Over the past 18 months you might have noticed building work happening at 74 Main St., Great Gidding – previously Laurel Farm. Jan and Margaret have been busy designing and building their own home and office and a further property that will eventually be rented out by Fitzwilliam Estate.
Here’s a few aerial photographs taken by Catalyst Video Services for Jan Maciag at Folium Architects.
FRIDAY, 10 MAY, Great Gidding Village Hall
We hope everyone will find time to visit and take advantage of some bargains just in time for summer. Not only will there be plenty of plants for sale, you can also browse a number of stalls, including unique handmade metal garden ornaments from local maker, Ped Baker, and a horticultural bric a brac stall. You can bring along your garden questions to put to Radio Cambridgeshire’s expert gardener, Tony Arnold or get some handy hints on how to plant your pots and hanging baskets. There’ll also be a garden-themed raffle and, for the children, a bird quiz with a very special prize!
With a Barbecue and a Bar to help you as you browse, the evening of May 10th promises to be a really convivial and fun event.
Entry is free. Doors open at 5.30p.m.
Don’t throw them away! We would love to ‘repurpose’ them for our garden bric à brac stall at the Plant Sale.
We’re looking for unusual items to use as planters (baskets, chimney pots, old boots, chamber pots, etc), as well as any decorative planters you no longer need or like, or anything else with a horticultural theme (garden ornaments, bird feeders, bird boxes, garden lights, gardening books) …anything at all that might make an interesting addition to someone else’s garden.
All sales on the evening will help to swell the funds for Jubilee Woods projects.
Let your imagination run riot!
You can either deliver to The Village Shop or call 01832 293240 and we’ll be happy to collect.
March 2019 Jubilee Wood
As the weak winter sun dips down behind the trees in the wood, and we welcome the first official days of spring with the vernal equinox, it’s hard not to wish for signs of summer with long days and busy hours as wildlife does what wildlife has always done in the season of plenty…….replenishing fat reserves, bringing up young ones and if lucky, having a bit of relaxation after the winter and unpredictable weather of spring.
Spring is a time of uncertainty as we wait to see whether different species have survived the winter, and unfortunately, many of the Ash trees in the wood are showing signs of dieback but time alone will tell how many will survive. It’s a worrying sight and yet nature has a way of compensating and filling the void. Those of us who are old enough to remember how Dutch elm disease changed the look of the landscape should be heartened to know that there are still several quite large elms in this area as well as several small ones in hedgerows, and no doubt some of the Ash trees will adapt and survive in a similar way.
Butterflies are definitely a species which can find winter challenging and many butterfly lovers are waiting to see if the offspring of Chequered Skippers which were reintroduced to England last year from Belgium have survived the winter. The chosen site in Rockingham forest has been kept secret but Butterfly Conservation staff and volunteers are closely monitoring the site. The Chequered Skipper was first recorded in Britain near Bedford in May 1798 by Charles Abott. For many years it was known only in England, found in a band of woodlands stretching from Oxfordshire to Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Its presence was one of the reasons Charles Rothschild, a pioneer of conservation, set up his estate in the heart of this area, at Ashton near Oundle. Most of us will be familiar with the excellent pub in Ashton named after the butterfly but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could host them here in Jubilee Wood? Thanks to the recent hard work of volunteers in clearing areas around the edges of the wood, the sunny, flower rich open areas are all ready for their return.
On another positive note, sightings of the great crested newts in the pond have been reported so we know that some at least, have survived the winter. It’s a hazardous journey for some of them to return to the pond looking for a mate, especially if they have to travel across the road from their winter home, and at least one unfortunate newt wasn’t lucky enough to make it this year. Perhaps we’ll have to ask the parish council for ‘Newts crossing’ signs next year….or even an underpass!
With so much happening at this time, perhaps we should just take time to appreciate the excitement of seeing the first unfurling of tiny leaves on the trees, the powdery catkins and the glorious golden colour of wild aconites and dandelions. The sound of the dawn chorus never fails to remind us it’s Spring as the rich melodies of blackbirds, doves, robins, and even the squabbling of the sparrows and starlings are played out in this very special part of the year.
The Woodwalker
Useful websites
David James (George) sadly passed away on Thursday 31st January 2019.
We are holding his Funeral Service at Peterborough Crematorium on Thursday 21st February at 12:30pm.
All are welcome at the service and afterwards at the Fox & Hounds.
Family Flowers only please, however donations can be made to Sue Ryder Hospice at the service or through Crowsons & Toby Hunt Funeral Directors.
Many thanks
The James Family
As January comes to a cold end with freezing nights and flurries of the white stuff, it’s difficult not to dream of warmer times and the promise of Spring. In some ways it’s a shame to let our thoughts wander forward too fast as the wood is looking quite spectacular in this cold weather. The hard work of volunteers who have cleared out the undergrowth in many areas means that you can now see the various forms of the young trees.
Nature always seems to be involved in a circle of birth, growth and death so perhaps it’s a good time to remember that January is named after the Roman god Janus, the god of beginnings and endings and the doorkeeper of the heavens. He’s often depicted as having two heads so could see backwards and forwards at the same time and perhaps we can apply that metaphor to the Jubilee Wood. Trees, plants and invertebrates may seem dormant at this time of year as we walk through its gateway, but we can already the signs of new growth as buds thicken on branches and new growth is forcing its way up from the ground.
The wood also played a part in the recent RSPB birdwatch, as volunteers sent in their sightings after a cold and windy weekend. It will be interesting to see how the bird population changes as the trees mature and the level of cover changes throughout the seasons. The Fieldfares are still to be seen as are chaffinchs, goldfinches, wrens and green woodpeckers along with the blackbirds, sparrows, jackdaws and bluetits to name just a few. It’s also easy to forget the red kites as we now see them so regularly over our gardens but what a wonderful sight they are. As they glide above , their calls fill the skies and we can watch their territorial acrobatics which have already started.
A big ‘thank you’ to the many volunteers who keep the Jubilee Wood healthy and accessible for our enjoyment. Whatever the year has in store for us it will always be a place of quiet enjoyment as well as an environment which is packed with life and variety. Just look at the two reports on the website about dragonflies/damselflies and moths in Jubilee Wood in 2018 to remind yourself of what’s to come!
…so much more!
Be sure to save the date, Friday 10th May 2019, for an evening filled with a plethora of plants all for sale, barbeque and bar, planting demonstrations, our very own Gardeners’ Question Time with Radio Cambridgeshire regular Tony Arnold, bird quizzes featuring well-known artist Carry Ackroyd’s beautiful bird paintings, plus plenty of gardening and wildlife information, hints and tips….
It’s going to be fun for all the family!
When: Friday 10th May 2019, from 5pm onwards
Where: Gt Gidding Village Hall
What’s it all for: Jubilee Wood Projects to encourage us all to enjoy the wood – including a proposed bird hide, information centre, composting toilet…
Watch the Giddings website for more details and developments.
Spring Dragonflies & Damselflies at Jubilee Wood in 2018
During a couple of visits to the Jubilee Wood pond in May 2018, five Odonata species were seen.
The first species normally to appear in the year is the Large Red Damselfly. The immature insects venture further afield but when they are mature they visit the pond to pair up and lay their eggs.
Another early species is the beautiful Broad-bodied Chaser. May is a good time to see them on sunny days as the blue males aggressively patrol their territories around the pond .The brown and yellow females are no less spectacular but spend a lot of time feeding away from the pond only appearing to mate and egg-lay. This species favour small ponds and do not seem to be in large numbers.
The Four-spotted Chaser however, can appear in large numbers and was very common at this pond in May. The males and females look the same as each other with four distinctive dark wing spots. On vegetation around the pond exuvia could be found – this is the empty skin that is left behind when the adult dragonfly emerges after the larvae has climbed up a stem from the pond.
The other 2 species seen were the Azure Damselfly and the Blue-tailed Damselfly, both were very common here.
As the Spring turns into the Summer there could be up to 17 species seen around this pond and woodland so plenty to look forward to in 2019.
Andrew Frost
December can be a difficult month for some people, with the nights at their longest it can seem a dark and challenging time, but if we look at the natural world we might learn a way of seeing things differently.Wandering around the wood, whether the late afternoon sunshine is sinking below the trees, or the bare branches are being blown around under cold grey skies, I wonder how all the plants, birds and mammals cope at this time of year.
Hibernation and dormancy helps many of them to protect themselves against the elements, and if you look closely at deciduous trees you will see a scar where the leaves have been shed, providing protection from infection and severe weather. Most insects and other invertebrates hibernate during the winter as they can’t produce their own body heat like birds and mammals but something they can do is burrow down deeper into the soil to benefit from an increase in a few degrees of soil temperature. Apparently earthworms can avoid freezing by increasing the amount of sugars in their body fluids, reducing the temperature at which they will freeze – in the same way putting antifreeze in your car washer fluid keeps it liquid!
Seed heads provide food for birds over the winter months but they can also provide shelter for various insects, whilst long grass and dead leaves can provide safe havens for several moth and butterfly life cycle stages, protecting them from winter weather and predators. Most species enter a dormant phase and this can be as an egg, larva, pupa or adult insect, dependent upon species. The majority of butterflies and moths overwinter in the larval stage, with pupae being the next most common choice, followed by eggs and adults. Adult moths can hibernate under the bark of logs or deep in amongst dense ivy, perhaps sharing winter digs in the Jubilee Wood with our old friends the Great Crested Newts! Some like the Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma overwinter as dormant adults and we certainly need to help them as much as we can. The full results of this year’s Big Butterfly Count are out and can be viewed by following the link below and whilst many populations thrived in the good conditions, sadly the number of the Meadow Brown, which was so abundant in the Jubilee Wood this summer, is down by 56% since 2017 so there’s still a lot of conservation work to do.
Perhaps this ability of nature to adapt to conditions is something we could benefit from. Slowing down during these dark days may be useful for us too, giving ourselves time to recharge our batteries in whatever ways suit us. Reading those books we never got round to, planning wildlife friendly changes to the garden next year and making New Year resolutions to find time to visit the Jubilee Wood more often if we can, whether it be a for quiet walk or a community event such as helping to clear undergrowth and a general tidy up. Whatever you decide, a Happy New Year to you and hopefully the Jubilee Wood will be part of a very healthy one for you too!
The Wood Wanderer
Interesting websites: