Heritage Warden Scheme

Heritage Wardens are volunteers who contribute to the Community Heritage Initiative (CHI) run by Leicestershire County Council and they help monitor and conserve the rich heritage of Leicestershire & Rutland. They attend information training sessions provided by the CHI, to enable them to carry out surveys and projects in their Parish. They might gather information from local people about areas of the environment that are important to them, co-ordinate the mapping of different wildlife habitats and heritage features, act as a voice on heritage protection in each parish and be a source of information and assist with community education in natural heritage issues.

Heritage Warden for Braunstone Town

The Heritage Warden for Braunstone Town is Mr John Dodd who was appointed by the Community Heritage Initiative in August 2006.

One of the roles of the Heritage Warden is to provide updates to the Community Heritage Initiative and the Town Council on progress they have made on projects. Mr Dodd's reports can be found through the links below.

If you would like to contact Mr Dodd about heritage matters he can be reached on john@doddies.org.uk.

Heritage Warden Attends Annual Towns Meeting

Mr John Dodd, Heritage Warden for Braunstone Town, was present at the Annual Towns Meeting to report on his achievements over the year and talk about Leicestershire County Council's Heritage Initiative.

Mr Dodd had made available a display which showed the green space in the Town and noted that local people probably do not realise how much green space there actually is in the Town. He was putting together plans which would record the level of housing and green space at the present time. Mr Dodd had also put together plans that showed the hedge lines from 1888 and compared with an existing ordinance survey map the majority of those hedge lines still existed.

Mr Dodd hoped that the areas of green space would be maintained if the proposals for the development of housing to the west of the M1 were to go ahead.

HERITAGE WARDEN'S REPORTS

Braunstone Town Heritage Warden's Report (May 2007)

GLOBAL WARMING - ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

Since my last report in October, the most significant change has been the environmental changes supposedly caused by global warming. The debate has swung too and from between those who believe it is due to mans effect on the atmosphere and those who believe it’s a “normal” sequence of natural changes. I’m not going to enter the debate here, just report on what I have seen over the last seven to eight months.

We have yet again had a mild winter and this spring has come earlier by about ten days, this is based on a baseline set in 2001 involving certain plants and insect sightings. For instance the Hawthorne blossom first appeared here in Mossdale Meadows on 27th March as compared with 7th April in 2001. Species of insects like the seven spot Ladybird, the Red Bottomed Bumble Bee and the Peacock Butterfly, have been sighted (in the UK) during December 2006 as well as in January and February this year. You can see the sighting reports at the sister website of the Woodland Trust at:

This is a very interesting and interactive site showing, geographically, the various sightings of the key species over a period of several months. Anyone interested in their environment can contribute their sightings to this site, so keep your eyes open!

NEST BOX APPEAL

My appeal to make bird nest boxes has not yet had any response but I have been recycling some of the Town Councils timber off-cuts, mainly from the refurbishment of the Millfield Hall floor and the bowling green boundary boards, to make some nest boxes.

This appeal is to provide nesting sites for birds in our Town Council open spaces, especially those recently planted with young trees which don’t yet provide suitable nesting opportunities. There will be a chance, if suitable funding can be obtained, to install nest box CCTV cameras which can be connected to the Civic Centre for all residents to come and see the new “locals” setting up home and raising a family.

LOCAL HISTORY- STREET NAMES

I haven’t made much progress in the derivation of Braunstone Town’s street names but I do understand that one of our local history groups has.

RECYCLING

I mentioned recycling earlier and I have come across a scheme, in several parishes around the country, which involve organising an event where local residents can bring their unwanted items on a “bring and take” basis as opposed to a “bring and buy” sale. At the end of the event any items left are taken, by the District Council’s vehicles, to the tip.
Some of the parishes have also extended the scheme to their internet web sites, where items remain for a set period of time.

LITTER AND VERMIN

Despite the very best efforts of the Town Councils Groundsmen the amount of litter seems to increase particularly on Merry Lees, part of Mossdale Meadows, along the boundary fence with the Meridian Leisure Site and along the access road, Lubbesthorpe Bridle Road. Although it is now clearly visible it will soon be “camouflaged” by the abundant plant growth of spring. I have noticed recently an increase in vermin along the boundary, mainly rats and mice. Last year there were no sightings as we seemed to have a resident Kestrel but I haven’t seen one this year. Could the vermin have been poisoned and then eaten by the Kestrel which has subsequently died?

NATURE OBSERVATIONS

Over the last several years there have been a steadily increasing number of wild Cowslips, particularly in the bottom sports field of Mossdale Meadows, however this year nothing has appeared except holes where the Cowslips grew. Have we got a voracious rabbit around or has someone decided the Cowslips would be better suited to their own garden?

During the next twelve months we can look forward to more unusual weather, plant and animal behaviour but nonetheless exciting events that nature can show us.

I’ve kept notes of my observations during the last six months. During most days I saw several of our most common birds and heard but did not see an elusive Green Woodpecker! Here are a few of the other outstanding recordings:

During October 2006:

Stinging nettles, Convolvulus and Hawkweed still in flower. Blackberry in blossom.
Towards the end of October a small amount of leaf fall but most trees still have green leaves.
Two adult Swans giving flying lessons to juvenile swan.
Magpies building nests (practice?)

November 2006:

3rd saw our first frost, temperature down to –3.50C
Still no significant leaf fall.
Magpie seen removing outer skin of conker and then using its beak to make a hole in the soil, buried the conker!

December 2006:

3rd, strong overnight winds caused some light damage and leaf fall, Magpies still building nests.
4th One blossom of Hawthorne!
Some of the Horse Chestnut trees showing signs of distress as a disease takes hold leaving Bracket Fungus to grow.

January 2007:

Hawthorne leaf bud burst.
End of January some butterflies seen at a distance but unable to identify.

February 2007:

Definitely seen a Red Admiral Butterfly on 2nd February

March 2007:

Blackthorne in blossom around 3rd March
A lot of nesting activity from most birds
28th March first Hawthorne blossom on Mossdale Meadows.

And that’s it for now!

John Dodd
Heritage Warden.
9th April 2007

HOP, SKIP & JUMP - the Natural History of Easter (late March 2007)

What have you seen? - Can you build it? (March 2007)

Braunstone Town Heritage Warden's Report (October 2006)