A Gift of Trees

A big ‘thank you’ to Berwick Wildlife group who gave us 38 trees which they had received from Love Northumberland. We decided to plant the mix of Birch, Rowan Alder, Cherry and Ash along the side of our disabled access path to add interest (it’s a bit long and straight at the moment). Fiona, Molly, John and Sally joined us from Berwick Wildlife Group on a rather dull afternoon last Sunday and, due to their hard work, we managed to get all the trees planted.

Sally and John, pictured above, planted the most trees. Many thanks to both of you - and we're sorry you missed the rugby, John!

 The first trees (when we were still quite enthusiastic).

 Putting in a mulch mat to keep the weeds down.

 Fiona and Molly adding the tree tube. There are quite a few deer on the farm - so the tree tubes are important.

Tom's petrol earth auger (hole-digger) gave up on the 38th hole - so he had to resort to a good old fashioned spade!

Watering the trees. Who parked the water barrel at the other side of the field?!

Drainage and a dead duck

Not all conservation work is plain sailing! Tom’s about to build our new disabled access pond dipping/viewing platform, but unfortunately he discovered the pond side was rapidly disappearing underwater. Wheelchair users would have to be issued with snorkels to venture onto his propsed new jetty! A man with a digger was called to investigate the rising water levels in the pond we created 20 years ago. After two days of making a squelshy mess, digging up some of the crop (really sorry James) and creating some impressive new canals from the pond, the blockage was located. A very sad specimen of a duck (or was it a moor hen? – it was an unidentifiable bundle of feathers and mud) was discovered wedged in a join in the pipe. Poor thing (Tom wasn’t too happy either...)!

Tom and Willie started digging at the wrong end of the pipe to begin with, and then realized it was blocked closer to the pond. 

Now isn't this a sea of mud! The amount of wet ground suggests that pond drainage has been poor for some time.

 No, Willie didn't dig this by hand! Has anyone seen the saw? Apparently Willie and Tom think they've buried it back in the hole!

Here Willie is letting the water through to another field drain. As the digger unearthed the pond outflow pipe it created a canal leading from the pond. 

I'm happy to say, once the pipe had been cleared, the water whooshed down the pond outlet, the pond shrank rapidly and the path emerged from beneath the flood waters. Tom is now off to put a new wire mesh over the outlet... and I hope he attaches it firmly!

The Garden Gate

A small wicket gate at the end of a country garden is lovely image. This winter Tom has replaced the old fencing at the end of the cottage gardens with smart new post and rail and added a small wicket gate between the ash trees. Guests will be able to walk straight down through the Newt Cottage garden, follow the path to the gate, and go out into the dene beyond.

The two broken ah trees past the end of the cottage gardens are very old. A section of trunk fell down in winter gales and, before we made it into a seat in the top dene, we tried counting the rings with a group of teenagers. We got back as far as seventeen-hundred-and-something (though the lines were rather indistinct). They probably are about the same age as the original farmhouse.

 Tom's made a 'squeeze' though to the pond field footpath.

A character in a radio play was recently discussing the little everyday things that make us truly happy. I have to say that sitting in the lunchtime sunshine with Tom, with our backs to his new fence, looking down the quiet dene... was definitely one of those moments. We’ll have to get a bench seat put in the same spot... it was heavenly!

Fences and trails

Winter is traditionally the time when farmers look to their field boundaries; ditches, hedges and fencing. Tom has quite a few new fences to build around the farm to protect new hedging from livestock. Andrew (our son in law-to-be) kindly lent a hand with the first stretch around the Croft, a field divided into small pig and sheep paddocks behind our house. As they worked, Tom had the inspired idea of creating a new trail between the end of the fence and the little runner (or tiny stream) around the North of the farm, leading out onto the farm road. Lately Tom has been working by himself, putting in posts, nailing wire and netting, clearing undergrowth and trying to skirt an old pig wallow (where is the water coming from?!). The trail peters out beyond the goat field at present (and it may only be suitable for the more adventurous walker) but the dogs and I have been enjoying an evening outing around this previously inaccessible part of the farm.

Andrew's new fence along the side of the Croft

The fence line boarders our new disabled access path and we will plant a hedge alonside.

 Here is the start of the new walk around the pig's croft where the big sows live.

I've been trying to clear away overhanging branches and brambles from the track.

Tom at work in the evening sunshine, watched by 'Bracken' the goat (below). Bracken is harness trained and can pull a small cart. Unfortunately he enjoyed standing on the newly stretched fence wires to see what Tom was up to... which did not endear him to anyone!

The fence line skirting the old pig wallow (below). 

This small paddock, along with the goat's field, is in organic conversion so Tom will keep his newly born lambs here this spring.

An Anniversary Whitebeam

To celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and 60 years of farming at Hunting Hall we planted a Whitebeam. Thank you for editing the video Tommy!

Happy Christmas everyone from all at Hunting Hall!

Autumnal colours at Hunting Hall

We have had some lovely weather this November and the autumn berries have been spectacular. These photographs were taken on my walk around the farm last Sunday morning.

Newt Cottage garden

The new bird hide

Our new easy access footpath

The farm trail through the Top Dene

Tom's new small 'bridge'

The old bridge in the Top Dene

The South Low Burn

Hurry up! Let me though please.

Lowick Community Orchard at Hunting Hall

From the top of the farm looking East towards The Fuffins and Newt Cottage

Meg's Wood. Bella (the dog) likes the small crab apples - here she is debating if she can reach them by jumping.

The old farm lonnen - once the main road to Lowick and probably used by pilgrims travelling to Holy Island.

Looking through to our organically managed pasture.

The cottages' gardens