Witchford Open Spaces Group

11/05/2026

Dear All,

This coming Friday 15th May the Ely Local Group of the Wildlife Trust will visit Witchford for a tour of some of the green spaces managed by the Open Spaces Group and other volunteers.

This may be of particular interest to those of you who have more recently become involved with volunteering and managing our green spaces - though all are welcome (no need to be a member of the Wildlife Trust although the Trust would be pleased if you decided to join).

We'll meet at the Common at 7 pm and walk to the Millennium Wood, Fairchild Wood, Kevin's Place (by courtesy of Dianne Field) where we shall try to view some reptiles, the Community Orchard, Edna's Wood, Sandpit Drove and back to the Common. It will probably take at least 1½ hours.

Richard

06/05/2026

Dear All,

After the long period of dry weather, we're counting on getting wood chips into the Old Rec Community Orchard to place on Footpath 1 in Kevin's Place and on the Permissive Path in the adjacent Edna's Wood.

The collection date will be Sunday 3rd May, meeting at 10 am at the woodchip pile off Bedwell Hey Lane. The weather forecast is not great for Sunday, but most of the rain (hopefully) will be in the early hours. We'll load up the woodchips and take them to the Community Orchard and leave them there to be spread on the paths.

We'll spread the chippings on Sunday 10th May, meeting at 10 am in the Community Orchard by the picnic table.

Apologies for the short notice, especially for this coming Sunday, but I've only just been able to secure the source of wood chippings.

We hope you will join us for either session (or both?). If you're not sure of the locations please let me know.

Richard

27/04/2026

*Open Spaces Group Update April 2026
Sandpit Drove*

In March our Open Spaces Group volunteers tended to the 20 assorted native shrubs planted in 2018 between the pond and the meadow in Sandpit Drove by removing the old tree guards and stakes. They had served their purpose and were impeding the growth of the shrubs.
A pair of moorhens has returned to the Sandpit Drove pond, we hope so they may breed there as they and their predecessors have for several years now. Volunteers placed a sign at the pond to remind dog owners not to allow their pets to enter the pond, and avoid disturbing the moorhens and other wildlife especially at breeding time. We also cut back some of the vegetation around the pond and at the silver birch tree planted to mark the Brownie centenary.
Notices were placed to ask the public to stay on the footpath whilst walking through the adjacent wild flower meadow. These have since been the focus of vandals; one has been damaged and repaired but the other has been removed (photo) and will be replaced. The cowslips in the meadow were already flowering during March, and in April are in profusion.

*Community Orchard*
OSG volunteers have pruned 42 hard fruit trees in the Community Orchard, mostly apple and pear trees, but including one quince tree. This is not pruning to professional standards to maximise fruit production! It is to keep the trees more compact, and mainly to avoid congestion and maintain an open crown to keep the tree healthy.
We attached a further 15 engraved labels, now totalling 71. The only fruit trees not now labelled in this way are the most recents plantings. We also reinforced tree guards to protect the trees against damage by mammals such as deer and hares, a very real threat even when the trees are ten or more years old.

*Field End Hedge*
The 47m-long hedge planted along the road verge by OSG volunteers in 2023 was cut during March. The volunteers also removed weed-suppressing membrane placed at the time of planting, no longer required as the hedge is now sufficiently mature.

*Edna’s Wood*
OSG volunteers cut the 135m-long boundary hedge of Edna’s Wood in March, and removed from the wood the carpet squares previously taken up from around the trees.

Witchford Open Spaces Group volunteers maintain and improve sites throughout Witchford to encourage wildlife and for the enjoyment of the local community. We welcome new volunteers, young to not-so-young, at any time. Why not join us and make your contribution to Witchford’s biodiversity as well as enjoying the company of like-minded people? For more information about the Open Spaces Group and volunteering you can see us on the Witchford Parish Council website https://witchfordparishcouncil.gov.uk/open-spaces-group/ or contact Richard Braund on 665222 (e-mail [email protected]).

14/03/2026

Dear All,

There are two upcoming sessions to note. The first is for Sunday 22nd March, when we will meet at the pond in Sandpit Drove. The main activity will be removing the now defunct tree guards wrapped around the native shrubs that OSG volunteers planted between the pond and the meadow in 2018. They have become unsightly and unwanted plastic waste that are inhibiting the shrubs' growth. There are also other tasks: around the pond, trimming of vegetation and placing of notices, and in the meadow, control of dominant and unwanted plant species.

The second is for Sunday 19th April in Fairchild Wood, to cut stakes, retrieve brash and create another dead hedge (as we did last summer in the wood). The dead hedge will be placed near the memorial bench, providing more valuable wildlife habitat. We will also plant a number of silver birches trees if the ground has dried out somewhat. We will meet in Long Meadow, at the entrance to Fairchild Wood.

Both sessions will start at 10 am - we hope you will join us.

Richard

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

*Community Orchard*

OSG volunteers restored the stock of fruit trees in the Community Orchard by planting three apple trees donated by East Cambs District Council. We now have 82 fruit trees, 11 cobnuts and two walnut trees in the Orchard, with two apple trees also donated by ECDC in reserve as future replacements.

We shall be in action again in the Community Orchard on Sunday 1st March from 10.00 am for hard fruit pruning and to attach a further 15 engraved tree labels.

*Tree Planting in Long Meadow*

During January our volunteers made openings in the east side boundary hedge of Long Meadow for planting trees within the thickness of the hedge. Five oak trees were duly planted, complete with stakes and tree guards.

*Kevin's Place and the Old Recreation Ground*

The annual clearance of brambles inside Kevin's Place was carried out by volunteers in January, maintaining the open space and the diversity of habitats. This ecosystem microcosm is a haven for wildlife as the trail camera installed during the summers of 2024 and 2025 showed. We had foxes, badgers, roe deer, muntjac deer, squirrels and rabbits, as well as a number of bird species captured in the images. We know from our observations that there are reptiles and small mammals present, and many invertebrate species.

We also cut the boundary hedge between Kevin's Place and the Old Recreation Ground, and cut back vegetation at the pond edge to improve visibility of the Deep Water sign.

*Edna’s Wood*

Many of the trees in Edna’s Wood have redundant plastic guards and carpet squares that date back to their planting. Some were removed in January by our volunteers, though the carpet squares will remain, for collection when we can get a vehicle nearby.

Some years ago an elm tree from a cutting taken from a Dutch elm disease-resistant elm tree was planted in Edna’s Wood. This tree has grown substantially and has produced a number of suckers, some of which we lifted for transplanting elsewhere in Witchford next winter.

Finally we carried out some repair work placing stones and gravel on the the muddier parts of the permissive footpath through the wood.

Witchford Open Spaces Group volunteers maintain and improve sites throughout Witchford to encourage wildlife and for the enjoyment of the local community. We welcome new volunteers, young to not-so-young, at any time. Why not join us and make your contribution to Witchford’s biodiversity as well as enjoying the company of like-minded people? For more information about the Open Spaces Group and volunteering you can see us on the Witchford Parish Council website https://witchfordparishcouncil.gov.uk/open-spaces-group/ or contact Richard Braund on 665222 (e-mail [email protected]).

15/02/2026

Looking for something to do with your young people this Wednesday in half term? (Recommended age 8+ for tree planting - adults must accompany and supervise).

Open spaces group are meeting at the Fairchild Wood to plant some trees and do some hedge cutting on Wednesday 18th February.

We'll start from the entrance to Fairchild Wood in Long Meadow at 10 am, if volunteers can come to the entrance to the Old Rec on Grunty Fen Road a few minutes earlier to help carry the kit across that will much appreciated.

We hope you can join us on Wednesday, inbox us if you have a questions or need a map for location.

Thanks,

Richard

08/02/2026

Dear All,

Our next Sunday session is at Fairchild Wood on 15th February. We have boundary hedges to cut, extend the bottom boundary hedge with more native shrub planting, and plant silver birch and other trees. We had hoped that we would be planting around the new pond, but the pond construction has been delayed. We're still hoping this will be in place before the spring.

We'll gather at the entrance to Fairchild Wood from Long Meadow at 10 am, but as for previous sessions, if volunteers can come to the entrance to the Old Rec on Grunty Fen Road a few minutes earlier to help carry the kit across that will much appreciated.

We hope to see you there - all are welcome.

Thanks.

Richard

26/01/2026

Millennium Wood:
The Open Spaces Group held its annual maintenance session with seasonal fare and a bonfire in the Millennium Wood in early December. Our volunteers cut the hedge on the west boundary, stacking the brash in the top end of the Wood, and cut back the hazels overhanging entrance path. We planted a field maple as a replacement for the fallen tree of a year ago. We then retired to the fire pit here we enjoyed baked potatoes, sausage rolls, mince pies and stollen with mulled wine.

Tree Planting
Volunteers carried out a number of tree planting and tree care activities in December. On Victoria Green two guelder rose shrubs and one hazel were planted, and stakes and tree guards were placed around several shrubs to protect them from mowing and from footballs.
On Broadway two guelder roses were planted amongst the shrubs planted in previous years. Nearer the pond in Sandpit Drove volunteers cut back scrub and planted a sweet chestnut tree.
On Orton Drive green a crab apple was planted, and at the eastern end of Main Street on the high-way verge a whitebeam, to join two others in this verge.

Witchford Open Spaces Group volunteers maintain and improve sites throughout Witchford to encourage wildlife and for the enjoyment of the local community. We welcome new volunteers, young to not-so-young, at any time. Why not join us and make your contribution to Witchford’s biodiversity as well as enjoying the company of like-minded people? For more information about the Open Spaces Group and volunteering you can see us on the Witchford Parish Council website https://witchfordparishcouncil.gov.uk/open-spaces-group/ or contact Richard Braund on 665222 (e-mail [email protected]

05/01/2026

Dear All,

Happy New Year to everyone!

News now of our volunteer activities in January. To start on Sunday 11th January at Long Meadow and Edna's Wood we have:

Long Meadow - clear hedge openings and plant oak trees

Edna’s Wood
Repair footpath and place stones at selected locations
Lift suckering elms for transplanting
Remove unwanted tree guards
Cut back overhanging branches
Cut boundary hedge (make a start if there are sufficient volunteers)

Again, with enough volunteers we may do some work on the gates to Fairchild Wood .

We'll start at 10 am. As you can see, there's plenty to do, so please join us!

Here's advance notice of a second activity in January:

Kevin’s Place on Sunday 25th January
Clear brambles inside the plot
Cut the boundary hedge with the Old Rec Community Orchard

For anyone not familiar with the locations, here's a map to show you: