December 4, 2024 • 42 mins
This week's Wildlife Matters podcast dives into the concerning issue of avian botulism affecting water birds along the Grand Union Canal in West London, where several swans and other species have been found dead. Host Nigel Palmer discusses the investigative efforts of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which initially suspected avian influenza but later shifted focus to toxins such as botulism as the likely cause of the mass mortality. The episode also highlights the importance of maintaining good biosecurity practices for bird keepers as the risk of avian influenza remains high this winter. Additionally, listeners are provided with practical tips on how to create a hedgehog-friendly garden for the winter months, ensuring these charming creatures can hibernate safely. The podcast wraps up with a second part of an adventurous exploration of the Men’s Nature Reserve, showcasing its rich natural history and the beauty of ancient woodlands.
Hello and welcome to this week’s Wildlife Matters podcast. I’m your host, Nigel Palmer.
Can you believe it’s already December? Where has 2024 gone? We have another action-packed show lined up for you today.
We will conclude our walk on the wild side in the beautiful ancient woodland of Mens Nature Reserve, and we’ll spend some Mindful Moments listening to the sounds of wildlife from that day on the reserve in late spring.
We'll also share another formative Wildlife Matters article, this time on how to help hedgehogs in your garden this winter.
Now, it’s time to head over to the news desk for this week’s Wildlife Matters nature news.
And that was this week’s Wildlife Matters Nature News. Now, let’s look at what you can do to help hedgehogs find and stay in your garden this winter - with our wildlife matters article.
I hope you found our tips and advice for hedgehogs in your garden helpful. We would love to hear if you follow our tips and how they worked out for the hedgehogs and you.
Today’s Mindful Moments audio was recorded while we were exploring the wild and wonderful Men’s Nature Reserve. In this episode, we are sharing Part Two of our adventure there.
I heard this sound whilst walking through the dense holly that now covers so much of the ancient trackway we followed.
One of my overriding memories of the day was the wild nature of this thousand-year-old woodland and how the wildlife was thriving in this natural and undisturbed environment.
Some of you will recognise this animal instantly, while others may be surprised, so sit back and enjoy some precious time in nature with one of our most popular wild animals.
As I listen to the audio, the memories of that warm and sunny late spring day come flooding back to me.
How many of you recognised the beautiful grey squirrels communicating with one another in the canopy of the ancient woodland as we walked through the woodland edge and into the bright light of the wood meadow?
The light in Badlands Meadow was incredible that day, and the vibrant buzzing of the insects as they went about their tasks was truly captivating.
Wood meadows are essential parts of ancient woodlands, often found at the edges or in clearings and rides.
Since witnessing the rich biodiversity they support, I have developed a keen interest in wood meadows. Expect a more in-depth episode on them in the future.
Now, join me as we explore the trees that helped the Royal Navy build their ships, rediscover old charcoal kilns, and even find an abandoned church hidden in the woodland near the well-known village of Bedworth in Part Two of our "Meander Around the Men's Nature Reserve."
I hope you enjoyed our adventure at the Men's Nature Reserve. We have thoroughly enjoyed bringing this experience to life for the podcast.
We plan to return in the autumn to forage for fungi and to spend an evening listening out for some of the...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:26):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters podcast.
I'm your host, Nigel Palmer.
Well, can you believe it'salready December?
Where has 2024 gone?
We have another action packedshow lined up for you today.
We will conclude our walk onthe wild side in the beautiful ancient
(00:50):
woodland of the Men's NatureReserve and we'll spend some mindful
moments listening to thesounds of wildlife from that day
on the reserve.
In late SP we'll also shareanother informative or Wildlife Matters
article and this time it's howyou can help hedgehogs in your garden
(01:12):
this winter.
But now it's time to head onover to the news desk for this week's
Wildlife Matters Nature News.
(01:39):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News
and we start with a story thatwe have been covering for the last
few weeks where dozens ofswans and other water birds have
been found dead on the GrandUnion Canal in West London.
You may remember that WildlifeMatters has been keeping a close
(02:02):
eye on this and that the APHAAnimal Health Plant Agency were doing
tests on some of the birdsthat were removed from the water
by swan support.
In a statement from the apha,they told Wildlife Matters that the
testing process took severaldays and the wait therefore was difficult,
(02:27):
especially as more birds would die.
However, it was crucial toensure the safety and health of humans
who were handling those birds.
They told us that we needed toexamine the birds as soon as possible
after their death to maximizeour understanding of their overall
(02:47):
health and the potentialcauses behind their symptoms and
mortality.
We'd like to acknowledge thethe swan support group played a vital
role by helping us to identifyand gather suitable candidates for
examination.
We encouraged them and anyoneencountering dead birds to continue
(03:11):
to report their findings usingthe DEFRA Wild Bird online tool.
Any birds collective that testnegative for avian influenza and
are in appropriate conditionwill undergo a complete post mortem
examination.
Our veterinary investigationofficers will conduct further investigations
(03:33):
as necessary.
The APHA spokesman went on totell Wildlife Matters in their statement
that upon receiving the birdsat the Veterinary Investigation center
that they would await theresults of the avian influenza testing
conducted by their virologydepartment at their APHA premises
(03:55):
in Weybridge before proceedingwith internal examinations of the
dead birds.
The birds reported at theonset of the incident tested negative
for the highly pathogenicavian influenza hpai.
Still, their condition wascompromised due to being in the water,
resulting in significantdecomposition upon arrival.
(04:20):
Unfortunately, that made thesamples unsuitable for more tests,
providing very little insightinto the cause of death for those
birds as the suspicionsregarding avian influenza had decreased,
APHA then shifted their focusto the potential alternative causes
(04:40):
of the incident.
They've previously reportedthe issue to the Environment Agency
and local authorities, whoconsidered pollution an unlikely
source of the problem.
In fact, based on the photosand videos, the APHA suspected that
a toxin such as lead poisoningor botulism may be involved.
(05:03):
In total, 11 birds, includingswans, geese, ducks and coots tested
negative for hpai.
As we received more negativeHP AI results, we could perform complete
post mortem examinations onmore recently deceased birds and
collect samples for lead andbotulism testing.
(05:25):
The organs appearedunremarkable to the naked eye and
the birds seemed to be in goodbody condition with sufficient muscle
and fat.
Although they had not fed welljust prior to their deaths, these
findings did not definitivelyindicate a cause of death.
Still, they did support thethe APHA suspicion that a toxin was
(05:49):
responsible for the incident,as toxins often leave no visible
changes in the organs.
The testing of the birdsinvolved collaboration across the
UK with samples sent toScotland's Rural College for lead
testing and the Agri Food andBiosciences Institute in Northern
(06:09):
Ireland for botulinum toxin testing.
We're pleased to be able toshare with Wildlife Matters the results
of our investigation into thelead levels, which indicated that
lead poisoning was unlikely tohave caused the mass mortality of
these birds.
We now suspected botulism isthe cause and our first positive
(06:33):
result was reported fromNorthern Ireland earlier in the month.
We strongly believe that atoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium
botulinum is responsible forthis incident.
This toxin leads to avianbotulism, a disease characterized
by progressive paralysis and weakness.
(06:56):
In the affected birds,symptoms include difficulty walking,
moving their wings and liftingtheir heads to eat or drink.
The bacteria thrive inenvironments devoid of oxygen and
feed on the protein fromdecaying plant and animal matter.
They are commonly found inurban lakes, canals and reservoirs.
(07:20):
Outbreaks of avian botulismtypically affect water birds, can
last several weeks and mayresult in the death of hundreds of
birds.
The toxin is relatively stableand persistent, so outbreaks can
reoccur once it is in the environment.
Environment in the UK mostcases of avian botulism are likely
(07:42):
due to Clostridium botulinumtoxin type C.
This toxin has not been linkedto human disease.
However, people and their petsshould exercise caution around areas
where dead birds are found, asother health hazards may be present.
Despite our thorough effortsto determine the cause of this incident,
(08:05):
we consider it fortunate thatwe could identify Botulinum toxin
in our samples.
The concentration of the toxinin the neuromuscular junctions is
often very low, making itdifficult to detect in blood or body
tissues.
Therefore, the condition isfrequently diagnosed solely based
(08:27):
on clinical signs and the lackof Post Morton evidence and that
concluded the APHA's statement.
So I know some of the localgroups, the Friends of the Grand
Union Canal and the goodpeople at Swan Support are continuing
to monitor the area as it isanticipated there may be more deaths
(08:48):
to the local wild birds onthat part of the canal.
Wildlife Matters will keep intouch and we will be revisiting the
site and I hope to be able toreport that the incident is over.
Our second story this week isof avian influenza in Britain in
(09:08):
this winter 2024.
The animal and Plant HealthAgency, or the APHA has urged all
bird keepers to remainvigilant and to take proactive measures
to protect their birds due toan increased risk levels of avian
influenza, commonly known asbird flu.
(09:29):
In Great Britain, the risklevel for highly pathogenic avian
influenza HP, AI H5 in poultrywith suboptimal or poor biosecurity
has been raised to medium withlow uncertainty about this assessment.
(09:49):
In contrast, the risk levelremains low for poultry where good
biosecurity practices areconsistently implemented and there
is also a low uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the risk level ofwild birds continues to be evaluated
as high.
(10:09):
Maintaining good biosecurityMaintaining good biosecurity practices
at all times is essential forthe health and welfare of your birds.
For commercial bird keepers,it is critical that to safeguard
your business from HPAI andother diseases.
(10:30):
DEFRA's risk and outbreakassessments provide additional information
regarding the basis of theserisk levels and the DEFRA website
offers guidance on recognizingthe signs of avian influenza in both
poultry and wild birds.
(10:52):
If you feel you have anoutbreak of ape, be an influenza
in either a domestic flock oryou see dead wild birds, please do
not touch them.
Instead report it through toDEFRA or if you're in Scotland on
the Gov Scot website and inWales the Gov Wales website site
(11:17):
where you will be advised ofwhat to do and that has been this
week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.
That was this week's WildlifeMatters Nature News.
(11:37):
Now let's look at what you cando to help hedgehogs find and stay
in your garden this winterwith our Wildlife Matters Archive
article.
(11:58):
And welcome back to the secondof our Archive articles where this
episode we are looking atWildlife Matters a guide to help
for hedgehogs this winter.
Hedgehogs are delightfulcreatures that can bring joy to our
gardens and benefit from our care.
We can encourage thesecharming animals to visit us by taking
(12:22):
some simple steps.
Typically, hedgehogs willhibernate from October or November
until March or April, andresearch indicates that each hedgehog
will change nesting sites atleast once during hibernation, meaning
that they can occasionally beseen outside.
(12:42):
And due to the potentialeffects of climate change leading
to milder winters, hedgehogsmay now remain active throughout
the winter months.
Hibernation is vital to theirnatural cycle, though, allowing them
to conserve energy and endureharsh conditions.
(13:03):
As responsible gardeners andanimal lovers, we can help ensure
hedgehogs hibernate safely and comfortably.
In this article, WildlifeMatters shares our top tips for providing
a secure environment forhedgehogs during their hibernation
period.
(13:23):
Creating Hedgehog FriendlyHabitats Providing suitable habitats
is one of the best ways tosupport hedgehogs during hibernation.
Ensure that your gardenincludes a variety of hiding spots
such as leaf piles, log piles,or specially designed hedgehog houses.
(13:45):
These houses can help protecthedgehogs from the cold and from
predators.
Provide food and waterHedgehogs must stock up on food before
hibernating, so access to areliable food source from your garden
is vital.
Leave out dishes of hedgehogfood or cat or dog food, preferably
(14:11):
dry and, of course, freshwater daily.
Always avoid giving them milk,as hedgehogs, along with most mammals,
are lactose intolerant.
Don't forget your garden hazards.
Remove potential hazards tomake your garden as hedgehog friendly
as possible.
(14:32):
Check for open drains or holesthey might fall into, and if need
be, cover them up.
Keep your garden free fromlitter and secure netting to prevent
hedgehogs from getting tangled.
Also, never use pesticides orchemicals to get rid of bugs in your
(14:53):
garden.
If you want to attractbeneficial insects and beneficial
mammals such as hedgehogs,create access for wildlife.
Hedgehogs need to roam to findfood before and after hibernation.
Also, ensure your garden isconnected to neighbouring gardens
(15:16):
or other green spaces bycreating small holes in fences or
installing hedgehog tunnels.
This allows them to movefreely, increasing their chances
of survival.
And always check for hedgehogsbefore you start any garden work
in late autumn, and pleasecheck carefully for hedgehogs before
(15:41):
you start.
They may have already made anest for hibernation in your garden.
Gently inspect areas likecompost heaps and under sheds or
hedges, and if you find ahedgehog, leave it undisturbed and
adjust your plans accordingly.
Hedgehogs out during the day,but hedgehogs can be sensitive to
(16:03):
temperature changes duringmild winters.
They might wake up fromhibernation using up valuable energy
reserves and go and look for food.
If you do see a hedgehogactive during the day and are concerned,
we suggest taking a shortvideo or picture on your mobile phone
(16:24):
and contacting your localwildlife rescue who will give you
further advice.
Hedgehogs do make lovelygarden visitors and with just a few
simple steps we can providehelp for hedgehogs.
(16:55):
Exciting News Wildlife Mattershas formed a partnership with the
fabulous folk at One Voice for Animals.
Our partnership aims to raiseawareness of the work of the many
independent rescues that arepart of the One Voice for Animals
family.
One Voice for Animals work tocreate awareness of the work of rescue
(17:17):
organizations all around theUK to provide practical support,
that is Raising standards foranimal rescues and helping them to
raise the vital funds thatthey need.
The One Voice for AnimalsDirectory is the place to go to find
your local animal rescue, bethat for companion or wild animals
(17:39):
and collectively, One Voicefor Animals works to influence UK
animal welfare issues onbehalf of their member organizations
and is a member of apgor, theAll Parliamentary Group for Animal
Welfare.
For more information pleasevisit the One Voice for Animals website.
(18:01):
Their website address iswww.helpanimals.co.uk and just in
case you've missed that, getyour pen and papers ready.
The website address is www.helpanimals.co.uk.
now let's get back to theWildlife Matters podcast.
(18:42):
I hope you found our tips andadvice for hedgehogs in your garden
helpful.
We would love to hear from youif you follow any of our tips and
how they worked out for you.
And for the hedgehogs.
Today's mindful moments audiowas recorded while we were excited
exploring of the wild andwonderful Amends Nature Reserve.
(19:05):
In this episode we are sharingpart two of our adventures there.
But before that I heard thissound whilst walking through the
dense holly that now covers somuch of that ancient trackway that
we followed.
One of my overriding memoriesof the day was the wild nature of
(19:27):
this thousand year oldwoodland and how the wildlife was
thriving in this natural andundisturbed environment.
Some of you will recognizethis animal instantly, while others
may be surprised.
So sit back and enjoy someprecious time in nature with one
(19:49):
of our most popular wild animals.
SA As I listen to the audio,the memories of that warm and sunny
(21:14):
late spring day come floodingback to me.
How many of you recognize thebeautiful grey squirrels communicating
with one another in the canopyof the ancient woodland?
As we walked through to thewoodland edge and out into the bright
light of the wood meadow.
The light in Badlands Meadowswas incredible that day, and the
(21:38):
vibrant buzzing of the insectsas they went about their tasks was
truly captivating.
Wood meadows are an essentialpart of ancient woodlands, often
found at the edges or inclearings and rides, and since witnessing
the rich biodiversity theysupport, have developed a keen interest
(22:00):
in wood meadows.
Expect a more in depth episodeon them in the near future.
Now join me as we explore thetrees that helped the Royal Navy
to build their ships,rediscover old charcoal kilns and
even find an abandoned churchhidden in the woodlands near the
(22:22):
village of Bedworth in parttwo of our adventure A Meander around
the Men Nature Reserve.
Enjoy.
(22:51):
Welcome to this week'sWildlife Matters main feature.
Today we're starting thesecond part of an adventure around
the Men's Nature Reserve inWest Sussex.
If you haven't alreadylistened to the first part of the
story, please go back toprevious episode 3 of series 5 where
(23:12):
you can find out.
If not and you'd just like tojoin us for the second part, then
please do stay with us as wecontinue our meander around the Men's
we leaving the meadow and reentering the ancient woodland via
a very modern metal gate.
The footpath begins to riseuphill almost immediately and I can
(23:35):
see the woodland floor iscovered by several earth mounds maybe
2 to 3 meters tall in the centre.
These are the remnants of theold charcoal kiln.
Although not visible today,the charcoal kilns would have been
an essential part of dailylife of this woodland 200 years ago.
(23:57):
Of course, charcoal was madein Britain well before the Romans,
but in more recent history ithad two main uses.
The hardwood charcoal used wasoak and hornbeam wood, which could
maintain a high temperaturewith a long burn time.
This charcoal would have beenused for bronze casting, brass making,
(24:20):
copper smelting and iron smelting.
In contrast, the softer woodssuch as alder, ash, beech, birch,
elm, hazel and sweet chestnutwere used for domestic cooking, heating
and locally in Sussex fordrying hops.
(24:40):
Some softwood charcoals wereground into powder because they didn't
produce many sparks whileburning, making them ideal for making
gunpowder.
Charcoal was alsotraditionally used in herbal medicines
and different species of woodsuch as the alder, buckthorn, dogwood,
(25:00):
hazel, poplar and willow, eachhad specific medicine uses within
herbal medicine.
I continue to walk along theold woodland track which is clear
of fallen trees at this point,and I notice that the light is fading
as the canopy above me againthickens and up ahead I can see a
(25:24):
Group of veteran trees.
I'm excited to see a dozen ormore aged and gnarly and twisted
yew trees.
These grand old trees, acritical ancient woodland indicator
species, are probably manycenturies old.
The circumference of theirtrunks must be 6 meters, plus some
(25:47):
with two or more stems, butall split with the scars of many
fallen branches.
But still looking resplendentwith their tall thick canopies.
They are estimated to be 30meters or more tall.
I want to touch one of theseincredible trees.
(26:08):
Yes, I'm tree hugging and I'mtrying to get to grips with the fact
that Henry VIII would probablyhave been the King of England when
this tree was planted.
Now that is, some thought yewtrees were traditionally grown in
church graveyard.
I've been told many reasonsfor this, including that the churchyard
(26:29):
location would stop archersfrom taking the yew branches to make
their longbows.
This was because they fearedarmed archers might take a stand
or oppose the king.
Another tale is that becausevery little grows under a yew tree,
the cattle wouldn't enter thegraveyard to graze.
And yet another account isthat yew trees ward off evil spirits,
(26:53):
keeping ghosts containedwithin their cemetery.
As I continue along the trackfor about 10 minutes and the trail
begins to widen as the treecover is replaced with woodland edge
trees and a clear hedgerow.
On the western side, I turnright onto a concrete road with a
small settlement of buildingsahead of me.
(27:16):
The road was the Ferniedriveway where the cattle and sheep
would have been taken to andfrom the woodland for grazing.
Although still lived in, thebuildings are old with small windows,
low roofs and oversizedlooking chimneys.
Doors are wide but not talland they're made of thick wooden
(27:38):
boards.
And although I am not tall, Iwould have to bend my 1.78 meter
frame to walk through any ofthese front doors.
I walk through the smallsettlement of cottages with one larger
house and the droveway turnsto the east.
But my path heads away fromthe droveway and back towards the
(27:59):
woodland.
It's really overgrown herewith dense bracken and bramble, maybe
a one and a half meters tall.
I make my way through feelinglike some jungle explorer.
I'm sure anyone in thecottages watching would have questioned
my map reading as they saw meslowly disappear into the mass of
(28:22):
bracken and bramble.
A few minutes later I finallyemerged from the bracken forest and
found the embankment socommonly associated with the edge
of a woodland.
These earth banks were oftenused to inter indicate the edge of
a parish or or a hunting area.
(28:43):
And I pass over the earthmound and descend towards the woods.
I can see a magnificent lineof beech trees ahead, but I can only
see the canopies.
This makes me curious abouthow steep the path will fall away
Further on.
These magnificent beech treeswith oak interspersed between them
(29:05):
are tall, many over 30 metersand have a spread of a similar range.
I'm told they are all dated tothe 16th century, so they are already
over 500 years old.
And the local story goes thatthey were planted in the valley to
(29:25):
make boats for the Tudor navy.
Researchers found the timberused in a ship called Henry Grace
came from this woodland andthat boat was launched in 1514.
This plantation is known asthe Man O War.
The track takes me to the topof the valley where the Man O War
(29:48):
beech and oak extend far ahead.
There must be hundreds here,but along the track and the sloping
edge is a coppice area.
Area coppicing is atraditional woodland management technique
that dates back to the Stone Age.
It involves felling trees attheir base to create a stool from
(30:09):
where many thin trunks orpoles regrow until the cycle is repeated
in a process that is known as rotation.
Hazel coppice traditionallyrotated for seven years and the poles
were used to make hurdles orwoven fence panels, whilst sweet
chestnut had a 15 year cycleand the stakes were used for fencing
(30:33):
or poles.
The track begins to work itsway down the side of the valley in
short zigzag stretches andit's clear I have a long walk ahead.
My mind turns to fungi, whichthe men's ancient woodland is well
known for.
In fact, over 600 species havealready been recorded on this site.
(30:56):
It's late May now and thereare better seasons to spot fungi.
But some of the early seasonfungi recorded here are the much
sought after chicken of thewoods, probably one of the easier
mushrooms to identify for anew forager.
This edible mushroom isdelicious and once you have tried
it, you will always look outfor it every time you head into the
(31:20):
woods.
I did find a summer fruitingmushroom, the dryad saddle on the
bough of a fallen tree.
It's pretty hard to confusethis one with anything else.
It has a large cap and is afan shape.
It's an ochre to dark yellowcolor with concentric brown rings.
(31:41):
The gills are off white andrun down the thick stem, around 6-8
cm in diameter.
It is edible but does not havethe best of flavors.
I like to dry it to make amushroom powder that I can use for
stock where it provides adeep, rich mushroom flavor to stews
(32:02):
and casseroles.
Other species found here arethe delicious Horn of Plenty and
the inedible tooth fungus.
Sadly, I didn't see either ofthem today.
We will return here in theautumn to search for the delicious
hedgehog fungus, orange peel,the yellow stainer and the fascinatingly
(32:24):
named but poisonous SulphurNights and Magpie ink caps.
Don't forget to follow andsubscribe to ensure that you don't
miss any of our adventures in nature.
As I continue descending intothe Gill Valley, the path is steep
(32:44):
and at times I rely on thetracked soles of my walking boots
to stop me from sliding down.
The track has had its surfacebroken up from fast running water
and deep below me I catchoccasional glimpses of the Gill Stream
at the valley's base.
I continue to descend as thepath alternates between steep and
(33:08):
very steep, twisting andturning to reduce the rapid decline.
I'm pleased I came this wayand have not had to walk up this
path from the Gill Stream.
Eventually I come alongsidethe stream at the base of the valley.
The Man O War beech and oaktrees are now several hundred meters
(33:29):
above me, whilst the canopiesI was walking above not very long
ago are reaching towards thesky in a way that reminds me of Jack
and his beanstalk.
As I continue along the trackI can see the stream's banks have
been flattened as they slopegently towards the water that has
been partially dammed tocreate a shallow pool or ford.
(33:53):
I'm pretty sure this wouldhave been the cart wash for the horse
drawn charcoal or log carts.
They would drive through theford to wash the clay and mud from
the cart's wheels beforetaking their produce to one of the
local villages.
Cartwash tells me we must begetting close to the edge of the
woodland, but I have one morething I want to explore and share
(34:16):
with you.
So we walk along the woodlandtrack towards the small village of
Bedham.
Bedham is a hamlet that backin Victorian times had a farm, a
school and a few smallcottages scattered among the trees.
We're approaching it from thenorth through the wild and ancient
woodland of the Men's NatureReserve which we have been exploring.
(34:41):
To the south is HawkhurstCourt which served as a base for
the Canadian troops in WorldWar II, but it's been a private house
since the 1980s.
I'm looking for the buildingthat was at the centre of this small
village community back in 1880.
This building was the school,but on Sundays the school materials
(35:03):
were removed, the chairsturned to the east and it became
the community church.
William Townley Mitford, aVictorian Conservative politician,
had it built and called it theChurch of St.
Michael and the All Angels.
The rector came from thenearby village of Fittleworth to
(35:25):
hold the Sunday service, andthe story goes that he was always
accompanied by a lady, hername unknown, who played the melodeon.
Over a century ago, thesesmall community schools taught adults
and children.
Most pupils came from thevillage and their families worked
(35:46):
as charcoal burners in the woodlands.
At its peak, the school wassaid to have over 60 pupils and three
teachers.
Sadly, though, the charcoalindustry was declining and some families
began to leave Bedham villagesearching for work.
Over time, the number ofpupils declined and then the teachers
(36:10):
left one by one, and by 1925the school was closed.
However, the building remaineda chapel for a few more decades until
it was finally closed in 1959.
Since then, the structure hasbeen left for the woodland to reclaim.
(36:30):
It's not unusual to see theremains of buildings in older woodlands,
but this is very different.
Yeah, the roof has long gone,but the walls are standing.
The bell tower at one end hasa pole propping it up, and the curved
wall at the opposite, oppositeend still looks resplendent with
its arched window frames.
(36:53):
Inside, you can still find andread the original plaques that tell
the story of the building.
There are a host of localfolklore stories about ghosts and
fairies.
It is said that they can beseen at certain times of the year
in and around the church building.
One well known folk story isof the trees in the woodland that
(37:15):
were once living people.
These people were said to beSpanish monks.
The story goes that they tookpart in empire ceremonies, not fitting
of monastic brothers, thatincluded alcohol and local women.
The story gets a littlesketchy here, but they paid a high
(37:35):
price for their improprietiesbecause they were all struck by lightning
and turned into trees.
Now, I think I'd quite enjoybeing a tree in an ancient woodland
like this, and I don't thinkI'd see it as a punishment.
Anyway, let's go back to thestory that continues with the famous
composer Edward Elgar, wholived in Bedem.
(37:57):
He composed his Cello Concertoin E Minor in Bedham village and
three other works that weresaid to be inspired by those Spanish
monks.
In the early 20th century,Bedham became a popular village and
authors and artists were saidto have drawn inspiration from the
village's natural beauty and peacefulness.
(38:20):
As I sat inside the church,the birds sang their evening songs
and I looked down at thebracken brambles and the buddleia
that were slowly climbing theold walls and the ferns poking out
the cracks in the window.
Lentils.
I saw the tall matted grass asit gently swayed in the early evening
(38:41):
breeze and I closed my eyes.
I imagined how busy thisbuilding would have been a hundred
years ago and how everyone inthe village assembled here as the
centre of their community.
And now, a century later, thebuilding is semi derelict and being
reclaimed by the woodland thatsurrounds this lovely little Sussex
(39:04):
village.
And I think that's the perfectplace for us to end our walk today.
I hope you've enjoyed thismeander around the Men's Nature Reserve.
We will return for a fungiforage in the autumn and to try and
find some of the 12 recordedbat species.
And that will be a specialnight to look forward to.
(39:28):
But for now, that's the end ofthis week's Wildlife Matters main
feature.
(39:52):
Do hope you enjoyed ouradventure at the Men's Nature Reserve.
We have thoroughly enjoyedbringing this experience to life
for you in the podcast and wedo plan to return in the autumn to
forage for fungi and to spendan evening listening out for some
(40:13):
of the 12 bat species thathave been recorded in these ancient
woodlands.
We've also been inspired tocreate an episode on wood meadows.
The Men's Nature Reserve istruly an inspirational and wild place.
If you can do visit the site,you will have a fantastic day full
(40:38):
of inspiration and learning.
You can find out more byvisiting the Sussex Wildlife Trust
website.
We hope you have enjoyed this podcast.
Please do leave us a review.
Wherever you get your podcast,it really does help other people
to find our humble little podcast.
(41:01):
Wildlife Matters will returnin two weeks with our Nature Storytelling
Christmas Special, which is abonus episode where I will be sharing
two nature based folklorestories especially for you.
We have saved you a seataround the fire pit deep in the heart
(41:24):
of the dark woods.
It will be a crisp winter'sevening, so wrap up warm and get
ready to join us.
We can't wait to see you there.
And as always, thank thank youfor taking the time to listen to
us today.
Stay curious wild ones.
(41:45):
I have been your host, NigelPalmer and this is Wildlife Matters
signing off.
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters podcast.
I'm your host, Nigel Palmer.
Well, can you believe it'salready December?
Where has 2024 gone?
We have another action packedshow lined up for you today.
We will conclude our walk onthe wild side in the beautiful ancient
(00:50):
woodland of the Men's NatureReserve and we'll spend some mindful
moments listening to thesounds of wildlife from that day
on the reserve.
In late SP we'll also shareanother informative or Wildlife Matters
article and this time it's howyou can help hedgehogs in your garden
(01:12):
this winter.
But now it's time to head onover to the news desk for this week's
Wildlife Matters Nature News.
(01:39):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News
and we start with a story thatwe have been covering for the last
few weeks where dozens ofswans and other water birds have
been found dead on the GrandUnion Canal in West London.
You may remember that WildlifeMatters has been keeping a close
(02:02):
eye on this and that the APHAAnimal Health Plant Agency were doing
tests on some of the birdsthat were removed from the water
by swan support.
In a statement from the apha,they told Wildlife Matters that the
testing process took severaldays and the wait therefore was difficult,
(02:27):
especially as more birds would die.
However, it was crucial toensure the safety and health of humans
who were handling those birds.
They told us that we needed toexamine the birds as soon as possible
after their death to maximizeour understanding of their overall
(02:47):
health and the potentialcauses behind their symptoms and
mortality.
We'd like to acknowledge thethe swan support group played a vital
role by helping us to identifyand gather suitable candidates for
examination.
We encouraged them and anyoneencountering dead birds to continue
(03:11):
to report their findings usingthe DEFRA Wild Bird online tool.
Any birds collective that testnegative for avian influenza and
are in appropriate conditionwill undergo a complete post mortem
examination.
Our veterinary investigationofficers will conduct further investigations
(03:33):
as necessary.
The APHA spokesman went on totell Wildlife Matters in their statement
that upon receiving the birdsat the Veterinary Investigation center
that they would await theresults of the avian influenza testing
conducted by their virologydepartment at their APHA premises
(03:55):
in Weybridge before proceedingwith internal examinations of the
dead birds.
The birds reported at theonset of the incident tested negative
for the highly pathogenicavian influenza hpai.
Still, their condition wascompromised due to being in the water,
resulting in significantdecomposition upon arrival.
(04:20):
Unfortunately, that made thesamples unsuitable for more tests,
providing very little insightinto the cause of death for those
birds as the suspicionsregarding avian influenza had decreased,
APHA then shifted their focusto the potential alternative causes
(04:40):
of the incident.
They've previously reportedthe issue to the Environment Agency
and local authorities, whoconsidered pollution an unlikely
source of the problem.
In fact, based on the photosand videos, the APHA suspected that
a toxin such as lead poisoningor botulism may be involved.
(05:03):
In total, 11 birds, includingswans, geese, ducks and coots tested
negative for hpai.
As we received more negativeHP AI results, we could perform complete
post mortem examinations onmore recently deceased birds and
collect samples for lead andbotulism testing.
(05:25):
The organs appearedunremarkable to the naked eye and
the birds seemed to be in goodbody condition with sufficient muscle
and fat.
Although they had not fed welljust prior to their deaths, these
findings did not definitivelyindicate a cause of death.
Still, they did support thethe APHA suspicion that a toxin was
(05:49):
responsible for the incident,as toxins often leave no visible
changes in the organs.
The testing of the birdsinvolved collaboration across the
UK with samples sent toScotland's Rural College for lead
testing and the Agri Food andBiosciences Institute in Northern
(06:09):
Ireland for botulinum toxin testing.
We're pleased to be able toshare with Wildlife Matters the results
of our investigation into thelead levels, which indicated that
lead poisoning was unlikely tohave caused the mass mortality of
these birds.
We now suspected botulism isthe cause and our first positive
(06:33):
result was reported fromNorthern Ireland earlier in the month.
We strongly believe that atoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium
botulinum is responsible forthis incident.
This toxin leads to avianbotulism, a disease characterized
by progressive paralysis and weakness.
(06:56):
In the affected birds,symptoms include difficulty walking,
moving their wings and liftingtheir heads to eat or drink.
The bacteria thrive inenvironments devoid of oxygen and
feed on the protein fromdecaying plant and animal matter.
They are commonly found inurban lakes, canals and reservoirs.
(07:20):
Outbreaks of avian botulismtypically affect water birds, can
last several weeks and mayresult in the death of hundreds of
birds.
The toxin is relatively stableand persistent, so outbreaks can
reoccur once it is in the environment.
Environment in the UK mostcases of avian botulism are likely
(07:42):
due to Clostridium botulinumtoxin type C.
This toxin has not been linkedto human disease.
However, people and their petsshould exercise caution around areas
where dead birds are found, asother health hazards may be present.
Despite our thorough effortsto determine the cause of this incident,
(08:05):
we consider it fortunate thatwe could identify Botulinum toxin
in our samples.
The concentration of the toxinin the neuromuscular junctions is
often very low, making itdifficult to detect in blood or body
tissues.
Therefore, the condition isfrequently diagnosed solely based
(08:27):
on clinical signs and the lackof Post Morton evidence and that
concluded the APHA's statement.
So I know some of the localgroups, the Friends of the Grand
Union Canal and the goodpeople at Swan Support are continuing
to monitor the area as it isanticipated there may be more deaths
(08:48):
to the local wild birds onthat part of the canal.
Wildlife Matters will keep intouch and we will be revisiting the
site and I hope to be able toreport that the incident is over.
Our second story this week isof avian influenza in Britain in
(09:08):
this winter 2024.
The animal and Plant HealthAgency, or the APHA has urged all
bird keepers to remainvigilant and to take proactive measures
to protect their birds due toan increased risk levels of avian
influenza, commonly known asbird flu.
(09:29):
In Great Britain, the risklevel for highly pathogenic avian
influenza HP, AI H5 in poultrywith suboptimal or poor biosecurity
has been raised to medium withlow uncertainty about this assessment.
(09:49):
In contrast, the risk levelremains low for poultry where good
biosecurity practices areconsistently implemented and there
is also a low uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the risk level ofwild birds continues to be evaluated
as high.
(10:09):
Maintaining good biosecurityMaintaining good biosecurity practices
at all times is essential forthe health and welfare of your birds.
For commercial bird keepers,it is critical that to safeguard
your business from HPAI andother diseases.
(10:30):
DEFRA's risk and outbreakassessments provide additional information
regarding the basis of theserisk levels and the DEFRA website
offers guidance on recognizingthe signs of avian influenza in both
poultry and wild birds.
(10:52):
If you feel you have anoutbreak of ape, be an influenza
in either a domestic flock oryou see dead wild birds, please do
not touch them.
Instead report it through toDEFRA or if you're in Scotland on
the Gov Scot website and inWales the Gov Wales website site
(11:17):
where you will be advised ofwhat to do and that has been this
week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.
That was this week's WildlifeMatters Nature News.
(11:37):
Now let's look at what you cando to help hedgehogs find and stay
in your garden this winterwith our Wildlife Matters Archive
article.
(11:58):
And welcome back to the secondof our Archive articles where this
episode we are looking atWildlife Matters a guide to help
for hedgehogs this winter.
Hedgehogs are delightfulcreatures that can bring joy to our
gardens and benefit from our care.
We can encourage thesecharming animals to visit us by taking
(12:22):
some simple steps.
Typically, hedgehogs willhibernate from October or November
until March or April, andresearch indicates that each hedgehog
will change nesting sites atleast once during hibernation, meaning
that they can occasionally beseen outside.
(12:42):
And due to the potentialeffects of climate change leading
to milder winters, hedgehogsmay now remain active throughout
the winter months.
Hibernation is vital to theirnatural cycle, though, allowing them
to conserve energy and endureharsh conditions.
(13:03):
As responsible gardeners andanimal lovers, we can help ensure
hedgehogs hibernate safely and comfortably.
In this article, WildlifeMatters shares our top tips for providing
a secure environment forhedgehogs during their hibernation
period.
(13:23):
Creating Hedgehog FriendlyHabitats Providing suitable habitats
is one of the best ways tosupport hedgehogs during hibernation.
Ensure that your gardenincludes a variety of hiding spots
such as leaf piles, log piles,or specially designed hedgehog houses.
(13:45):
These houses can help protecthedgehogs from the cold and from
predators.
Provide food and waterHedgehogs must stock up on food before
hibernating, so access to areliable food source from your garden
is vital.
Leave out dishes of hedgehogfood or cat or dog food, preferably
(14:11):
dry and, of course, freshwater daily.
Always avoid giving them milk,as hedgehogs, along with most mammals,
are lactose intolerant.
Don't forget your garden hazards.
Remove potential hazards tomake your garden as hedgehog friendly
as possible.
(14:32):
Check for open drains or holesthey might fall into, and if need
be, cover them up.
Keep your garden free fromlitter and secure netting to prevent
hedgehogs from getting tangled.
Also, never use pesticides orchemicals to get rid of bugs in your
(14:53):
garden.
If you want to attractbeneficial insects and beneficial
mammals such as hedgehogs,create access for wildlife.
Hedgehogs need to roam to findfood before and after hibernation.
Also, ensure your garden isconnected to neighbouring gardens
(15:16):
or other green spaces bycreating small holes in fences or
installing hedgehog tunnels.
This allows them to movefreely, increasing their chances
of survival.
And always check for hedgehogsbefore you start any garden work
in late autumn, and pleasecheck carefully for hedgehogs before
(15:41):
you start.
They may have already made anest for hibernation in your garden.
Gently inspect areas likecompost heaps and under sheds or
hedges, and if you find ahedgehog, leave it undisturbed and
adjust your plans accordingly.
Hedgehogs out during the day,but hedgehogs can be sensitive to
(16:03):
temperature changes duringmild winters.
They might wake up fromhibernation using up valuable energy
reserves and go and look for food.
If you do see a hedgehogactive during the day and are concerned,
we suggest taking a shortvideo or picture on your mobile phone
(16:24):
and contacting your localwildlife rescue who will give you
further advice.
Hedgehogs do make lovelygarden visitors and with just a few
simple steps we can providehelp for hedgehogs.
(16:55):
Exciting News Wildlife Mattershas formed a partnership with the
fabulous folk at One Voice for Animals.
Our partnership aims to raiseawareness of the work of the many
independent rescues that arepart of the One Voice for Animals
family.
One Voice for Animals work tocreate awareness of the work of rescue
(17:17):
organizations all around theUK to provide practical support,
that is Raising standards foranimal rescues and helping them to
raise the vital funds thatthey need.
The One Voice for AnimalsDirectory is the place to go to find
your local animal rescue, bethat for companion or wild animals
(17:39):
and collectively, One Voicefor Animals works to influence UK
animal welfare issues onbehalf of their member organizations
and is a member of apgor, theAll Parliamentary Group for Animal
Welfare.
For more information pleasevisit the One Voice for Animals website.
(18:01):
Their website address iswww.helpanimals.co.uk and just in
case you've missed that, getyour pen and papers ready.
The website address is www.helpanimals.co.uk.
now let's get back to theWildlife Matters podcast.
(18:42):
I hope you found our tips andadvice for hedgehogs in your garden
helpful.
We would love to hear from youif you follow any of our tips and
how they worked out for you.
And for the hedgehogs.
Today's mindful moments audiowas recorded while we were excited
exploring of the wild andwonderful Amends Nature Reserve.
(19:05):
In this episode we are sharingpart two of our adventures there.
But before that I heard thissound whilst walking through the
dense holly that now covers somuch of that ancient trackway that
we followed.
One of my overriding memoriesof the day was the wild nature of
(19:27):
this thousand year oldwoodland and how the wildlife was
thriving in this natural andundisturbed environment.
Some of you will recognizethis animal instantly, while others
may be surprised.
So sit back and enjoy someprecious time in nature with one
(19:49):
of our most popular wild animals.
SA As I listen to the audio,the memories of that warm and sunny
(21:14):
late spring day come floodingback to me.
How many of you recognize thebeautiful grey squirrels communicating
with one another in the canopyof the ancient woodland?
As we walked through to thewoodland edge and out into the bright
light of the wood meadow.
The light in Badlands Meadowswas incredible that day, and the
(21:38):
vibrant buzzing of the insectsas they went about their tasks was
truly captivating.
Wood meadows are an essentialpart of ancient woodlands, often
found at the edges or inclearings and rides, and since witnessing
the rich biodiversity theysupport, have developed a keen interest
(22:00):
in wood meadows.
Expect a more in depth episodeon them in the near future.
Now join me as we explore thetrees that helped the Royal Navy
to build their ships,rediscover old charcoal kilns and
even find an abandoned churchhidden in the woodlands near the
(22:22):
village of Bedworth in parttwo of our adventure A Meander around
the Men Nature Reserve.
Enjoy.
(22:51):
Welcome to this week'sWildlife Matters main feature.
Today we're starting thesecond part of an adventure around
the Men's Nature Reserve inWest Sussex.
If you haven't alreadylistened to the first part of the
story, please go back toprevious episode 3 of series 5 where
(23:12):
you can find out.
If not and you'd just like tojoin us for the second part, then
please do stay with us as wecontinue our meander around the Men's
we leaving the meadow and reentering the ancient woodland via
a very modern metal gate.
The footpath begins to riseuphill almost immediately and I can
(23:35):
see the woodland floor iscovered by several earth mounds maybe
2 to 3 meters tall in the centre.
These are the remnants of theold charcoal kiln.
Although not visible today,the charcoal kilns would have been
an essential part of dailylife of this woodland 200 years ago.
(23:57):
Of course, charcoal was madein Britain well before the Romans,
but in more recent history ithad two main uses.
The hardwood charcoal used wasoak and hornbeam wood, which could
maintain a high temperaturewith a long burn time.
This charcoal would have beenused for bronze casting, brass making,
(24:20):
copper smelting and iron smelting.
In contrast, the softer woodssuch as alder, ash, beech, birch,
elm, hazel and sweet chestnutwere used for domestic cooking, heating
and locally in Sussex fordrying hops.
(24:40):
Some softwood charcoals wereground into powder because they didn't
produce many sparks whileburning, making them ideal for making
gunpowder.
Charcoal was alsotraditionally used in herbal medicines
and different species of woodsuch as the alder, buckthorn, dogwood,
(25:00):
hazel, poplar and willow, eachhad specific medicine uses within
herbal medicine.
I continue to walk along theold woodland track which is clear
of fallen trees at this point,and I notice that the light is fading
as the canopy above me againthickens and up ahead I can see a
(25:24):
Group of veteran trees.
I'm excited to see a dozen ormore aged and gnarly and twisted
yew trees.
These grand old trees, acritical ancient woodland indicator
species, are probably manycenturies old.
The circumference of theirtrunks must be 6 meters, plus some
(25:47):
with two or more stems, butall split with the scars of many
fallen branches.
But still looking resplendentwith their tall thick canopies.
They are estimated to be 30meters or more tall.
I want to touch one of theseincredible trees.
(26:08):
Yes, I'm tree hugging and I'mtrying to get to grips with the fact
that Henry VIII would probablyhave been the King of England when
this tree was planted.
Now that is, some thought yewtrees were traditionally grown in
church graveyard.
I've been told many reasonsfor this, including that the churchyard
(26:29):
location would stop archersfrom taking the yew branches to make
their longbows.
This was because they fearedarmed archers might take a stand
or oppose the king.
Another tale is that becausevery little grows under a yew tree,
the cattle wouldn't enter thegraveyard to graze.
And yet another account isthat yew trees ward off evil spirits,
(26:53):
keeping ghosts containedwithin their cemetery.
As I continue along the trackfor about 10 minutes and the trail
begins to widen as the treecover is replaced with woodland edge
trees and a clear hedgerow.
On the western side, I turnright onto a concrete road with a
small settlement of buildingsahead of me.
(27:16):
The road was the Ferniedriveway where the cattle and sheep
would have been taken to andfrom the woodland for grazing.
Although still lived in, thebuildings are old with small windows,
low roofs and oversizedlooking chimneys.
Doors are wide but not talland they're made of thick wooden
(27:38):
boards.
And although I am not tall, Iwould have to bend my 1.78 meter
frame to walk through any ofthese front doors.
I walk through the smallsettlement of cottages with one larger
house and the droveway turnsto the east.
But my path heads away fromthe droveway and back towards the
(27:59):
woodland.
It's really overgrown herewith dense bracken and bramble, maybe
a one and a half meters tall.
I make my way through feelinglike some jungle explorer.
I'm sure anyone in thecottages watching would have questioned
my map reading as they saw meslowly disappear into the mass of
(28:22):
bracken and bramble.
A few minutes later I finallyemerged from the bracken forest and
found the embankment socommonly associated with the edge
of a woodland.
These earth banks were oftenused to inter indicate the edge of
a parish or or a hunting area.
(28:43):
And I pass over the earthmound and descend towards the woods.
I can see a magnificent lineof beech trees ahead, but I can only
see the canopies.
This makes me curious abouthow steep the path will fall away
Further on.
These magnificent beech treeswith oak interspersed between them
(29:05):
are tall, many over 30 metersand have a spread of a similar range.
I'm told they are all dated tothe 16th century, so they are already
over 500 years old.
And the local story goes thatthey were planted in the valley to
(29:25):
make boats for the Tudor navy.
Researchers found the timberused in a ship called Henry Grace
came from this woodland andthat boat was launched in 1514.
This plantation is known asthe Man O War.
The track takes me to the topof the valley where the Man O War
(29:48):
beech and oak extend far ahead.
There must be hundreds here,but along the track and the sloping
edge is a coppice area.
Area coppicing is atraditional woodland management technique
that dates back to the Stone Age.
It involves felling trees attheir base to create a stool from
(30:09):
where many thin trunks orpoles regrow until the cycle is repeated
in a process that is known as rotation.
Hazel coppice traditionallyrotated for seven years and the poles
were used to make hurdles orwoven fence panels, whilst sweet
chestnut had a 15 year cycleand the stakes were used for fencing
(30:33):
or poles.
The track begins to work itsway down the side of the valley in
short zigzag stretches andit's clear I have a long walk ahead.
My mind turns to fungi, whichthe men's ancient woodland is well
known for.
In fact, over 600 species havealready been recorded on this site.
(30:56):
It's late May now and thereare better seasons to spot fungi.
But some of the early seasonfungi recorded here are the much
sought after chicken of thewoods, probably one of the easier
mushrooms to identify for anew forager.
This edible mushroom isdelicious and once you have tried
it, you will always look outfor it every time you head into the
(31:20):
woods.
I did find a summer fruitingmushroom, the dryad saddle on the
bough of a fallen tree.
It's pretty hard to confusethis one with anything else.
It has a large cap and is afan shape.
It's an ochre to dark yellowcolor with concentric brown rings.
(31:41):
The gills are off white andrun down the thick stem, around 6-8
cm in diameter.
It is edible but does not havethe best of flavors.
I like to dry it to make amushroom powder that I can use for
stock where it provides adeep, rich mushroom flavor to stews
(32:02):
and casseroles.
Other species found here arethe delicious Horn of Plenty and
the inedible tooth fungus.
Sadly, I didn't see either ofthem today.
We will return here in theautumn to search for the delicious
hedgehog fungus, orange peel,the yellow stainer and the fascinatingly
(32:24):
named but poisonous SulphurNights and Magpie ink caps.
Don't forget to follow andsubscribe to ensure that you don't
miss any of our adventures in nature.
As I continue descending intothe Gill Valley, the path is steep
(32:44):
and at times I rely on thetracked soles of my walking boots
to stop me from sliding down.
The track has had its surfacebroken up from fast running water
and deep below me I catchoccasional glimpses of the Gill Stream
at the valley's base.
I continue to descend as thepath alternates between steep and
(33:08):
very steep, twisting andturning to reduce the rapid decline.
I'm pleased I came this wayand have not had to walk up this
path from the Gill Stream.
Eventually I come alongsidethe stream at the base of the valley.
The Man O War beech and oaktrees are now several hundred meters
(33:29):
above me, whilst the canopiesI was walking above not very long
ago are reaching towards thesky in a way that reminds me of Jack
and his beanstalk.
As I continue along the trackI can see the stream's banks have
been flattened as they slopegently towards the water that has
been partially dammed tocreate a shallow pool or ford.
(33:53):
I'm pretty sure this wouldhave been the cart wash for the horse
drawn charcoal or log carts.
They would drive through theford to wash the clay and mud from
the cart's wheels beforetaking their produce to one of the
local villages.
Cartwash tells me we must begetting close to the edge of the
woodland, but I have one morething I want to explore and share
(34:16):
with you.
So we walk along the woodlandtrack towards the small village of
Bedham.
Bedham is a hamlet that backin Victorian times had a farm, a
school and a few smallcottages scattered among the trees.
We're approaching it from thenorth through the wild and ancient
woodland of the Men's NatureReserve which we have been exploring.
(34:41):
To the south is HawkhurstCourt which served as a base for
the Canadian troops in WorldWar II, but it's been a private house
since the 1980s.
I'm looking for the buildingthat was at the centre of this small
village community back in 1880.
This building was the school,but on Sundays the school materials
(35:03):
were removed, the chairsturned to the east and it became
the community church.
William Townley Mitford, aVictorian Conservative politician,
had it built and called it theChurch of St.
Michael and the All Angels.
The rector came from thenearby village of Fittleworth to
(35:25):
hold the Sunday service, andthe story goes that he was always
accompanied by a lady, hername unknown, who played the melodeon.
Over a century ago, thesesmall community schools taught adults
and children.
Most pupils came from thevillage and their families worked
(35:46):
as charcoal burners in the woodlands.
At its peak, the school wassaid to have over 60 pupils and three
teachers.
Sadly, though, the charcoalindustry was declining and some families
began to leave Bedham villagesearching for work.
Over time, the number ofpupils declined and then the teachers
(36:10):
left one by one, and by 1925the school was closed.
However, the building remaineda chapel for a few more decades until
it was finally closed in 1959.
Since then, the structure hasbeen left for the woodland to reclaim.
(36:30):
It's not unusual to see theremains of buildings in older woodlands,
but this is very different.
Yeah, the roof has long gone,but the walls are standing.
The bell tower at one end hasa pole propping it up, and the curved
wall at the opposite, oppositeend still looks resplendent with
its arched window frames.
(36:53):
Inside, you can still find andread the original plaques that tell
the story of the building.
There are a host of localfolklore stories about ghosts and
fairies.
It is said that they can beseen at certain times of the year
in and around the church building.
One well known folk story isof the trees in the woodland that
(37:15):
were once living people.
These people were said to beSpanish monks.
The story goes that they tookpart in empire ceremonies, not fitting
of monastic brothers, thatincluded alcohol and local women.
The story gets a littlesketchy here, but they paid a high
(37:35):
price for their improprietiesbecause they were all struck by lightning
and turned into trees.
Now, I think I'd quite enjoybeing a tree in an ancient woodland
like this, and I don't thinkI'd see it as a punishment.
Anyway, let's go back to thestory that continues with the famous
composer Edward Elgar, wholived in Bedem.
(37:57):
He composed his Cello Concertoin E Minor in Bedham village and
three other works that weresaid to be inspired by those Spanish
monks.
In the early 20th century,Bedham became a popular village and
authors and artists were saidto have drawn inspiration from the
village's natural beauty and peacefulness.
(38:20):
As I sat inside the church,the birds sang their evening songs
and I looked down at thebracken brambles and the buddleia
that were slowly climbing theold walls and the ferns poking out
the cracks in the window.
Lentils.
I saw the tall matted grass asit gently swayed in the early evening
(38:41):
breeze and I closed my eyes.
I imagined how busy thisbuilding would have been a hundred
years ago and how everyone inthe village assembled here as the
centre of their community.
And now, a century later, thebuilding is semi derelict and being
reclaimed by the woodland thatsurrounds this lovely little Sussex
(39:04):
village.
And I think that's the perfectplace for us to end our walk today.
I hope you've enjoyed thismeander around the Men's Nature Reserve.
We will return for a fungiforage in the autumn and to try and
find some of the 12 recordedbat species.
And that will be a specialnight to look forward to.
(39:28):
But for now, that's the end ofthis week's Wildlife Matters main
feature.
(39:52):
Do hope you enjoyed ouradventure at the Men's Nature Reserve.
We have thoroughly enjoyedbringing this experience to life
for you in the podcast and wedo plan to return in the autumn to
forage for fungi and to spendan evening listening out for some
(40:13):
of the 12 bat species thathave been recorded in these ancient
woodlands.
We've also been inspired tocreate an episode on wood meadows.
The Men's Nature Reserve istruly an inspirational and wild place.
If you can do visit the site,you will have a fantastic day full
(40:38):
of inspiration and learning.
You can find out more byvisiting the Sussex Wildlife Trust
website.
We hope you have enjoyed this podcast.
Please do leave us a review.
Wherever you get your podcast,it really does help other people
to find our humble little podcast.
(41:01):
Wildlife Matters will returnin two weeks with our Nature Storytelling
Christmas Special, which is abonus episode where I will be sharing
two nature based folklorestories especially for you.
We have saved you a seataround the fire pit deep in the heart
(41:24):
of the dark woods.
It will be a crisp winter'sevening, so wrap up warm and get
ready to join us.
We can't wait to see you there.
And as always, thank thank youfor taking the time to listen to
us today.
Stay curious wild ones.
(41:45):
I have been your host, NigelPalmer and this is Wildlife Matters
signing off.
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