On Saturday 8th June 2025 Hannah Sankey conducted a survey of insects in The Close. Hannah spotted the following; Asian Ladybird larvae; Common Marble moth; Fourteen-spotted Ladybird larvae; Common nettle-tap moth; Three spotted nettle bug; Cricket-bat orbweaver spider, hoverflies, shield bug nymph and aphids. We are very grateful to Hannah for conducting the survey and… Continue reading Insects in The Close
Category: News
Community Orchard Watering Schedule
We are seeking volunteers to join the rota for watering the fruit trees in the Community Orchard & Nature Reserve. Each tree requires 10 litres of water per week and there are twelve trees on the site. There is water and watering cans on the site and with two people it takes around 30 minutes. … Continue reading Community Orchard Watering Schedule
Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Working Party
Pitton Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Working Party 10.30 to 12.30 Saturday 21st June 2025 With the welcome news that the new Pitton Community Orchard & Nature Reserve is now open to the public we are seeking volunteers to join a working party on Saturday 21st June from 10.30 to 12.30. The focus of the… Continue reading Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Working Party
Hay Making
If you have visited the Community Orchard & Nature Reserve recently you will have noticed how much the grass and thistles have grown. In order to start preparing the area for reseeding with wild flowers and less vigorous grasses we need to reduce the fertility in the soil. An effective way of doing this is… Continue reading Hay Making
Lyme Disease Awareness
One of the hazards of living in the countryside is the risk of being bitten by a tick some of which carry Lyme disease. Ticks are often, but not always, picked up by walking through long grass or sitting on the ground. The Lyme disease awareness charity Lyme Disease UK has useful guidance on how… Continue reading Lyme Disease Awareness
Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Open
We are pleased to announce that the Community Orchard & Nature Reserve is now open. The Parish Council made the following announcement today: “At the end of last year the Parish Council and Wiltshire Council agreed Heads of Terms on the transfer of approximately an acre of land at the end of Above Hedges to… Continue reading Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Open
Pitton to Firsdown Permissive Bridleway
On Friday 23rd May Wiltshire Council opened the new permissive bridleway which links Pitton to Firsdown. This is a fantastic addition to the local network of public rights of way. The permissive path runs alongside the new Community Orchard and Nature Reserve so we hope visitors will pop in to enjoy the site. At this… Continue reading Pitton to Firsdown Permissive Bridleway
Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Update
Over the last few months a lot has been going on at the new Community Orchard and Nature Reserve. Currently we are waiting confirmation from Wiltshire Council that they will grant full public access in advance of the land transfer to Pitton and Farley Parish Council. Thanks to the support of the Coronation Living Heritage… Continue reading Community Orchard & Nature Reserve Update
The Close Information Board
We are very grateful to Tom Judd who has designed, made and installed a wonderful information board for The Close. This is a fantastic addition to The Close and will help passersby understand how the area is being managed to increase biodiversity. The board highlights the support we have received from the Wessex Water Foundation,… Continue reading The Close Information Board
No Mow May
No Mow May is a campaign started by the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife to encourage people to refrain from mowing their lawns during the month of May to allow wildflowers to bloom and support pollinators like bees and butterflies. It’s a simple way to increase biodiversity and contribute to a more sustainable ecosystem. Even… Continue reading No Mow May