Something a little different today, installing 1000m of water pipe to a new water/drinking trough on the Pewsey Downs.
Good job done using the Valtra 253 with mole plough.
Author: Debbie Newman
The ultimate in upcycling
The ultimate in upcycling: during WW2, 28000 concrete Pill Boxes were built to defend the arteries of England against a possible invasion. The Pill Boxes are all made of concrete. In this project, we converted an initial four of them for use by bats ! These were all undertaken within the Pewsey Vale alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal, as part of a Crown Estate Funded Project.
We blocked up all but one viewing point, creating a lockable door fitting, perches and bat boxes to the inside.
See this link to The Historic England Blog for more information.
Pollarding 30 old lime trees
Here we undertook the pollarding of 30-plus old lime trees forming an avenue in Hampshire.
Work made safer and easier with the correct equipment, viz our Merlo Roto, Spider MEWP
and 26m Lorry MEWP. 12 March 2026
500m of Stock fence with 4 gates
Alex and Toby are up at the top of Wiltshire this week, erecting 500m of Stock fence with 4 gates as part of a Natural England project on the Pewsey Downs at Alton Barnes.
Our next task here is to install a water trough and another butterfly scape, so more to follow.
Serviced and sharpened mowers ready to be returned to their owners
Another batch of serviced and sharpened mowers to be returned to their owners in time for the sunny weekend
Don’t forget we will collect and return your mower if required
3000m Fencing to protect newly planted hedging
Here, our task was to erect fencing to protect newly planted native-mix hedging on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
We used a single strand of electric fence with 2 x barbed wire to stop the cattle from eating the new plants!
Mechanical dismantling of a pair of dying oak trees
Mechanical dismantling of a pair of dying oak trees over a security fence. We used a Magni telehandler fitted with a Westmec grapplesaw.
The decision was made to remove 2 oak trees to a pollard following a PICUS test and Health and Safety concerns. Had it been a different location, it would have remained untouched. There will be a fence around it shortly, and the pollard will remain for a long time to come
See our tree survey information and details of PICUS here
Planting of 9000 new trees and shrubs
Planting of 9000 new trees and shrubs as part of a screening project on the edge of the Cotswolds.
Total number of trees/saplings planted: 6408
Shrub species for the field edges: Hazel, Holly, Viburnum, Blackthorn, Field Maple, Hawthorn.
Tree species for the middle sections: Alder, Pine, Oak, Poplar, Hazel, Willow, Holly.
Putting something back!
Look what Mark found while clearing. Ash trees last week
Look what Mark found while clearing. Ash trees last week
(Feb 2026)
Chipping of sycamore trees infected with possible sooty bark disease (Cryptostroma corticale)
Chipping of sycamore trees infected with possible sooty bark disease.
Dust suppression was required, as it was the only dry day last week!
See Forest Research for more information about Sooty bark disease (Cryptostroma corticale)
Dismantle completed chipping to commence,
Great job by Scott, Antony , Richard and Cameron is even back for a while !
