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SANCTUARY Around the regions Essex MDP Wethersfield The new wildlife pond, pictured above, created as part of the mitigation for disturbance of great crested newts Triturus cristatus, has had welcome donations of aquatic plants, attracting new populations of egg-laying damselflies and dragonflies. These have included the broad-bodied chaser Libellula depressa, common hawker Aeshna juncea and the emperor dragonfly Anax imperator. The new wildlife pond is establishing itself nicely © R Gourgey We recorded our 73rd bird species on the Wethersfield site this year, 37 of which are Red or Amber-listed on the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Birds of Conservation Concern List, the vast majority having the highest international protection, including EU legislation. Comprehensive surveys, which were carried out by County Recorders in recent years on the plant populations, bats, invertebrates and amphibians, show that the Wethersfield site is a biodiversity hot-spot; an island of semi-permanent grassland surrounded by intensive arable farmland. We have made contact with neighbouring farmers to suggest some joint monitoring of species, such as migrating golden plover Pluvialis apricaria which rest and feed locally on their journeys north and south. In regard to botany, this summer we were rewarded with a special display of over 150 bee orchids Ophrys apifera in some of the areas of longer grass. Bee orchid Ophrys apifera © Iain Perkins BTO members Ken Venus (left) and Josh Stafford (right) ringing a barn owl chick Tyto alba © R Gourgey The Diamond Jubilee Wood (the only one in Essex), which was planted with 75,000 native trees and shrubs in 2012/13 to celebrate HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, will hopefully be protected in the future; with Park Wood, our 10ha local wildlife site of ancient woodland and its surrounding grassland, along with the other important communities and habitats that have been nurtured for future generations. However, Wethersfield has been identified for disposal by 2020 as part of MOD’s Estate Optimisation Programme and the future of this site is uncertain. Ros Gourgey Chair Wethersfield Wildlife & Conservation Volunteer Group 80 SANCTUARY 45 2016
Lancashire Holcombe Moor Training Area The site’s significance reached new levels when, in 2014, our Industrial Revolution site suddenly produced evidence of medieval iron working! We found large deposits of slag and some unburnt charcoal, but frustratingly the actual hearth had probably been covered by the construction of a mill pond in the 18th century. However, carbon dating gave a date of around 1175AD for the iron working. Probable water frame components © Holcombe Moor Heritage Group Way back in 2009 a few enthusiastic members of Holcombe Moor Heritage Group located what they imagined was an early site of the Industrial Revolution. On early maps the site was referred to as ‘an engine house’ or ‘Bottoms’, later to become ‘Bottoms Mill’. It was thought to be either a water or steam powered mill, and if it was steam that would make it a very important site as it would be a very early example. But as to what kind of textile process went on we had no idea. Initial excavations proved to be rather complex and it soon became clear that the site had seen many alterations over the years, and the hunt for either a wheel pit or boiler debris was revealing nothing. We found lots of ‘interesting’ features and artefacts, but had little understanding of what they told us. And not just us. The County Archaeologist and experts from the University of Salford were equally bemused. The local storms of 2015 washed away over 120 cubic metres of our site and this year we have concentrated on the post-medieval industrial deposits – and working even harder to understand the form and the function of the mill building. We have now located the wheel pit and the tailrace direction, though unravelling the headrace from the pond is proving to be a major effort. However, we can say that the mill was definitely water powered rather than steam powered – a disappointment for some members! But the real jewel in the crown this year has been the retrieval of early machine parts. We had located some parts at the end of 2015 and had them verified as belonging to a form of water frame – confirming that our building was a spinning mill. Add to this the partial excavation of the wheel pit and the excavation of cast iron gear wheels from a probable gear pit, then we can start to put together a good picture. Our site has assumed national importance through a series of happy accidents. The Army had not disturbed anything very much since 1912 and it had become a relic landscape. Our efforts to find a steam powered mill has resulted in rolling back the site’s origins to medieval times and then turned full circle to confirm the textile history. Damage caused by Boxing Day floods 2015 © Holcombe Moor Heritage Group Barry Simpson President Holcombe Moor Heritage Group SANCTUARY 45 2016 81
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THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE SUSTAINABIL
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Contents Sanctuary Awards 2 The San
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INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER
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SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT AWARD WINNER
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT AWARD WINNER
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also the best in the UK and possibl
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An archer’s wristguard and shaft
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of which is devolved across four UK
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the Commitments on the ground, give
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place. In addition, the scheme shou
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deer and aurochs (wild cattle). The
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One of the ephemeral pools supporti
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MOD and Ulster Wildlife A partnersh
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Forget it! This plant is a curse th
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Castlemartin choughs are in a safe
Page 31 and 32: The new ‘state of the art’ head
Page 33 and 34: In 2001, the Royal Navy requested t
Page 35 and 36: within the population, indicating n
Page 37 and 38: though still not insignificant part
Page 39 and 40: the Plain that was taking place as
Page 41 and 42: A goshawk nest with four healthy ch
Page 43 and 44: grave goods (including 24 amber and
Page 45 and 46: The bus now displays the artwork an
Page 47 and 48: Armoured Support for Grassland Mana
Page 49 and 50: to have no impact on predation, a f
Page 51 and 52: Releasing red squirrels in the Ball
Page 53 and 54: Impatiens glandulifera from the riv
Page 55 and 56: Abseiling into the mouth of Ogof Go
Page 57 and 58: The original sandbag revetment of t
Page 59 and 60: Whittington Ranges reinstated after
Page 61 and 62: MOD is experienced with managing Ha
Page 63 and 64: MOD hitting favourable targets on S
Page 65 and 66: Merville Barracks Energy Consortium
Page 67 and 68: A whinchat nest © Andrew Bray popu
Page 69 and 70: Secondments Developing staff and wo
Page 71 and 72: Ascension Island study area and loc
Page 73 and 74: System (SUDs) ponds have both pollu
Page 75 and 76: Delivering social value across the
Page 77 and 78: Around the regions with the conserv
Page 79 and 80: Date Description of event 10 April
Page 81: Merseyside Altcar Training Camp Sef
Page 85 and 86: Wiltshire Imber Conservation Group
Page 87 and 88: Kent and East Sussex DIO SD Trainin
Page 89 and 90: West Sussex Thorney Island Each yea
Page 91 and 92: Derrick Johnson, of the Essex Bee K
Page 93 and 94: North Yorkshire Catterick Training
Page 95 and 96: Anglesey, Wales RAF Valley the proc
Page 97 and 98: Northern Ireland Ballykinler and Ma
Page 99 and 100: Pembrokeshire Castlemartin Range a
Page 101 and 102: 2017 Sanctuary Awards Nomination Pr
Page 103: Contacts SUBMISSIONS If you would l
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SUSTAINABILITY

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