A Year in the Life of
Pewley Meadows 2023

February

By the end of February the cows had eaten all the juicy grass and local residents bade them a sad farewell as they were moved to pastures new.  They were very much missed and had become a great attraction for adults and children alike.

We held our second AGM at Holy Trinity Pewley Down school, which was well supported by over 200 attendees. SWT conservation experts Katy Fielding and James Herd gave excellent presentations, as did Jonathan Mitchell. We welcomed James Marti and David Cocovini to the FoPM committee, which is now at full complement with 14 members.

April

The two seasonal routes in the Western Meadow were mown by SWT with some difficulties, due to the very wet ground and vehicles getting bogged down. Working parties banged stakes into the ground to mark out the routes so that walkers can get closer to the delights of the chalk pastureland.

Jonathan Mitchell, Deputy Chair and Conservation Lead for the Meadows, held a series of weekend “walks and talks” where he accompanied people into the seasonal routes and gave them an overview of chalk land management, flora, and fauna. These were well attended, with over a hundred people enjoying the vista and on occasion some skylark pie!

June

At the June committee meeting David Stokes announced he would be standing down as Chair of FoPM. He was thanked for all his hard work and his part in seeing through the purchase of Pewley Meadows to a flourishing chalkland nature reserve in progress. David is fortunately remaining on the committee. Janet Davies took over as Chair of FoPM, with Jonathan remaining as Deputy Chair. In addition Ginny Cook looks after membership and communications, Katherine Wilson is Secretary and Alan Schuster-Bruce is our Treasurer.

We were delighted that David Cocovini agreed to be our volunteer coordinator and warden.

The first pyramidal orchid was spotted. It turned out to be a great year for them, both in the Meadows and on Pewley Downs.

A new gate was installed at Addison Road as part of the agreement in the purchase of Pewley Meadows.

The last Sunday of June was a sizzlingly hot day for Holy Trinity Amenity Group’s (HTAG) annual “Open Gardens Day”. The FoPM were invited to showcase the Meadows as part of this community activity, and so, inspired and largely organised by Jonathan, the Meadows were filled with music and poetry. A recital of the poem, “The Lark Ascending”, was followed by talented local violinist Rhiannon Randall’s wonderful rendition of Vaughan William’s musical composition, in the lower part of the Western Meadow. The skylarks sang to order, soaring across the clear blue sky and creating the perfect rural setting for these magical events. People were then encouraged to wander into the newly opened seasonal routes, guided by “what to see in Pewley Meadows” flora and wildlife information sheets - a copy of this is here in our News section. .

August

FoPM entered the SWT Community Awards. Jonathan and Janet Davies attended a very interesting and pleasant evening at West Horsley Place to celebrate the winners and hear about the many wildlife voluntary groups across Surrey.

The Pewley Way gate was reinstated by SWT. This, and the Addison Road gate will be closed for two 24 hour periods each year as agreed in the sale of the land.

October

The SWT fencing contractor had removed a great deal of old barbed wire and razor wire, tangled in the undergrowth, particularly on the southern border. David removed more as we discovered it over the summer. Whilst we were improving the access from Burgess Way, we realised there was more barbed wire, and the deadly razor wire, half buried in the undergrowth and entangled in the ivy. Jonathan and David did a good job removing as much as they could. Fortunately, Slyfield agreed to accept and dispose of it.

November

The long-awaited mowing of brambles and scrub in the area around the Viewpoint in the Eastern Meadow took place. The SWT robotic mower is impressive but not especially speedy. We don’t want to get rid of all the brambles, but they have enjoyed the sometimes warm and wet summer to make huge islands which spread at remarkable speed. As the cows are not that keen on eating them, we need to manage their spread.

A volunteer group led by David helped to remove and burn the cut brambles in the Eastern Meadow. Raking the arisings was very hard work and the brambles are mean and attack at every opportunity.

Seasonal routes in Western Meadow were put to bed for the winter and the stakes marking them removed.

The FoPM committee meeting was held at the Keep on 8th November. The meeting considered the type of bench at the Viewpoint which SWT will fund, and a panoramic viewpoint sign which FoPM will fund. Any sponsorship is very welcome.

The last Sunday of November was a cold and damp day, but a dozen volunteers, again led by David, raked the viewpoint area and enjoyed the company and fresh air. It was hard work gathering the cut brambles and snipping down the “loops”brambles love to form.

Jonathan spent much time successfully tracking down the source of a water leak in Eastern Meadow so we can provide water for the cows.

A general survey of Eastern Meadow revealed a lot of waste and debris left over from the party days of the old tin shed, farming activity over the years, and the installation of the fencing. Temporary electric fencing surrounds the waste area to protect the grazing cattle, and SWT contractors will remove all the waste in the New Year. Fortunately, the Western Meadow seems to be clear.