Cherryburn

Wednesday 7th March 2012

The House at Cherryburn

There had been early morning rain and the weather forecast promised the odd shower through an improving day.  Luckily we got the improvement first and the showers in good time for an early finish. Even so, it must have been the worst Wednesday weather the Conservation Team has had in its six year history.

Blossom

One of the Cherryburn Alpacas

We were at Cherryburn, which was once home to Thomas Bewick, the finest of wood-engravers and author of "History of British Birds", the first 'field guide' for ordinary people, and now home to a paddock of alpacas; sadly, the donkeys have moved on.  Equally sadly, an old and ailing ash had been felled together with a large holly which had been unmanageably close. We built a log pile of the bigger sections and, because Cherryburn has garden rather than wild woodland, made a fire of the smaller branches. The fire also took brashings from other recent pruning, but laurel was stacked and left to rot down naturally to minimise harm from its cyanide emissions.

Building the log pile

Hard at work

A good going fire

It was good to see our old team-mate Roger once again, even if he has deserted the Gibside regulars in favour of the exquisite Cherryburn.