Posts Tagged ‘conservationvolunteers’
Gorse Clearance at Drake’s Leat
After days of rain, our Conservation Volunteers were delighted to be back out on the land, clearing gorse from the historic Drake’s Leat. Built at the end of the 16th century, Drake’s Leat is a mostly stone-lined watercourse which was dug by hand to transport water 17 miles from Dartmoor to the growing port and…
Read MoreClearing the Medieval Farmstead
The medieval farmstead and newtake wall, which traces the path of a Bronze Age reave, are being cleared of gorse growth on DPA owned land at High House Waste. One boundary wall had gorse cut back two years ago and this was now due for a re-cut. Other stretches of wall had not previously been…
Read MoreDrystone Walling at Pudsham
The drystone wall which encloses our land at Pudsham has been in need of attention, as movement of stones has meant that sheep are able to get in on occasion. Although the herb rich meadows are probably a tasty treat, we have a management plan in place which means that short term grazing, by Dartmoor…
Read MorePudsham Bracken Cut
This week was our annual bracken cut on DPA owned land at Pudsham Meadows. Using both strimmers and hand operated scythes, DPA conservation volunteers cut back bracken growth in our four fields: Pudsham Meadow, Goat Field, Small Field and Sylvia’s Field. The entire site consists of these four fields plus several small shelterbelt areas filled…
Read MoreBracken Control at Buckland Common
On the 1st July, the DPA Volunteers were aided in continuing bracken clearance at Buckland Common Bronze Age Settlement by a group from National Highways in Exeter. Dartmoor contains 10% of Europe’s Bronze Age remains and many of these sites are becoming smothered in gorse and bracken because of changes in land management. As a…
Read MoreHound Tor 2 Clearance Work
Over the last 3 years, DPA Conservation Volunteers have been working to clear invasive bracken from archeological features at the Hound Tor 2 site. Although less well known than the Medieval Village, this area (340m NW of the Medieval Village – grid reference about SX745790) offers some fascinating insights into the lives and farming practices…
Read MoreAbundance of Orchids at Pudsham Count
This week DPA Conservation Volunteers were joined by Devon Wildlife Trust volunteers for our annual orchid count at Pudsham Meadows. We were looking for four varieties of orchid across our four fields at the site, splitting each field into transects to ensure a systematic survey. Around 25 volunteers spent the morning and early afternoon diligently…
Read MoreMusings on 20 Years Working with the DPA
I have called upon the services and skills of the DPA for over 20 years now in my role as an archaeologist for both the National Park and Historic England. In that time volunteers have expertly repaired, rebuilt, strimmed, cut and cleared a multitude of archaeological sites and features, helping to improve their condition and…
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