Having been delighted by Exmoor, I must admit that Bodmin Moor was altogether less impressive in its current state. Staying in Cornwall for the weekend, my girlfriend and I decided to head out onto the moors near Davidstow in an attempt to climb the fabled Rough Tor (in which “rough” is pronounced “row” as per Continue reading

After nine hours in the car, I’d be happy to get out and walk around anywhere. Fortunately, it turns out that when you head down to the West Country, it’s actually extremely nice in its own right, particularly when you end up on the moors. As part of a field trip for the Heather Trust, Continue reading

It took so long to attach the dual wheels to the tractor that they will never be coming off again. To be perfectly honest, that is no hardship. With dual wheels, “ugly betty” the tractor is absolutely invincible. Fitted with a single bladed rotary topper, the roaring machine has been scalping the rushes on the Continue reading

According to research published recently in the Journal of Applied Ecology, an RSPB study has found that the number of curlews on open ground is positively buoyed by the presence of a gamekeeper. No real surprise there, but  the study goes on to look at the impact of woodland encroachment on hill country, revealing as Continue reading

Worth mentioning that the heather beetle attack on the Chayne has taken a new angle. All of the hungry larvae suddenly vanished about three or four days ago, leaving a surprising amount of dead and dying heather in their wake. The little area of heather has been so full of grubs for the past month Continue reading

Heading across country to Northumberland last week, I had a chance to look in on Otterburn range. Otterburn made its name in conservation circles thanks to a study into upland predation undertaken by the GWCT over the past decade. Although it has been quiet ever since the project ended a few years ago, the name Continue reading

As the heather buds start to crack and the first flowers begin to show, it’s a good moment to assess the condition of the hill. I was surprised to find these heather plants on the Chayne which have been almost killed out by cold weather. On an area of almost half an acre, the heather Continue reading

In my naïve attempt to fiddle with agriculture, I seem to have opened a major can of worms. Having put in my game crop for the benefit of partridges and blackgame, I have been delighted to see the stubble turnips come leaping into prosperity, even during the long, dry July. Tempting fate, I decided to Continue reading

Thanks to the Emergency Authorisation for the use of Asulam, helicopters are flying again on the hills opposite the Chayne. They made a great impact on the hill opposite my house last year, and looking at the areas which haven’t regrown this summer, it’s hard to argue with Asulox as a control measure. Long straight Continue reading