RATS Stints 10-12

RATS TEMPLE STINT 10

Date: 31st March 2010

Observers: Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Field accessed from Brookfield Farm

OS Ref: SK5833912380-SK5844612441

Map Title: Site 221 North East Brookfield and Brookfield Farm

Owners: Bill Wright, Brookfield Farm, Hallfields Lane, Rothley

This stint again runs along the bank of Rothley Brook but without a real hedgerow. The species recorded are in individual plantings of hawthorn but with young trees of Horse Chestnut, Oak and Maple. These have been planted as one still has the modern black plastic tie hanging from its trunk. There is a good sized willow; multi branched, which you would expect to be in this situation by the brook as they are a feature in Rothley.

Dead Elm is also a feature in this stint. Large Elms were cut down on this farm at the time of Dutch elm disease in the 60's. (I remember these being cut and the difference it made to the landscape).

Again, a sparse boundary for vegetation but Rothley Brook forms the real boundary.

RATS TEMPLE STINT 11

Date: 31st March 2010

Observers: Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Field accessed from Brookfield Farm, Hallfields Lane

OS Ref: SK5844612441-SK5855112489

Map Title: Site 221 North East Brookfield and Brookfield Farm

Owners: Bill Wright, Brookfield Farm, Hallfields Lane, Rothley

This part of the boundary still runs along the banks of Rothley Brook and the vegetation very much turns to what appears to be more modern planting. There is larch and needle pine forming a boundary with pieces of hawthorn and elder in stints 11a and b.

The farmer is breeding miniature horses and they were very interested in what we were doing! A chiffchaff was calling, my first of the year.

When we start on stint 11c we are running along the boundary with Hallfields Lane and this hedgerow is mainly hawthorn of more modern planting. Between this modern hedgerow and the road there is a verge with oddments of original vegetation.

The end of stint 11d brings us to the present farm entrance. There is a small copse of trees, modern planting, just inside the farm entrance to the right and this makes a very pleasant area of vegetation.

The challenge is now before us as we move into a small, long copse of trees running at the back of the farm buildings. The challenge is to find the ancient boundary in the debris of modern agriculture. In other words, we are facing a dumping ground of farm machinery and obsolete artefacts i.e. tractor tyres!

RATS TEMPLE STINT 12

Date: 13th April 2010

Observers: Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Field accessed from Brookfield Farm, Hallfields Lane

OS Ref: SK5855112489-SK5865712382

Map Title: Site 219 Long Field

Owners: Bill Wright, Tenant Farmer, Brookfield Farm, Hallfields Lane, Rothley

We started from the entrance gate including the farm drive and the first part took us along the hedgerow facing Hallfields Lane. This is a mixture of more modern hawthorn and the remains of rotten tree trunks, small Lime tree, elder, Horse Chestnut and Elm. There used to be a lot of elm around this farm in the 1960's.

We quickly turn our backs to Hallfields Lane and head straight for the top of the field which rises considerably as we record.

In Stint 12b we run parallel to a small mixed copse which includes larch, pine, lime and prunus sp. Sad to say that this little copse is used as the dumping ground for old farm machinery and other junk including the remains of the 'White-clawed Crayfish Seat' that was sited opposite Bunney's Field. If this copse is still there in a few hundred years then archaeologists will love their 'dig'.

Part of this stint runs by an old orchard according to the maps of 1842 but, sadly, nothing remains. We are working through pasture fields now used by horses which disfigure the ground and destroy the vegetation.

In the Natural History Survey of Rothley and the recording of all the fields in the parish we are following a line without a hedgerow which separates Site 219 Long Field and Site 220 Brookfield. Due to the rising ground, many years ago, this made a jolly good sledging field in the snow and much enjoyed by village children.

To continue to Stints 13-15 please click on the following link: