESTON EASTFIELD
The aim of the work here is to restore this section of the Gaderbrook stream alongside Preston Eastfield.
The Gaderbrook arises from the surface water ditches of the meadows and hedgerows in Fryent Country Country Park. It also takes surface water from Fryent Way and from parts of the suburban estate between here and Kingsbury Road, That area is due to the countours of the local geology.
Alongside the Gaderbrook, the work aims to reduce scrubeso that the stream receives more light. That should encourage wildflowers and inprove the view of the streamside.
Within Preston Eastfield, a hedgerow will be created (or restored?) from a line of scrub trees, set back from the streamside. On the other side of that hedgerow the footpath is being widened.
The aim? A more attractive path, a hedgerow and streamside habitats.
While we hope that more plants will establish in the improved light, you may occasionally notice that the stream is polluted (Ed: see last frames of the video). This is due to wrongly connected plambing from propertis that feed into the strean. If you notice this, please report it to the Environment Agency pollution hotline.
There's quite a debate going on regarding the state of Brent's parks on social media. The 'creation' of meadows was a decision based on saving money (£0.5m) backed by a claim that it would support natural diversity LINK. It has been implemented by simply not cutting the grass. Some are happy for sections of the parks to be left unmown hoping it will provide diversity for nature but others point out that real wild flower meadows need proper planning and maintenance.
Local resident Jaine Lunn succeeded in persuading Brent Council and their contractor Veolia to reduce the unmown area in King Edward VII park to enable children to play ball games
Meanwhile a reader has sent me the above photograph of the 'cricket pitch' at King Edward VII park in Wembley commenting, 'I forgot how much they spent on doing this but they shouldn't have bothered.'
There is an extensive discussion about the issue on the View from Dollis Hill Facebook page regarding Gladstone Park. LINK
As a contribution to the meadows debate here are pictures of the meadows and 'scrape' at Mason's Field in Kingsbury where the Barn Hill Conservation Group has transformed a former playing field into a meadow. The transformation involved a substantial amount of work by volunteers including planting thousands of plug plants. See LINK.
Similar work was done at the University of Westminster wild flower meadow which is hand-scythed at the end of the season.
Mason's Field on Friday:
By contrast this is a view of one of the Gladstone Park meadows:
Barn Hill Conservation Group are celebrating a double award from London in Bloom.
The Roe Green Walled Garden won Gold in the small Conservation Area category.
The garden is one of the gems of Brent, lovingly tended by volunteers, and replete with vegetables and flowers and fascinating installations dedicated to giving a home to wildlife.
You can visit on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays between 10.30am and 2.30pm.
The second award, also a Gold, went to Fryent Country Park and was the overall winner in the Best Country Park Category.
The Conservation Group worked with Brent Council and Barn Hill Residents Association to clear rubbish and the remains of camps from the 250 acre park deposited about 2 years ago.
There is now a dedicated team of residents who collect litter whilst working in the park and leave it a collection points for the Council to collect.
The Conservation Group work in the park every Sunday not only clearing litter and flytips but undertaking conservation work including keeping footpaths clear, carrying out new planting and surveying the park's wildlife.
Further information can be found on their website HERE
The Barn Hill Conservation Group August Newsletter has reported sightings of Red Kites over Fryent Country Park.
Pete Stevens of the Southern England Kite Group told me that this is not the first sighting over London of these magnificent birds but I think it is the first in our area.
He told me that young kites in their first year often explore away from their home territory and that probably accounts for the sighting. They tend to return to the area where they fledged to nest but suggested local naturalists should listen out for them calling to each other if they are seen in the Spring. This was one indicator of them nesting in the area.
Background information
Red kites were driven to extinction in England by human persecution
by the end of the nineteenth century. A small population survived in
Wales, but there was little chance of these birds repopulating their
original areas.
Between 1989 and 1994, kites from Spain were imported and released
into the Chilterns by the RSPB and English Nature (now Natural England).
Red kites started breeding in the Chilterns in 1992 and now there could
be over 1,000 breeding pairs in the area. The reintroduction has been
so successful it is not possible to monitor all the nests, so the
overall size of the population can only be estimated. Source
Where to see Red Kites
Reports of sightings can be made directly to the Southern England Kite Group via their website www.sekg.org.uk or by calling Pete Stevens on 07761 205 833
There will be an Open Day at Roe Green Walled Garden in Kingsbury on Saturday September 10th from 10.30am until 4pm. This is another Brent resource, passionately supported by volunteers of the Barn Hill Conservation Group, that deserves to be better known. To whet your appetite here is some background from the Group:
Roe Green Walled Garden
The little
known oasis is located within Roe Green Park, Kingsbury next to Kingsbury Manor
House.
In order to locate
the garden start opposite the junction of Kingsbury Road with Valley Drive and
follow the road into Roe Green Park, bear left at the fork and continue to the
Walled Garden. Buses 183 and 204 stop by the junction; and Kingsbury tube
station is nearby.
History
The garden was
originally part of the estate of the house now called Kingsbury Manor. The
house was built in 1899 for the Duchess of Sutherland and her third husband Sir
Albert Kaye Rollit, who was M.P. for Islington from 1886 to 1906. It was then a
country house, surrounded by farmland, and was called 'The Cottage'.
By 1909 the house was occupied by Countess Bubna,
daughter of the Duchess; it later changed hands several times. In 1929 George
Cloke bought the house and changed its name to 'Kingsbury Manor'. He sold the
house and grounds to Middlesex County Council in 1938, and the house become a
home for elderly people, while the walled garden was part of a Council Depot
used for the training of Parks staff.
John Logie Baird, inventor of television,
rented the nearby Coach House in 1928. It was there that he received the first
television signals from Berlin. The concrete bases of his two television masts
can still be seen near the building, which is now used by the Nursery.
In 1989 Barn Hill Conservation Group were
offered the use of the facilities, including the workshop, greenhouse and cold
frames, and agreed to look after the garden. It was then in a rather neglected
state, and members of the Group worked every Thursday morning to tidy and
improve it.
The Group's
tree nursery was established just outside the garden, growing trees from seed
collected in Fryent Country Park. The young trees have been used to replant
some of the old hedgerows there.
Several new features were introduced, one of the first being the organic
vegetable garden. Compost containers were built to recycle the weeds that seem
to grow everywhere. Another recycling project was the dry-stone wall,
constructed in the traditional way, but from rubble instead of stone.
A new pond was dug to encourage wildlife - frogs, toads and newts - while the
old round pond was left for the fish. Homes, from recycled wood, for a variety
of creatures, can be seen in one corner, and birds are encouraged by nest boxes
and feeders.
Awards
and Financing
The Green Flag Community Award (formerly Green
Pennant Award) recognises high quality green spaces that are managed by
voluntary and community groups. The Award is part of the Green Flag Award
scheme (Keep Britain Tidy), the national standard for quality parks and green
spaces.Each site is judged on its own
merits and suitability to the community it serves. Awards are given on an
annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Pennant
status. Roe Green Walled Garden has won this award each year since 2005.
Barn Hill Conservation Group have
received a number of grants through the years to improve the garden - one to
pave the area outside the workshop, another to re-point the East wall; but our
largest grant was for our new Conservation Centre building (now named 'The
Cottage' after the name of the original manor House). This new building is
proving to be a great asset, and for which we give many thanks to the National
Lotteries Charity Board. The Group have also been given a grant from
Brent’s Ward Working which was used to part finance a gazebo, and more recently
a grant form Santander which will be used to help finance a
greenhouse/classroom. In addition to grants and donations the group
are also financed from sales of bric-a-brac, books, plants, logs and
wood-craft.
Current details
The Walled garden, has been maintained by the
Barn Hill Conservation Group (a completely welcoming and inclusive group) since
1989, is a wonderful tranquil and peaceful area to sit, walk and browse with
free entry open every Tuesday Thursday and Saturday between 10 and 2.
The gardens enjoys visits from the local
schools and other community groups
It is home to Great Crested newts, a Bee Hive
and a constructed home for bugs and insects
Events
The group host several open days during the
year and two years ago hosted a Russian Tea Ceremony which was presented from a
Russian Group that made Kolomna Pastila using British apples to discover the
tastes of the time of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy.
Our next open day is Saturday 10th
September 2016 between 10.30 and 4, but is also open for visitors on Tuesday’s
Thursday’s and Saturdays between 10 & 2.
Further Information
The group also do conservation every Sunday
on Fryent Country Park a list of meeting places and events can be found on our
website http://www.bhcg.btck.co.uk/ or contact can be made by phone on 020 8206 0492 or email barnhillconservationgroup@gmail.com
Following
Martin’s short blog publicising its open day on Saturday LINK, I went along to renew my acquaintance with this “secret garden”. I
say that as I had lived within half a mile of Roe Green Walled Garden for
fifteen years before my family discovered this beautiful haven, tucked away at
the top of a driveway in the park. Now, this community garden run by volunteers
from the Barn Hill Conservation Group is better publicised, and attracted many
other visitors.
Some of the Open Day attractions on the lawn
A quiet wildlife corner of the walled garden
Part of the sunny long borde
If you have not
been to this garden before (or if you have, but are not sure when it is open),
you don’t need to wait for another open day to pay it a visit. The garden is
open from 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There are quiet
spots to sit and relax, an area for children to play, educational displays, and
sales of recycled items as well as the pleasant flower, fruit and vegetable
gardens to stroll around. The garden has an informal atmosphere, and there are
usually volunteers around glad to answer any questions. If you want to stay and
give them a hand with any of the garden tasks, so much the better, but there is
no pressure to do so. If you want to find out more about the garden, or their
work on Fryent Country Park, please visit their website: http://bhcg.btck.co.uk/.
I took advantage of the 'lighter shade of grey' skies and temporary cessation of rain this morning for a brisk walk around the perimeter of Fryent Country Park.
The park is waterlogged at present with a number of temporary streams and ponds. In contrast with the Spring the ponds are full which bodes well for a better year for amphibians in 2013.
Barn Hill Conservation Group LINK who do so much to conserve and enhance the park have picked up 320 large black bags of litter as well as bigger items since January this year. It never ceases to amaze me what lengths people go to in order to dump rubbish.
This morning in the field below the pedestrian bridge to Shakespeare Drive a huge suitcase had been dumped into the hedgerow. This would have required parking a car by Michael Sobell Primary School, trundling the case up the tarmacked slope to the bridge, down the steep grassy slope on the other side and then bumping it across the meadow. The case had been opened and the contents scattered across the grass. This included dozens of pairs of trainers, a Gok Wan fashion book, a guide to embroidery, an exercise book of poetry and items of clothing.
The clothing could have been bagged and left out with the recycling, the shoes at one of the street side collection banks (the nearest is on the corner of Valley Drive/Kingsbury Road) and the books donated to a charity shop or one of the community libraries. I took advantage of the sunshine on New Year's Day to clear the dump.
The recent figures on the big rise in private rental accommodation does perhaps point to one of the reasons for the increase in fly-tipping. With tenancies changing frequently new tenants throw out stuff left by the old tenants and these are frequently left in front gardens or by the road side. This accounts for the number of mattresses scattered throughout the borough.
One idea I would like the council to consider is issuing leaflets to Letting Agents to go to new tenants about the recycling services and particularly bulky collections. It would be helpful if this could be translated into Eastern European languages and any others felt appropriate.
Here is a reminder about what can be picked up through the bulky collection service:
Item
Such as
Items must be
Furniture-plastic, wooden or metal
Beds,
mattresses and bedframes, sofas, tables (larger tables may count as 2
or more items due to their size), wardrobes, armchairs and chairs.
Small enough to be carried and loaded on to a vehicle by no more than two workers
Flooring
Linoleum and floor tiles
Bagged or bundled. Wooden flooring or ceramic tiles are not accepted.
Metal
Metal filing cabinets less than 40kg and fire guards.
Carpets
Manageable
by two people, otherwise it must be cut into smaller sections, rolled
and tied. Each section counts as a separate item. Underlay is also
classed as a separate item.