Work party at the reserve

The rain stopped and we had a great work party today at Dancersend Nature Reserve. As well as hedge-laying and hazel coppicing, we planted 22 rare local varieties of fruit trees in the area where we are restoring an old orchard. Each volunteer from the group had the chance to plant a tree and in some cases managed to choose one that had personal significance - found in their own village, associated with someone they had known or one that just appealed for some reason. In my case it was Buckinghamshire Sheep Nose, an old cider/culinary apple from the Amersham area. In the background you can see the old pumping station, built in grand style in 1867 by the Rothschilds and still working, abeit with electric pumps now, rather than the wonderful old steam engine that now resides in Kew Bridge Steam Museum.