including Beech Bottom Dyke and Sandridge Road Wastes
Despite heavy rain on the morning of Sunday 16th October, an intrepid group of volunteers were able to clear large areas of brambles adjacent to the path on the southern side of the Dyke. This clearance work not only makes the the path more accessible, but gives clear views to the bottom of the Dyke. It may also provide more ventilation to the Dyke and reduce its boggy nature at certain points.
Continue reading “Autumn Action Day – Clearance Work at Beech Bottom Dyke”
The news of a sinkhole in Fontmell Close, which appeared dramatically in the early hours of the 1st October 2015, rapidly hit the national media.
Not only were residents stranded in Fontmell Close and Bridle Close, but the event prompted a long sequence of investigations on the adjacent Bernards Heath and the construction of a relief road across the Lower Field.
The 12m hole has been partially filled with concrete and most services restored. You can read a press release by the Herts County Council, who hope to have the road through Fontmell Close open again by Christmas.
There is no news yet about the removal of the temporary road across the Lower Field.
There are more links to the sinkhole in our document archive.
A thunderstorm on the 16th September over Bernards Heath broke the long spell of relatively dry weather in July, August and September, when local gardens and the Heath were looking parched. We’ve only been measuring rainfall and temperature over the last 2½ years, but this was a record. You can find our data here.
There have been several outbreaks of the not unattractive, but very invasive plant Japanese knotweed on the Heath, mostly near the old Fire Station and behind the Judo Club. It is a major problem in that it grows very rapidly and can cause serious damage, especially to underground structures. A garden outbreak can easily be a reason to refuse a mortgage application.
Continue reading “Japanese Knotweed on the Heath”
The Heath has been subjected to drilling work in several areas as a follow up to ‘anomalies’ found in the ground that might be related to the subsidence in the Fontmell/Bridle close area. Work now continues by the children’s play area which is temporarily closed.
Update: work completed, Photo: DP
As you will probably know, there are a lot of oak trees on the Heath and these could be affected by the oak processionary moth (OPM) following an outbreak in Watford.
People are being advised not to touch the OPM caterpillars and nests, to keep animals away from the pests, and to report sightings to the Forestry Commission and the District Council.
OPM can affect trees, people and animals, and was first discovered in England in London in 2005. Tree and public health authorities in Hertfordshire have been preparing for the possibility of its spreading into the county.
The caterpillars shed thousands of their tiny hairs in the nests, and these can cause itchy skin rashes and eye irritations. In extremely rare cases, they can cause breathing difficulties in people and animals. The caterpillars eat oak leaves, leaving infested trees weakened and vulnerable to other threats.
David Pearce giving young people a taste of hedgerow jelly (or jam) at Bernards Heath Infants School on Global Families Day. Many of the berries can be found on the Heath, but you might have to make a visit to the market too. Jenny B has kindly provided a recipe which you can download here
David puts the finishing touches to those delicious scones and hedgerow jelly.
After determined efforts, Friends of Bernards Heath has now opened up the Dyke so that it is possible to walk along the bottom from the entrance near the Ancient Briton junction to the railway embankment, a distance of about one mile. We are very grateful to all those who came along on a last Saturday morning to clear the area from the rifle butts to Valley Road.
A verdant sward of new grass now runs across the Lower Field towards Fontmell Close. This was recently an unsightly mess following attempts to provide access for residents of Fontmell and Bridle Close after the sinkhole appearance last October. Photo: MN.