Autumn/Winter Cotswold Lion - Cotswolds Area of Outstanding ...

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Around the CotswoldsBatsford gold tourism awardBatsford Arboretum, near Moreton-in-Marsh, won Large Visitor Attractionof the Year in the Cotswolds Tourism Awards 2013. Citing investment in anew garden shop, plant centre and café, designed with real style to reflectthe collection’s trees and shrubs from Asia, judges noted: “This great valueattraction is a year-round Cotswold classic.” The wood-built visitor centre,opened 2011, has many environmentally friendly features, includingground source heat pump and insulation using wool from rare breedsheep. www.batsarb.co.ukThe Ashmolean at BroadwayThe new Ashmolean at Broadway opens from September in thetransformed Tudor House on the High Street. Displays over three floorstake visitors on a journey through different periods in the building’slife, linking to the wider context of local and national history. Furniture,paintings and other objects from the 17th to 21st centuries include keytreasures from the world-famous Ashmolean collections, Oxford. Galleryspace for changing exhibitions gives local artists the opportunity to showwork, and education and outreach programmes are planned.Jane Austen Festival2013 is the bicentenary of the first publication of one of the world’sbest-loved novels, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and the annual JaneAusten Festival (13th–21st Sept) is celebrating the author’s life andwork in style. Jane lived in Bath 1801–1806 and the city featured inNorthanger Abbey and Persuasion – join walking tours to the places sheknew and wrote about. The famous Grand Regency Costumed Promenade,readings from Pride and Prejudice, Regency dancing and etiquette lessonsare further highlights. The Jane Austen Centre, Gay Street, is open all yearround. www.janeausten.co.ukWildlife-friendly cheese successGreystones Single Gloucester Cheese, launched in September 2012,is proving so popular in local shops that there are plans to increaseproduction. The organic cheese, which has a Protected Designated Origin(PDO) and can only be made in Gloucestershire, has been developedby Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in partnership with local farmer SimonWeaver. Milk comes from Gloucester cattle that graze the Trust’sGreystones Farm nature reserve, Bourton-on-the-Water.Tom Beasley-Suffolk, the reserve’s manager, explains, “the continuityof traditional hay making and grazing with cattle play a vital role in themanagement of the wildflower meadows at the Farm, so creating a PDOcheese is a great way for people to understand the connection betweenwildlife and food.” www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/cheeseChipping Campden school history projectChipping Campden School has won £30,500 from the HeritageLottery Fund for an exciting two-year project to collect memories andmemorabilia of former pupils and staff. The climax of activities, whichinvolve current students working alongside old boys and girls to createan online archive, will coincide with the school’s 575-year anniversarycelebrations in 2015. For further information or to get involved, visitwww.chippingcampden.gloucs.sch.uk/news-items-all/latest-news-index.htmlThe Cotswold Lion is published by: Cotswolds Conservation BoardFosse Way, Northleach, Gloucestershire GL54 3JHTel: 01451 862000, Email: info@cotswoldsaonb.org.ukwww.cotswoldsaonb.org.ukwww.facebook.com/cotswoldsaonbwww.twitter.com/cotswoldsaonbEditor: Nicola GreavesChief Writer: Sian EllisDesigned by: www.touchmedia.uk.netPRINTED ONRECYCLED PAPERWorkman brought the method fromEurope and adapted it to beechwoods.It’s also used in places like WorkmansWood and Saltridge Wood.“On the purely conservationmanagement side, we also put in andmaintain rides and glades that openspace within the woodlands, which istremendously important [for flora andfauna]. We have plots of coppice too.”In addition to exploring the NNR’swoodland footpaths or bridleways thisautumn and winter, you could enjoysome exercise by joining one of thepublic work parties organised to clearrides and glades.There’s further good rambling amidbeeches in the western Cotswolds inGloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s naturereserves at Frith Wood and ThreeGroves. Roe and muntjac deer mightbe among the sights you spot in theTrust’s ancient coppiced landscapeat Siccaridge Wood, or fallow deerin the ancient woodland of MidgerWood SSSI where ash predominates.Or head to the Woodland Trust’sColerne Park and Monks Wood, onthe eastern facing slope of the ByBrook Valley which is deeply incisedinto the southern tip of the Cotswoldsoolitic limestone plateau. Ancientsemi-natural woodland here featuresold stored ash, wych elm, field mapleand hazel coppice with ash andpedunculate oak standards forminghigh forest of circa 60–80 years. It’sa haven for diverse ancient woodlandflora – affording SSSI status – andwide rides and glades are superb forstretching your legs.Once part of the ancientWychwood Forest, Foxholes NatureReserve (Berks, Bucks and OxonWildlife Trust) four miles north ofBurford is another woodland thatcomes alive with autumn colour.Over 200 different species of fungihave been recorded here: look out forautumn fungus forays and spot thelikes of fly agaric – the red and whitetoadstool of fairytales – under thesilver birch (late summer to autumn)and geranium-scented Rusullabeneath beeches.The soft seasonal ground is alsoideal for playing nature detectives,identifying animal tracks that revealthe busy life of the wood: deer, fox,badgers and rabbits are among thoseto leave clues.Nearby, Wychwood NNR ofancient broadleaved woodland maybe explored by public right of way too.As far back as the 11th century,the royal hunting forest of Wychwoodcovered a large part of what is nowWest Oxfordshire, and comprisedmeadows, fields, heaths and downsas well as woodlands. Althoughmuch of the original woodland hasbeen cleared for settlement andagriculture, the historic character ofthe Norman hunting forest is usedby the Wychwood Project to inspirelocal people “to get actively involvedin conserving and restoring importantlandscapes and habitats,” says ProjectDirector Nick Mottram.“Since 1997 the WychwoodProject has helped to create 12 newcommunity woodlands, many of themwithin the Cotswolds AONB. You findpeople really do want and appreciatethe chance to get close to natureand feel the changes in the seasons.Woodlands are such great places todo that.”The planned woodlands, avenuesand vistas of great estates likeBadminton Park and CirencesterPark have added distinctive characterto the Cotswold lowlands. And noaccount of arboreal adventures canomit seasonal trails and activities atWestonbirt, The National Arboretumand Batsford Arboretum, which bringexotic hues from around the world.The Victorian picturesqueWoodland wandersJoin one of our seasonal walks and enjoy the Cotswolds’woodlands (see pages 9 to 15) or download a walk fromwww.escapetothecotswolds.org.ukOn the tree trailBadminton Estate, www.badmintonestate.co.ukBatsford Arboretum, www.batsarb.co.ukCirencester Park, www.cirencesterpark.co.ukColerne Park and Monks Wood, www.woodlandtrust.org.ukCotswold Commons and Beechwoods NNR, Wychwood NNR,www.naturalengland.org.ukFoxholes Nature Reserve, www.bbowt.org.ukFrith Wood, Midger Wood, Siccaridge Wood, Three Groves Wood,www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.ukWestonbirt, The National Arboretum, www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirtWychwood Project, www.wychwoodproject.orgBiosecuritylandscape and internationallyimportant tree and shrub collectionof Westonbirt literally explodeswith autumn colour, fiery maplesoften stealing the show, and winterflowering trees continue theexcitement.Many different habitats withinthe arboretum mean there’s a richbiodiversity – over 1,200 speciesof fungi, and northern migrantslike fieldfare, redwing, siskins andbramblings put in an appearance.Batsford Arboretum nearMoreton-in-Marsh, famed for itstrees originating in Japan and China,becomes a delicious palette ofautumn moods ranging from butteryyellow to crimson, complimented bythe burnt sugar aroma of the Katsuratree. The intoxicating smell of witchhazels makes a frosty winter walk inFebruary a pure delight.Our trees are under threat from many pests and diseases. Chalaradieback of ash, first reported in Britain in 2012, is of particular concern.What is it: a disease caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus, it results in leafloss and crown dieback in affected trees, usually leading to tree death.How does it spread: via wind-blown spores from fruit bodies on fallenleaves and shoots, produced the year following infection between June andOctober. C. fraxinea is also found in seeds.In the Cotswolds: so far the disease has not been found here, but itsimpact on the AONB’s 4,400ha of ash will be devastating.What you can do: risk of visitors to woodlands spreading the disease isconsidered low. However, it is good practice, whether a wood is infected ornot, to not remove plant material (sticks, leaves, cuttings). Also clean yourfootwear, clothing, dogs, horses and any equipment to keep them free fromsoil/organic debris.For further information, see the Forestry Commission’s website,www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara2Issue 29
Merchants, manors and churchesThe Golden Age of the Cotswold wool trade created a legacy of fine houses and churches in our market townsThe very name ‘Cotswolds’ – ‘sheep shelters’(cots) ‘in rolling hills’ (wolds) – traditionallyconjures a picture of sheep-dottedgrasslands. Certainly in the late Middle Ages,the heyday of the wool trade, the area’s thinsoiledslopes, unsuitable for arable farming,made ideal sheep country.Known as the ‘Golden Fleece’, the clip of thelocal Cotswold sheep was much sought after; thewealth created from its trade saw market townsdevelop and prosper, and impressive manors andchurches built. Today such features are amongthe defining characteristics of what makes theAONB so special, a rich setting for those wholive here and a heritage magnet for visitors.“It’s said that the Romans introduced theCotswold sheep to the area, although theirorigins aren’t fully known,” says Steve Parkesof the Cotswold Sheep Society. “Often calledCotswold Lions, they thrived on the limestonebanks and grasses, producing excellent wool thatwas long and lustrous.“After the Romans left, the monasteries andabbeys like Hailes, Tewkesbury and Llanthonytook over vast tracts of land and ran large flocksof Cotswold sheep. They processed some of thewool into cloth for their own use but they alsoexported it.“In time, large estates like Sherborne,Aldsworth and Barrington were created, and yougot the rise of wool merchants and landownerswho would build impressive manor houses likeChastleton House near Moreton-in-Marsh.”A lucrative medieval export trade grewparticularly with the Low Countries where clothmaking was big business. Before machinery ofthe Industrial Revolution enabled people tomake worsted yarn from short fibres, the longstaple of breeds like the Cotswold sheep wasessential to the process.“Buyers from the Low Countries would comeand pay for wool from Cotswold estates inadvance, so there was a well-established futuresmarket,” Steve says.Today the Cotswold Sheep Society has just1,500–2,000 breeding females on its register,and the now-rare breed is among thoseCotswold Lion sheep.Nick TurnerChastleton House.showcased at Adam Henson’s Cotswold FarmPark, Guiting Power. Yet in the Golden Age of themedieval wool trade some 500,000 CotswoldLions grazed the hillsides.Nor was it simply landowners and merchantswho grew rich. The Woolsack, introduced in thereign of Edward III (1327–77) and even now theofficial seat of the Lord Chancellor as Speakerof the House of Lords, became a symbol of thesignificance of England’s staple trade to thecoffers of the nation as a whole.“Important markets where wool was soldaround the Cotswolds in the Middle Agesincluded Cirencester, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden, Chipping Norton andChipping Sodbury, encouraging the growth ofthese towns and villages,” Steve says.Cirencester Abbey was a major player inthe wool trade from the 12th century, and bythe 14th century many foreign merchants hadsettled in the town. One Italian merchant stated,“the best wool in England comes from theCotswolds and the best wool of the Cotswoldscomes from Northleach and the great Abbeylands of Cirencester.”Wool was exported via ports like London,Bristol and even Kent, and sold via the Staple(regulated royal market) at Calais to merchantsin Europe. Profits from the trade in Cirencesterpaid for rebuilding of the town’s magnificentParish Church of St John Baptist, the largestparish church in Gloucestershire.Enriched merchants, in a healthy spirit ofaltruism and competition, financed schools,almshouses and even poor maidens on theirweddings, but it’s the proliferation of ‘woolchurches’ that has endured and takes away thebreath.St Peter & St Paul, Northleach, rebuilt inthe perpendicular style in the 15th century, isfamed for the memorial brasses depicting itsbenefactors, sheep and woolpacks at their feet.They reveal not only the gowned fashions ofthe times, but also humble prayers to offsetearthly ambition. One, translated from the Latin,counsels: “Reflect on the worth of the present –All is nought save the worship of God.”Further north, perhaps the most famousCotswold merchant is commemorated inthe beautiful early perpendicular St James’Church, Chipping Campden. A 15th-centurybrass recalls William Grevel, “flower of thewool merchants of all England”: from modestbeginnings, Grevel accumulated such wealththat in the 1390s he was lending 200 marks(£135) to Richard II.Chipping Campden’s broad, curving HighStreet features many beguiling limestonebuildings of the golden era of wool, includingthe 14th-century Woolstaplers’ Hall whereCotswold fleeces were sold. Opposite standsGrevel House, built by William and resplendentwith carved windows, gargoyles and a sundial.Between Northleach and Chipping Campden,Stow-on-the-Wold also retains plenty of cluesto its past, not least the narrow alleyways or‘tures’ leading from the large square, built tosafely herd sheep to be sold at market. Many ofthe town’s houses were built in the 15th century.To the east, St Mary’s Church, ChippingNorton, with its airy interior and rare hexagonalvaulted porch is among the largest Cotswoldwool churches, and in Burford Church there arefurther fascinating memorials to merchants.Sweep south to Tetbury and each year inMay Tetbury Woolsack Races commemoratethe town’s one-time fame as a wool and yarnmarket. Further south again, weavers’ cottagesat Castle Combe remind that the By Brook –now a relative trickle – powered fulling mills inthe valley. The first are noted in the 14th centuryand in the 15th century lord of the manor SirJohn Fastolf was clothing his troops fighting inthe French Wars in red-and-white Castle CombeCloth.Heading back up, to the western Cotswolds,the influence of clattering looms, mills and clothmaking becomes ever more pronounced as wearrive in the Stroud Valleys. But the story ofthe valleys’ milling heyday, and the transition ofthe Cotswolds’ economy from vast exporter ofraw wool to major centre for cloth manufacture,belongs to another chapter in the rich heritageof the area, to be told in a future issue.Parish Church of St John Baptist, Cirencester.Time travellingAdam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park,www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.ukBurford Church, www.burfordchurch.orgCastle Combe, www.castle-combe.comChastleton House,www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chastleton-houseChipping Campden,www.chippingcampden.co.ukCirencester Parish Church of St John Baptist,www.cirenparish.co.ukSt Mary’s, Chipping Norton,www.stmaryscnorton.comSt Peter & St Paul, Northleach,www.northleach.orgStow-on-the-Wold, www.go-stow.co.ukTetbury Woolsack Races,www.tetburywoolsack.co.ukFor more information on the Cotswold SheepSociety, see www.cotswoldsheepsociety.co.ukFind out more at: www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk www.cotswoldsruralskills.org.uk 3
Page 1: FREE Cotswold Lionpage 3page 4page
Page 5 and 6: Cotswolds Discoverer - just the tic
Page 7 and 8: Cotswold Champions:Eilidh AucklandE
Page 9 and 10: Walks & Events GuideWelcome to the
Page 11 and 12: Cotswolds Rural Skills Courses 2013
Page 13 and 14: Lansdown Plateau CircularAn almost
Page 15: The Meeting of the WaysWe go throug

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