Read about the life and work of the Attingham Wardens

Attingham Park is a National Trust property comprising of an 18th Century mansion set in a Repton landscape; the Park and wider Estate includes a deer park, walled garden, several miles of the rivers Severn and Tern, extensive farmland and woodlands.



Saturday 23 April 2016

Restoring the landscape at Cronkhill Farm

Arum maculatum or Lords-and-Ladies
It's that wonderful time of the year again when, on certain days, us rangers can peel off the layers of fleece and waterproof jackets and actually work with the warmth of the sun on our skin. Frozen fingers and wind-chapped cheeks are quickly forgotten with every flourishing wildflower, budding leaf and skylark song.

We have enjoyed several days of sunshine working at Cronkhill Farm where five home-grown oaks have been planted to replace dead and dying trees out in the fields alongside the river. This is the start of a larger plan to replace the many trees that we know were in these fields historically but are no longer in the landscape. Each new tree has a guard around it to protect from grazing cattle and sheep - we made our guards out of untreated sweet chestnut posts and hardwood rails for strength and longevity.
Digging out the post holes with an auger
We worked with the farmer to choose the best alignment of tree and
guard with sunshine and direction of cutting for the hay crop
 




The finished replacement


We will be keeping a close eye on these trees to ensure that they are healthy and will water them during any dry spells. Good luck little oaks!