Heightened security at Dovers Hill?

New feature at Dovers Hill

A surprise greeted Martin and I as we arrived at Dovers Hill this week for some fencing, strimming and general maintenance.  An impressive structure,  Camelot like, dominated the landscape ready for the Olimpicks on Friday. Resisted the temptation to climb the ladders to the battlements and proceeded on down to Lynches wood. Here I set to strimming the woodland paths, needed the metal blade as the vegetation was quite dense.  I always enjoy being in this wood given the mixture of beech, larch, sweet chestnut , ash and oak. Plant and insect life also good with fern, cardinal beetles and orchids. Slight setback on the work planned as 'I forgot ' to pack the drill for the steps repair,  sigh from Martin, but I still enjoyed the day.

Lodge Park pond, there's life but not as ...

Ewe Pen Barn, 2 men went to mow..

Spent this week with Mike on ensuring Lodge Park, Sherborne village and Ewe Pen Barn grass & verge areas were in presentable state for the up coming Bank / Jubilee holidays. Benefited from M&Ms strimmer training which meant with tuition I combined my immense mowing skills with new strimming ones. On another hot day we were pushed to complete the work especially since Simon {of 3 men went to mow fame} was absent enjoying himself in France. Couple of highlights {rests between work} were the buttercups carpeting the Lodge deer park and the pond at the front of the Lodge. I spotted a pied wagtail by the pond but although nice to see it wasn't this that had Mike and I gazing into the pond's hidden depths. On close inspection the pond's secret citizens were revealed with water boatmen , BBC dragonfly, newts and tadpoles. Ok perhaps its the boy in us but we could have spent a good while observing if not for the work still to do! A good but hot day and somewhat a relief to me all tools still working {after some previous stirling work by Mike on the Honda mowers}.