SITE 194 THE MEADOW
OS REF:SK56951181
Date: 25th February 2004
This is a small field tucked away by the Rothley Brook and the Great Central Railway. It was rough pasture at the time of our visit with good potential for wildlife.
There is an ancient Oak Tree 229 on one hedgerow boundary.
A bridge over the Rothley Brook built as part of the Great Central Railway leads from this field into the Ancient Demesne Site 198. It was most likely built to take building supplies over to the railway line during construction as it is made of railway blue brick.
One of the boundaries is part of the Rothley Ancient Ecclesiastical Boundary (RAPS) and details of the survey are attached. The current parish boundary (2010) does not now follow this line.
This is a very interesting area of the parish and not seen by many due to being tucked away with no access.
Site 194 Looking to Station Road. April 2006
Site 194 Boundary of Ancient Parish. April 2006
Site 194 to the right. Ancient Parish Boundary Stint 10 running along the boundary of Rothley Brook. April 2006
Site 194 Bridge over Rothley Brook from Site 198 into Site 194. April 2006
Site 194 Ancient Oak Tree 229 with a girth of 4.3m at SK56921179. February 2004
Looking to Site 194 over the hedge to the right with Ancient Tree 229. Site 179 West Brown Hill to the left. February 2004
This shows the Rothley Ancient Parish Boundary with Thurcaston. This side of the hedgerow is in Thurcaston with Site 194 the other side of the hedgerow. February 2004
Site 194. This bridge built by the railway is in Rothley Parish and leads into site 194 from Site 198. February 2004
The old bridge built by the railway into Site 194. February 2004
Rothley Brook flows under this bridge built by the railway into Site 194. February 2004
ROTHLEY ANCIENT PARISH SURVEY (RAPS)
RAPS STINT 10
Date: 25th February 2004
Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard, Janice Verity, Marion Vincent
Location: Thurcaston Lane towards Great Central Railway Line
OS Ref: SK56981171-SK57051165
Map Title: Site 198 Ancient Demesne
The first 60 metres of this Stint runs down the centre of Rothley Brook but, as mentioned in Stint 9, at the start there is a lovely Common Alder Tree 228 right on the bank which is of sufficient size to register as an Ancient Tree in the Natural History of the Rothley Parish. It is on the Rothley Parish side of the Rothley Brook. Further along, at the 30-metre point, there is another lovely Common Alder Tree 229, which is of good size and recorded as an important Parish Boundary Tree. This tree is on the bank where the Rothley Brook makes a marked turn towards Thurcaston village.
Where the boundary leaves the brook and turns towards the Great Central Railway embankment there is an Ash Tree 230, which has been recorded as an Ancient Tree due to its position on the Ancient Boundary. The boundary then runs across the arable field to the area of scrub and trees where we start the next Stint.
As these 120 metres for Stint 10 has no hedgerow it cannot be aged according to the rules but a survey form has been completed to include the Ancient Trees.
RAPS STINT 11
Date: 3rd March 2004
Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard, Janice Verity, Marion Vincent
Location: Field boundary with Great Central Railway and via bridge to Fairway 15 of the Rothley Park Golf Club
OS Ref: SK57051165-SK57251155
Map Title: Site 198 Ancient Demesne/ Site 127 Rothley Park Golf Club
The first 30 metres starts with a Willow sp. Tree 231 recorded in the Natural History of Rothley Parish. This is of good size but is important as a Boundary Tree. This part of the stint is very sparse with two stands of hawthorn growing as a tree instead of hedgerow and a small oak. There is good evidence of a ditch along this first part. We then went under the railway line via a narrow bridge, which is part of a public footpath from Thurcaston to Rothley and, on emerging, walked a short distance to where the Ancient Boundary would have continued had the railway not been built. It was at this point that we met up with Martin Brown, who is Manager of the Greens for Rothley Park Golf Club, who had arranged to accompany us over Fairway 15 in safety. Martin told us that there were maps of the Golf Club greens in the Clubhouse so we must check these out for details of interest.
At the start of this second stage of Stint 11 there is a Field Pond, Fairway 15 Pond 23, which is fed by a ditch and does not dry up in the summer. This pond is sparsely enclosed by hawthorn trees that run in a line from the start of the boundary and ending with a small oak at the start of the fairway. Martin says that he wants to make more of a feature of this pond so it will be interesting to see how it develops.
The final 60 metres of this stint cut straight across Fairway 15 ending up on the far side where there is a field boundary with an Ash Tree, Tree 232, recorded in the Natural History of Rothley Parish as important due to its ancient boundary situation. It is interesting that there always seems to be a good sized tree where the boundary makes a directional change.
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