Environment & History Group

 Sutton Environment & History Group

Set up in 2013-14, the group have three main activities:River Lugg at Sutton St Nicholas

  • organising events on the local history and environment, about 3  a year
  • collecting information on Sutton’s environment and history
  • working on the actions in the Community Plan

Anyone with an interest in history, natural history, historic buildings, landscape history or environment are very welcome. If you know anything about the local history and natural history of Sutton, or have historic or nature surveys your house or land, we would love to hear from you.

To join us contact: Les Smith ljs@lineone.net , Judy Stevenson 880748 judy@creswells.co.uk , AnnBurke 880202 david@centralbakery.co.uk

 

Sutton Environmental & History Group Events 2020

PREVIOUS EVENTS

The Hereford to Gloucester Canal, Wednesday 20th January 2016.  Building the Hereford and Gloucester canal started in 1793 and took 50 years to complete. It soon became obselete with the arrival of the railways. The canal ran through Sutton St Nicholas and Withington. Nigel Jefferies of the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust, gave an fascinating talk about the construction of the canal and related information on our industrial heritage.

canal image

In the Woods Saturday 19th September 2015. A walk in the woods around Sutton Walls looking at the trees, fruits, berries and plants.Led by Mary Roberts this gentle family walk was followed by activities and refreshments at the Village Hall

River dipping in the Lugg  Saturday 20th June 2015,  a family activity day led by Mary Roberts, investigating the animal and plant life in the River Lugg. After the river dipping, there was a range of activities in the village hall including making colourful paper dragonflies, fish and jumping frogs!

A range of eleven different species were discovered: Water scorpion, bullhead fish, water bug, pond skater, water boatman, leech, snail, fresh water mussel, fresh water shrimp, damselfly larva, swimming mayfly nymph.

The range of species is encouraging as it puts the river somewhere in the middle in terms of water cleanliness. Fresh water shrimp, mayfly nymph and damselfly larva will only survive low levels of pollution, whilst the other species will tolerate some pollution but cannot survive really dirt water.  River Dipping report Sutton News July

20150620_150814 dipping crafts creatures

Strip Fields and Land Enclosure in Sutton, 19th February 2015. Cecelia Arlett provided us with annotated maps and notes to illustrate major changes in agricultural practice and the re-organisation of the landscape.The Medieval farming system of three open fields based around a village core, was transformed in the early 19th century to rectangular fields enclosed by hedges with ditches and wide roads or tracks to improve access, such as Churchway and the Ridgeway.  Strip fields & enclosure notes

luttrell psalter ploughing

 

 

Hedgerows in Sutton on Saturday 27th September 2014. It was a mild dry day for our walk along our hedgerows, finding out about their history, ecology and development. Rebecca Roseff gave us a fascinating insight into the hedgerows. Most of them were deliberately planned and planted during Enclosure in the early 1800’s, but hedges near the village centre tend to be older. Delicious biscuits baked by Allen were enjoyed at the Village Hall after the walk.

  Hedgerow walk 6 - Copy  Hedgerow walk 4 - Copy

 

Sutton Walls: Iron Age in Sutton. Life at Sutton Walls Hillfort over 2000 years ago.  Saturday 22nd March 2014. Sutton Walls leaflet 2

Litter pick held on Sunday 23rd March 2014

SUTTON COMMUNITY PLAN includes an Environment Section:  Environment Objectives, final. The actions in this plan are being worked on and are outlined in: Immediate and Short term actions report April 2014

 

USEFUL INFORMATION

Oil cooperative

Anyone interested in joining the village cooperative to purchase heating oil, from a  single tanker delivery, please contact Stuart Dove 01432 880865

Energy efficiency

www.cheaperenergytogether.org  Community Partnership project providing a collective energy switching service

www.herefordshirenewleaf.org.uk        

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

For solar pv check out this website www.herefordshiresolar.co.uk

Car sharing

Car  journey sharing scheme  www.twoshare.liftshare.com

Park and Share

Park and Share logoPark and Share is a great way to cut travel costs and reduce congestion. Many people travelling in Herefordshire would love to car-share, but not everyone lives near to someone else doing a similar journey. Park and Share can solve that problem for many commuters. Instead of sharing from the start of a journey, commuters meet up at a pub, garden centre, hotel or shop in the scheme, leave one car there and continue on together www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-highways/transport-schemes/park-and-share   revised_location_plan_13_05_07_for_web

Car Pools

www.carpooling.co.uk

Park and Cycle

Park and Cycle logoMany people would love to be able to cycle to work or to college but often journeys may be too far to manage by bike. Park and Cycle offers a staging post, providing convenient locations for people to break their journey, park their car and continue by bike, making the most of traffic-free routes www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-highways/transport-schemes/park-and-cycle

Communal Car schemes

Check out this local car club group in the St.James’ area of Hereford www.stjamescarclub.org.

Flooding assistance

Flooding – Help from Central Government 2014

Sand bag notice 26-10-13

Bonfires & Flytipping

To report flytipping or a bonfire causing a disturbance contact: Herefordshire Council, Environmental Health & Trading Standards, Blueschool House PO Box 233. Hereford HR1 2ZB. 01432 261761 info@herefordshire.gov.uk

GROUP MEETING NOTES

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 9-9-15

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 6-5-15

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 3-12-14

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 3-9-14

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 5-3-14

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 14-1-14

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 6-11-13

Notes – Sutton Environment Group Meeting 25-6-13