A lot is happening at the moment so here’s a quick snapshot of what we’ve done recently and what we’ll soon be doing. Please join us if you can

Recent Activity

We have had a busy week!

On the evening of Tuesday 5^th October, board member and Treasurer, Anthony Morgan, represented the Society at a ‘Friends of the Shropshire Hills’ evening, at the AONB offices in Craven Arms.

On Wednesday 6^th, children from Bucknell School visited the quillet as part of their John Muir Award (click here to find out what that entails). Cath Landles of the AONB has secured funding for the children to visit Brineddin Wood on four occasions this autumn to enable the schoolchildren to achieve this well respected award for outdoor activities. On this occasion the theme was bug life. Here are three photos from the day, two self-explanatory, the third a little confusing.

Karen Limbrick talking with Shropshire Hills AONB Conservation Fund Trustees

On Thursday 7^th, we hosted a visit from the Shropshire Hills AONB Conservation Fund Trustees. They came to see how we have been spending the grant that they gave us this year. It was a lovely afternoon of mellowing sunshine, so we were able to relax by sitting on the benches in the quillet while we explained what we have achieved so far.

On Sunday 11^th, members of Knighton Tree and Allotment Trust visited the quillet on a bright autumnal day. We presented a slide show of the wood and the Society’s work in the village hall and then walked over to the quillet.

Visit from Knighton Tree and Allotment Trust

After ascending the steps, some of the more intrepid visitors chose to make their way to the top of the hill where the tree cover thins out. They were rewarded with good views across the valley to Caer Caradoc. But that’s not quite all. One of the KTAT party, Ritchie Cotterrill, sent us a fabulous photo of us as we climbed the steps. It’s so good we’ve placed it  on our gallery (click here). Do take a look and don’t forget to send in any particularly good pictures of your own to go on the gallery (of the wood, that is, not your holiday snaps!)

Forthcoming events

We are looking forward to setting out our stall at Knighton Community Market on Saturday October 24^th. Please come along and see our new display and take away one of our new leaflets.

We are also planning hard for visits by children from Clun School and from Bishops Castle Community College on October 21^st and November 10^th respectively. They are all keen to learn about hazel coppicing and to gain some practical experience. Where we have permission from other quillet owners to carry out woodland management, we expect a good sized area of the lower slopes of several quillets to show the signs of a working woodland once again !

We have compiled a list of dates for conservation work parties this winter and hope that those of you who like to wield a pruning saw or spade would like to take part. We plan to meet on the following Sundays: 25^th October, 22^nd November, 3^rd January, 31^st January, and the 6^th March. Meet at 10.00am in Chapel Lawn Village Hall car park. We usually work until 1.00pm. Please remember tools along with sturdy footwear, waterproofs, a flask (and a packed lunch if staying until 2.30 pm). We will provide the cake and biscuits at mid-morning break!

We are very pleased with the interest shown in our community woodland project to date and look forward to welcoming many more adults and children to this idyllic corner of south Shropshire.