Autumn at Ashburnham

Sunday 7th - Friday 12th September 2008
Ashburnham place, Battle, East Sussex

Following my previous holiday with the BTCV in the Cairnorms, I went a little closer to home, to Battle (yes: 1066 and all that...). We spent a few days helping manage the woodland (mainly removing sycamore saplings) and also had a day off and a tour of the estate. Photos of the work are limited, because we were busy working!

Ten volunteers and two leaders seated on an old, fallen tree trunk in cleared woodland.
From left: Dave, Karen, Ngozi, Sunny, Rob, Phil, Risa, Michael, Geraldine, Chris, Stephen

The crew sat on the patio in front of our accommodation, with tea and biscuits.
Tea break

Dave using pitch-fork to rake the fire embers together.
Dave tends the fire

View from the bank of the lake.
Ashburnham lake

180 degree panorama of the lake.
Ashburnham lake

Open woodland with large, mature, deciduous trees of mixed types, including oak and beech.
A walk in the woods

View looking straight up the trunk of a massive oak tree, showing the bark and boughs.
A mighty oak

View out of a traditional spring grotto, looking down a lush valley of ferns.
The grotto

Morning sunlight over the fields behind the accommodation.
Morning at Ashburnham

Atmospheric skittle alley. The roof is about 5'10 high.
Skittles in the attic of the Black Horse

Rob and Karen flip and catch beer mats in the Black Horse pub.
Flipping beer mats