including Beech Bottom Dyke and Sandridge Road Wastes
You can’t fail to have noticed all the rain in October in the Bernards Heath area. It was particularly noticeable on Saturday, 3rd October when 32 mm was the highest over the UK since 1986. We measured 41 mm on that day when the southeast of England got more rain than the rest of the country.
The total for the month was 199 mm, the most that we have recorded for a single month over the last 7 years. Take a look at our records here.
After an absence of about 14 months, yet another group of travellers has come back to the Heath, Upper Field. Some of them appear to be have been here before. In spite of efforts by the Friends of Bernards Heath to get the Council to put in measures to stop this, nothing has happened, with the result that the costs of clearing up are steadily mounting and local children are denied access to their local play area (centre photo).
14.8.20: Fortunately, these travellers have moved on after after very quick action by officers, threatening bailiff removal.
A second depression or pit, close to the hedge on the northern side of the Lower field has been apparent for some time. The small size of the pit is in contrast with the relatively large area of enclosed by a new fence – perhaps there is more to this than we know. At least this fence is green and blends in with the surroundings.
For some reason the inner fence around the other depression has now been damaged in a way that must have needed some force. A JCB perhaps? See below.
Earlier this year, some visitors to the Heath will have heard a woodpecker and word of a nest soon got around in May. This bird chose to make use of a hole in an ash tree and if you look carefully at the photo you will see one of the young looking out. With a large powerful beak, it looks like a great spotted woodpecker.
Remarkably, it stayed in place when a very large branch fell off the tree, which has now been cut up. The young birds have now fledged.
Photo: Keith Morgan
We have now been in ‘Lockdown’ since March 23rd and since then the Heath has been very much busier than normal. Sunny weather has encouraged walkers, joggers and cyclists (often with children) to take advantage of what the Heath offers – it’s just like a weekend every day. The recently installed interpretation boards are also getting attention. The bluebells in Beech Bottom Dyke are also worth seeing, especially at the end near the railway.
While it’s good to see the Heath playing its part in providing a distraction from worries about Covid 19 and its consequences, it’s also apparent that there is less careless litter than might be expected for high summer. O’Conner the maintenance contractors have generally done a good job in clearing bins and cutting grass. Sadly, John O’Conner, the founder of the company, died in March partly as a consequence of Covid 19 infection.
Following the emergence of a depression in the Lower Field, and its further subsidence, survey work was started on the 20th January. The ground features in this area, once a rubbish tip, were extensively explored some two years ago.
The field is extremely popular with dog walkers who are now confined by a taped off area to a strip of land on two sides of the field (see notice), well separated from the area where work is going on.
The original area proved very interesting to dogs a few weeks ago – one wonders whether they could smell something that we cannot.
Note 21 Jan: Outer taped area now open again
Photos: MN
This large tree fell on a path during Storm Ciara on Sunday, February 9th. The path is the second on the right after entering Spinney Lane (see arrow on map alongside) and it is blocking the path, unless you are really determined to get through! Now cleared! It was on the big side for the Friends to clear, so the Council has been informed. No doubt they have plenty of debris to clear – hopefully they will be able to get to it soon.
More substantial trees have since fallen as shown below:
Photos: PC
Let’s Play on Bernards Heath is a charity founded to update the existing play area on the Heath.
This is your opportunity to influence the look of the playground , get involved and chat to our Trustees and St Albans District Council.
Kids welcome too! We have wooden games, sweets and refreshments available.
Saturday, 1st February 2020
St Saviours Church Hall
2 – 4 pm
Click on image for a larger version and here for a link to the website
Many people will have noticed that new boards have appeared describing the Heath and Sandridge Road Wastes. The old Bernards Heath boards have been updated and smart new metal frames used instead of wood frames which rotted out. These are formally described as interpretation boards, and they provide a concise account of historical events and industries which once existed on the Heath. Click here for a larger version of the Bernards Heath interpretation boards.
Three boards describe Bernards Heath and three Sandridge Road Wastes (the latter being green areas alongside Sandridge Road). Beech Bottom Dyke is a huge ditch 1 mile long partially hidden behind trees alongside Beech Road and Firbank Road 7 – 10. The map below shows where boards are located.
Click here for a larger version of Sandridge Road Wastes. There is a small notice board alongside board 6 which is dated 1955 pointing out that parking is not allowed on the Wastes.
Beech Bottom Dyke has four interpretation boards (7-10). The Friends of Bernards Heath have done much (see here , here and here) to make paths alongside and at the bottom of the ditch more accessible.
Click here for a bigger version of the board.
Many thanks to members of the Friends of Bernards Heath, especially RM and PB for their work on the preparation of artwork and content. The Friends of Bernards Heath paid for the artwork and the St Albans City Council the metal boards and their installation.
This small depression has appeared on the Lower Field and has been cordoned off. The Fontmell Close sinkhole was probably only 200 m away, although in this case it may be a consequence of the rubbish that was buried in the area.
The field was surveyed in detail in 2015 since it is in the area covered by old clay pits and was the site of a rubbish tip. The company Carter Jonas was involved in the survey and is now in the process of reviewing the ground condition reports for the site.
