Date: 19th June 2004

There are some lovely Ancient Oaks as well as smaller trees in this part of what is called Rothley Park.

I visited this morning to walk around the field to note where the trees were to make it easier to record them. Some of them will definitely be in the 'top ten' list for size.

According to the map there is a pond close to the public footpath so this will need to be checked out. Also, a pond has been made next to the Rothley Brook, opposite the Rothley Court Hotel.

A large stand of what looks like Japanese Knotweed is growing by the banks of the brook so this will need to be checked out.

(15^th March 2005. This has been identified as Giant Knotweed; one of three known stands in the Charnwood area. I have arranged for information to be sent to Anthony from Charnwood Wildlife so that he is aware of the problems with this plant and how to avoid spread.)

July 10^th 2004

This morning spent measuring trees and we have found the second largest in the parish Tree 263 an Oak with a girth of 6.5m.

This field is a mixture of Oak, Ash, Maple, Pine and Horse Chestnut but with the Oaks being the most ancient as would be expected. However, I have measured all the trees as it would be interesting to see why and when the maple were planted in parkland with oaks.

Brian spent the morning looking at the banks of Rothley Brook in his quest for evidence of a water mill, which is part of a separate survey report.

July 17^th 2004

Janice and I spent the morning measuring the remaining trees whilst Brian continued his survey of the brook.

We have now completed the trees in Great Close but must take a look at a site near to the field entrance beyond the pheasant pens as a fairly large pond is shown on the 1979 OS map

There are major oaks in Great Close and many beautiful trees. This is a list made in 2004:
The Tree Number in the survey, OS Ref., Species, Girth, Site Number and Location.

257 576117 Oak 4.6 207 Great Close

258 577117 Oak 4.7 207 Great Close

259 577117 Maple 2.1 207 Great Close

260 577117 Maple 2.1 207 Great Close

261 576118 Oak 3.8 207 Great Close

262 577118 Oak 5.6 207 Great Close

263 577118 Oak 6.5 207 Great Close

264 577118 Oak 4.6 207 Great Close

265 577118 Oak 3.4 207 Great Close

266 577118 Oak 2.1 207 Great Close

267 577118 Oak 2.5 207 Great Close

268 577119 Oak 4.9 207 Great Close

269 577119 Maple 2.3 207 Great Close

270 577119 Maple 2.9 207 Great Close

271 577120 Maple 1.9 207 Great Close

272 577120 Maple 2.0 207 Great Close

273 577120 Maple 2.3 207 Great Close

274 577121 Copper Beech 2.2 207 Great Close

275 577121 Copper Beech 2.1 207 Great Close

276 576121 Ash 2.3 207 Great Close

277 575120 Oak 4.8 207 Great Close

278 576120 Oak 3.6 207 Great Close

279 576120 Oak 4.3 207 Great Close

280 576119 Pine 1.8 207 Great Close

281 576119 Pine 1.6 207 Great Close

282 577119 Ash 2.0 207 Great Close

283 577119 Ash 2.8 207 Great Close

284 577119 H. Chestnut 1.6 207 Great Close

285 577120 Maple 2.3 207 Great Close

286 575120 Maple 1.8 207 Great Close

287 575120 Ash 2.1 207 Great Close

288 575120 Maple 1.7 207 Great Close

289 576119 Apple/H'thorn 1.5 207 Great Close

290 576119 Pine 1.0 207 Great Close

291 576119 Ash 1.8 207 Great Close

292 576119 Pine 1.4 207 Great Close

293 576119 H. Chestnut 1.4 207 Great Close

294 576118 Oak 3.2 207 Great Close

295 576118 Oak 2.8 207 Great Close

296 576118 Oak 1.7 207 Great Close

297 576118 Oak 1.8 207 Great Close

298 576119 Oak 4.3 207 Great Close

RATS TEMPLE STINT 27

Date: 2nd February 2011

Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Site accessed from Southfield Farm

OS Ref: SK5782611793-SK5781311918

Map Title: Site 127 Rothley Park Golf Course/Site 207 Great Close

Owners: Rothley Park Golf Club/Tony Cooper Southfield Farm, Rothley

Stint 27a takes us along the drain/ditch with no hedgerow but in 27b there is some coppiced ash but not ancient. 23 metres along 27b we reach the boundary hedgerow with Site 207 Great Close which is part of Southfield Farm. We cross this hedgerow at SK5782811849 where there is an ancient Ash Tree 337 which I recorded on the 14th August 2004 in Site 209 Cecily Croft as it is on the boundary of these two fields. I also noted that the tree was 'in a hedgerow, in a ditch and behind barbed wire' which is still true in February 2011.

In the remaining 7 metres of Stint 27b, in Great Close, there is evidence of ancient layered hawthorn, still a good ditch but lots of brambles.

In Stint 27c we continue with the hedgerow as in 27b but at 25 metres we cross the private driveway to the farm and then have to switch from Site 207 Great Close to Site 209 Cecily Croft due to the excessive amount of bramble along the Great Close hedgerow. The last five metres and the whole of Stint 27d run along ancient layered hawthorn, with blackthorn and still a good ditch. Modern planting consists of Silver Birch and maple sp.

The farmer says that this hedgerow is due to be layered.

RATS TEMPLE STINT 28

Date: 2nd February 2011

Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Field accessed from private driveway to Southfield Farm

OS Ref: SK5781311918-SK5779112035

Map Title: Site 209 Cecily Croft/207 Great Close

Owners; Tony Cooper, Southfield Farm, Rothley

We continue in Cecily Croft until we reach the gate at 22metres into Stint 28b and then cross back into Site 207 Great Close. The hedgerow continues as before with the addition of holly and modern trees prunus sp.

In the remaining 8 metres of Stint 28b we still keep the hedgerow with the addition of young Oaks, maple and layered hawthorn with blackthorn.

An old footbridge crosses the ditch as part of the Public Footpath with a lovely slab of slate.

12 metres before the end of this stint we turn a gentle right turn but still keeping alongside the hedgerow. In this part of the ditch, when viewed from Site 209 Cecily Croft, you can see stones that build up the bank. There are also remnants of parkland railings.

We now have to find out where we turn across Great Close as there is no evidence of the ancient boundary. Terry to study the old maps!

RATS TEMPLE STINT 29

Date:2nd February 2011 and 30th March 2011

Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Site accessed from the driveway to Southfield Farm, Rothley

OS Ref: SK5779012057-SK5770212069

Map Title: Site 207 Great Close

Owners: Tony Cooper, Southfield farm, Rothley

The first part of this stint continues along the hedgerow as in Stint 28 but at 29b we strike out across Great Close towards Great Close Spinney. We skirt an ancient oak and a group of three trees and curves round gently easing towards the spinney. No hedgerow for Stints 29b, c and d so cannot do a date for this stretch.

RATS TEMPLE STINT 30

Date: 30th March 2011

Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Site accessed from the driveway to Southfield Farm, Rothley

OS Ref: SK5770212069-SK5758612090

Map Title: Site 207 Great Close

Owners: Tony Cooper, Southfield Farm, Rothley

Stint 30 runs through Great Close and turns towards Great Close Spinney. No hedgerow.

RATS TEMPLE STINT 31

Date: 30th March 2011

Observers: Brian Verity, Terry Sheppard and Marion Vincent

Location: Site accessed from the driveway to Southfield Farm

OS Ref: SK5758612090-SK5747012085

Map Title: Site 207 Great Close, Site 258 Great Close Spinney and Site 256 Temple Meadow

Owners: Tony Cooper, Southfield Farm, Rothley

This is where it all starts to get more interesting with the landscape. Stint 31a takes us the final 10m of Great Close to Great Close Spinney which is narrow at this point. The end of 31a is where we cross the sic in the spinney and start 31b from the Temple Meadow side.

There are two ponds on the edge of this spinney, shown on old maps, which are said to have been created to supply water to the steam machinery used during that era. They have been recorded in the Natural History Survey as Pond 50 and Pond 51. They were both full at the time of our visit.

The sic has a high bank on the spinney side but very overgrown with snowberry, a shrub found in a lot of our spinneys in Rothley. It is very bad at suckering and creates dense thickets. There are Scots Pines along the sic and in the spinney and old records show that many of this species were planted in Rothley. Just over the Bridle Road from the farm there is a spinney called Pine Spinney.

There is no real hedgerow along the sic but being on the boundary of this spinney I have recorded the species there but cannot class them as a real hedgerow. The rest of the stint continues along the sic.

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