Fencing and fruit pen

The winter fencing project continues at Fromebridge with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The main task was to continue banging in fence posts and attaching the stock proof rails.

I donned the brush cutter PPE for a couple of tasks. At the top of the grassland is an enclosed area with heritage fruit trees that cattle can’t access.

As a result, the grass is very long in there because it’s not been grazed. However, we have surveyed there before and it’s more species rich than the rest of the meadow.

We are pretty late in the year for cutting and the grass was dense and very long. So even with the brush cutter, the going was quite slow. Rene and Diane were doing the other pen with scythes, which was equally tough. After a discussion with Pete, we’ll make a note to do it earlier next year, maybe July and rotate between early and late each year.

I only had time to do about half the pen, so I should get it completed next week. I also removed a swathe of bramble scrub at the bottom of the meadow which was in the way of the fencers. There’s now a clear line of sight to complete the fence.