Quick update just to say that thanks to Jeannie's great application to the Greenest County Awards we have been shortlisted for the final in the Greenest Community section. They are coming to film us at the next work party. How exciting!

February Work Party

Hazel catkins 

A chilly morning after a windy night. More brambles were removed from the path edges and a new table /wood store installed next to the glade.

Preparing the site 

Getting the level right!

Job done!

Once the grass has grown up again it should blend in a bit more!

Things are starting to grow, snowdrops continue,

there are lots more primroses and the first leaves of the hawthorn have started to open.

Fire pit

In 2015, our ambitious project was to create a fire pit in the woodland glade for the use of the  group and for public events. It all began in the spring with the fixed deadline of 31st October when there was to be a halloween event in the woodland.
Meticulous planning was required to meet good old health and safety regulations and fit it into the monthly work parties.

First the marking out and the digging of the footings.

That was a wet one!

Another month saw the concrete added and yet another one spent cutting the bricks to fit the circle exactly. This brought us to September and a whole day work party. A local builder lent us his expertise with the bricklaying and all hands were on deck for labouring and refreshments!

This is kind of the beginning, middle and end! 

And this was it all lit up for Halloween and ready for toasting marshmallows 

January work party

This month the ground was soggy but it was a beautiful day to be in the woodland.  The first snowdrops were out and a solitary primrose.
Ditches were cleared, some planting done and more cooking on the fire pit.

Welcome to this new blog, I am trying to keep a record of what we do!

Framsden Woodland Group (FWG) was set up by a group of volunteers to manage an area of woodland known as Eades  Orchard. It's a small patch found behind the church in Framsden, Suffolk. There are some old fruit trees and redcurrant bushes as well as mixed trees added by the Helmingham estate.
It was a bit tangled and unloved when the group took over the site but now you can actually get in and wander around it's used by lots of villagers all year round.

Hmm this doesn't look very inspiring but I wanted to show that in the winter you can see right through the woodland and it's light and open. And this was today so it's a good place to start!

Also today the first snowdrops