​A lovely sunny day for a return visit to this site between Yarborough Hill and Carline Road in Lincoln. It is managed by trustees and volunteers to meet the dual needs of the local community and wildlife, and it offers an interesting variety of habitats and open spaces. Paths meander through grassy areas and small groups of trees or cut through large areas of brambles that provide plenty of blackberries for people to pick in late summer. 

​We had two main tasks on the day – to cut back brambles and small saplings that were encroaching on the open area of the orchard, to keep them clear of the fruit trees, and to begin to cut new paths through a vast bramble thicket in the middle of the site. The plan is to have several paths through the brambles so that it is easier for people to get to the blackberries – an excellent idea! 

While several of us got working around the orchard Nick heroically fought the thorns to cut his way into the brambles to mark out the routes of the paths. We cleared the orchard area by lunchtime and after food and a welcome rest we tackled the brambles. We weren’t able to cut paths all the way through but other volunteers will be able to finish the work.
Jude