Events

Clare in the City

How can the John Clare Countryside benefit the residents of Peterborough, Stamford and the Deepings? It’s the big question we’re asking at an inspiring event this December.

Influential speakers are taking to the stage at ARU Peterborough on Tuesday 10 December 2024, 10am–1pm, for
‘Clare in the City’. The John Clare Countryside partnership's winter event will explore how the JCC project can benefit people living in surrounding urban areas.

Residents of Peterborough, Stamford and the Deepings are encouraged to attend and help shape the future of the John Clare Countryside. Places at the event are limited and must be booked in advance (see event info).

Programme

10.00: Welcome and introductions from JCC chair Richard Astle

10.10: Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England
Why Clare Matters to us all – the benefits of landscape-scale nature recovery

10.30: Mark Cocker, award-winning writer and acclaimed naturalist
Harnessing Clare’s Legacy

10.50: Keira Harvey, Chief Executive, The John Clare Trust
Bringing Clare’s Natural World Alive for a New Generation

11.15: James Tusting, Head of Land and Property, Burghley Estate
Why the JCC project matters

11.30: Break

11.50: Round-table discussions:

• Community cohesion: How can we facilitate stronger community connectivity?
• Education: Can Clare’s legacy help today’s children improve their skills and health?
• Health and wellbeing: How can the John Clare Countryside improve people's health and wellbeing?
• Visitor economy: What are the opportunities to boost the local visitor economy?
• Climate and biodiversity crisis: Creating a nature-rich landscape that also stores carbon.

12.40: Feedback

13.00: Finish

Event info

When: 10am–1pm, Tuesday 10 December 2024
Where: ARU Peterborough, University House, Bishop's Road, Peterborough, PE1 5BW (what3words: ///audit.swing.sparks)
Parking: On-site parking is limited. There are pay-and-display car parks nearby: Bishop’s Road, Car Haven and Riverside.
Public transport: ARU Peterborough is about 20 minutes’ walk from the city’s railway and bus stations. Local buses 4 (Parwell–City Hospital) and 61 (Newark–Queensgate) stop outside the nearby lido.

To book a place at Clare in the City, email chair@langdyke.org.uk

Winter Wittering Planting

Throughout the weeks of December, the John Clare Countryside team have worked together to plant trees and bulbs in  Wittering village. The parish council bought 17 standard Crab Apple, Rowan and Bird Cherry trees for Parker Road, and the JCC team contributed 1,000 early crocus bulbs, which will all give out an amazing display of blossom and flowers each spring. Burghley Avenue also has 100 new bluebells and 400 new snowdrops coming out next spring, which will add more life, colour and diversity to the previously fairly mundane location. In addition, the JCC team planted a variety of around 100 whips to create a new understory amongst the trees, which included Dogwood, Hazel, Hawthorn, Blackthorn,  Hornbeam, Dogrose, Wild Privet, Crabapple, Rowan and Bird Cherry, This will create more of a semi - natural woodland feel, and also provides a source of nectar and fruits, as well as new nesting habitats for birds and wood-boring wasps.

Sutton Woodland Area

On the 21^st December, the JCC team joined a landowner in Sutton to plant a variety of bulbs in their small woodland area. This included 250  wood anemones, 50 primrose plug plants, 350 bluebells, 250 snowdrops and 250 winter aconites.

Ailsworth Hibernaculum Creation

On the 14^th December, JCC hosted a Perkins group at M’Lady’s Pond. This has been a ‘potential’ project that’s been talked about for 4 years. It’s been completely overshadowed by many trees for a long time, and after they’d been felled (by our friends from Rockingham Forest Coppicers) the task was to tidy up the mess made and repurpose the wood by creating multiple huge hibernaculum’s. The group worked hard and built five log piles, which act as mini hotels and restaurants for small insects and amphibians to use. Two other habitats were designed as deer dens, creating large sheltered spaces to help the Roe deer who sleep there each night to over winter in relative comfort.

Maxey Planting

On the 11^th December, the John Clare Countryside team partnered with Maxey residents to plant 2,300 bulbs in total, including 500 early crocus, 1,000 snowdrop bulbs, 300 bluebells, and 250 wild garlic, 50 primrose and 250 wood anenomes. These were planted in various locations throughout the village, including a small sheltered woodland walk wildlife area. Due to the frosty weather, we thoroughly enjoyed the tea, coffee, mince pies and sausage rolls provided, which kept us nice and warm.

Scarifying in Glinton

On 6^th December Tony Cook from the JCC team created a wildflower meadow area on Clarendon Way in Glinton, and then created two additional wildflower meadow areas on the A15 site just outside the village by scarifying the chosen areas.

Northborough Seeding

During the first week of December the wildflower areas on Maxey Road in Northborough were seeded with wildflower seed that was collected by a work party in August from the already established wildflower areas elsewhere in the village. 1,000 early crocus bulbs and 500 snowdrops were also planted there, to brighten up the roadside next spring - and every spring from then on!

Wothorpe Litter Pick & Plant Event

On the 27th November, John Clare Countryside met
with some of the Wothorpe residents and spent
several hours litter picking and wildflower bulb
planting at various locations around the parish.
The litter picking took place along London Road,
Kettering Road, First Drift and Second Drift.
Seventeen full bin bags of litter were collected,
which will be analysed by the charity Recoup as part
of their River Nene litter analysis project. The
project will record what types of plastics are being
discarded, and the final report will be sent to DEFRA
in October 2023. RECOUP Recycling
We also planted 2,000 snowdrop and early crocus
bulbs at various locations across Wothorpe.

Planting work parties in both Glinton and Northborough

On the 26th November, the John Clare Countryside team met with some of the residents of Glinton village to improve biodiversity at Clarendon Way. In just one morning, seven people planted 2,300 plug plants and bulbs - 1,000 of those being early crocus bulbs and the rest being snowdrop, bluebell, primrose plugs. The JCC team are looking forward to returning to
Clarendon Way and the A15 site on the 6th December to scarify the chosen areas and sow
wildflower seed to create two new wildflower meadows.
On the same day, 26th November, the group were back at Northborough, where the JCC team revisited a seed bank which we created back in August with the help of Perkins. The work party on the 26th November cleared the grass which had since grown back, which is why there were no seeds planted back in August. The areas have since been seeded with the wildflower seeds. Next year the native wildflowers will produce an abundence of colour, to welcome visitors into the village.

Marholm Field bank and Castor Copse Work party

On Wednesday 16th November, Perkins met the JCC team at Marholm Field Bank where the work party started off their very productive day by maintaining the invasive dog rose, sallow, oak, hawthorn, scots pine and thistles in the wildflower area. This will create room for the wildflowers to repopulate the area and bloom next summer. The group used tree poppers for this exercise in the hope that the scrub can be removed without damage so they can be repurposed elsewhere to create hedgerow.

The group then made their way over to Castor's woodland area called Castor Copse. One of the Perkins members replanted three small oak saplings in Castor copse that they’d removed from Marholm Field Bank, which will be a great addition to the already established woodland habitat, as it will grow at the same pace as the recently planted tree whips, creating something called an 'under canopy'.

The remaining Perkins team members split into two groups and took turns planting 1,000 bluebell bulbs and 250 wild garlic bulbs and digging an area for a bog garden. Thanks again, Perkins. We can't wait to have you back!

Bog Garden in Northborough

On the 15th of November John Clare Countryside welcomed Perkins back to Northborough! The Perkins team completed the task of removing intrusive foliage by the pond at Northborough Primary School, as well as digging a bog garden (using a tarpaulin to keep the soil moist all year round) and planting over 40 semi aquatic plug plants. Around 40 students from Northborough Primary also joined in and got their hands dirty by helping to plant some of the 500 bluebell bulbs, 500 snowdrop bulbs and 250 wild garlic bulbs that JCC had supplied, in an area of the school's orchard. Once completed the work party then moved over to Paradise Lane and created a second wetland area there (again using a tarpaulin) and planted another 30 plug plants.

November's Wellbeing Walk

Join us on the 12th of November 2022, 11:00-14:00, for a guided walk around the Climate Resilient Welland Waterway Landscape! It states in the link that the walk begins at the Buttercross in Bainton, but to save confusion we'll meet at St Mary's Church in Bainton on the B1443, Church Lane, PE9 3AQ.

The meeting point what three words///:newlyweds.partied.dislodge.

To register your attendance, please sign up here: November's Wellbeing Walk Tickets, Sat, Nov 12, 2022 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite

Thanks to Julie and Cliff Stanton for those detailed trail points of interest.

November's wellbeing walk

On the 12th of November, JCC hosted another wellbeing walk, this time beginning in the Village of Bainton. We explored the landscape alongside the River Welland. We came across various points of interest, including Bainton's Grade one listed structure, the Buttercross. As written in the 'Welland Circular Walk' by Julie (Linked below), "It is thought that parts of the Buttercross date back to the Middle Ages, and that it may have been used as a market for dairy produce.  The Buttercross hosts a self-sown miniature garden of small ferns, mosses and tiny annual wildflowers, these are seen at their best in the late winter and spring."

Thanks to all who joined us!

If you missed out on this guided walk, why not explore it with your friends and family? You can find further points of interest here: John Clare Countryside Trails - Welland Waterway Landscape (google.com)

John Clare Trail Weekend Guided Walk

Our John Clare Countryside Trail Weekend | John Clare Countryside event is encouraging everyone to visit some of the beautiful, self-guided John Clare Trails | John Clare Countryside routes.

However, for anyone who would prefer a guided walk around our East Rockingham Trail, this is for you!

The guided walk will begin at 13:00hrs on Sunday 16th October. The starting point of the 4 Mile (6.5 km) trail begins and ends at Whittering Church.

The WhatThreeWords for the meeting point are:///budding.pyramid.iteration.

Please ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear on the day.

Sign up here: JOHN CLARE TRAIL WEEKEND GUIDED WALK Tickets, Sun 16 Oct 2022 at 13:00 | Eventbrite

An extended invite for John Clare Parish Council members, Project partners, Langdyke members only:

We would like to invite John Clare Parish Council members, Project partners, Langdyke members only to our private launch event in the evening afterwards. For more details, please follow the link to register your attendance: John Clare Countryside Trail Launch Evening Tickets, Sun 16 Oct 2022 at 17:00 | Eventbrite

JCC Trail Weekend Guided Trail Walk

Thanks to all who joined us on our John Clare Countryside Trail Weekend - guided wellbeing walk! The route we chose this month was the East Rockingham trail:  John Clare Countryside Trails - East Rockingham Landscape Trail (google.com).

This 4 mile circular walk began at Wittering Church- a beautiful monument. As quoted in the link above, Reverend Gary Alderman states 52 points of interest, one being about how “Henry Boswell, “King of the Gypsies”, is apparently buried somewhere in the churchyard. He was a friend of the Northamptonshire peasant poet, John Clare”. This made Wittering Church a great starting point and is also unusual because it has its very own badger set!

The trail leads through Wittering Grange equestrian centre, which is a site well known to the John Clare Countryside team and PECT, who have planted several thousand whips there over the last year or two. We also visited Thornhaugh’s St Andrew’s Church which is beautiful, too, and also notable for having a loo inside the church! An unusual addition, and very welcome!

If getting out and about interests you, but you’re not entirely sure on where to go, or are looking for a new trail, please visit our website here: John Clare Trails | John Clare Countryside and check out one of our featured trails!

We also host one wellbeing walk a month, so keep your eyes peeled for when we post about our next date: Events | John Clare Countryside.

John Clare Countryside Trail Weekend

Save the date! John Clare Countryside Trail Weekend:

Do you enjoy walking and hiking? Do you hope to explore more of Peterborough’s beautiful countryside?

Discover five locally designed, unique walks, launching the 15^th and 16^th of October 2022, throughout the John Clare Countryside! Make it sociable by inviting your friends and family to walk the trails together or have a well-deserved peaceful stroll through nature.

Please find our John Clare Countryside Featured Trails here: John Clare Trails | John Clare Countryside

Thanks, BGL for joining us!

Thank you to BGL for volunteering their time to improve the grassland habitats on Ailsworth Heath in Castor Hanglands. Surrounding these grasslands are Scrub, a mixture of shrubs such as Hawthorn, Black-thorn, Dogwood, Dog Rose and Wild privet. The BGL team used tree poppers to remove the invasive scrub to prevent the meadow turning completely into Scrub and keeping those habitats separate. Without this maintenance, it would be difficult to ensure that the variety of wildflower species survive. Without the help of volunteers such as your group, it'd be impossible to maintain the diverse flora there because it'd all be overgrown inside a decade or two. 

John Clare Farm Cluster

A Farm Cluster Event specifically for farmers and their partners! Tuesday 4th October, 7pm-9pm. Sacrewell Farm, Thornaugh, Peterborough. PE8 6HJ.

Are you ready to learn what a Farm Cluster is and what it can do for you? You'll hear from speakers:

Micky Astor- Award winning farmer from the west Cambs 100's farm cluster group

John Parsonage- Local owl expert who will talk about supporting owls on farms

John Clare Countryside Partnership- an update on what is going on in the local area.

To confirm your place please book online at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk

or contact: Helen.bailey@wildlifebcn.org

A wellbeing walk from Glinton

Thanks to everyone who joined us on our wellbeing walk this month!

The route started in Glinton, we walked through Peakirk, along the Maxey cut (where we saw beautiful horses and their foals) up to Northborough in a circle route before returning to Glinton.

Since this walk, Emma-Jane has began her new venture with East Cambs District Council. Thank you for hosting this walk as your last, Emma-Jane!

New date: Summer Wellbeing walk

Due to the hot weather throughout August JCC welcome you to our Summer well being walk this September!

Join us on Saturday 17th September 2022, for a summer wellbeing walk around the beautiful fen edge villages of Peakirk and Glinton. We will meet at St Benedicts Church, Glinton, PE7 7JP at 11:00- 14:00 We will venture out in to the heart of John Clare countryside on a 5 mile circular walk starting at St Benedict's church, leading up to the edge of Northborough and back down to Peakirk. Come alone or bring your significant others and spend some quality time in the sublime nature.

Please register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-date-summer-day-walk-tickets-401159347407?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

Azets' Castor Hanglands Work Party

John Clare Countryside welcomed Azets last week to spend a few hours creating some open meadow at the National Nature Reserve, Castor Hanglands.

Castor Hanglands has four distinct habitats including woodlands, grassland / meadow, wetland and scrub. The grassland, wetland and scrub are part of Ailsworth Heath, which later has been celebrated in John Clare's poetry. He was the first person to record many of the plants, birds and wildlife on the site. The variety of habitats encourages biodiversity which is great for flora and fauna within the Nature Reserve.

Most of the grassland has been grazed by sheep and cattle for centuries, which encourages wildflowers to survive in these areas. Surrounding these grasslands are Scrub, a mixture of shrubs such as hawthorn, black-thorn, dogwood and wild privet. The team used tree poppers to remove the invasive scrub to prevent the meadow turning completely into Scrub and keeping those habitats separate.

Thanks for joining us, Azets!

Second Summer Geocaching Event

The John Clare Countryside team had the opportunity to host a second Geocaching day in Helpston. We met at Torpel Cabin, situated in Torpel Manor Field, which is both a County Wildlife site with rare neutral grassland, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.  Thank you to everyone who joined us!

If you would like to get involved, check out this environmental initiative supported by the geocaching community Geocaching > Cache In Trash Out.

Geocaching Family Day-2/2

JCC are inviting you to join us on the 24th August 2022 for our second Geocaching family event in Helpston- Torpel Cabin on the B1443 heading West out of Helpston village, 150 metres on the left as you leave Helpston towards Bainton village.

The What3Words location is:

cheerily.sulked.definite

We will have PECT staff outside the entrance wearing Hi-Vis jackets to help guide people in.

It begins at 10am until 12:30 pm and we welcome you to join us for a 'bring your own picnic' lunch afterwards.

Please ensure that all participants wear weather appropriate clothing, ie waterproofs, sun cream, hats etc.

We also ask that each family bring one mobile phone or device which they will be able to download the geocaching app onto prior to arrival. This is to ensure that any countryside data/ signal problems are avoided. Please find attached a photograph of the green geocaching icon app which this event requires access to as well as a google earth image of the meeting point car park outlined in yellow.

Please use the link before the time of the event to register your attendance Geocaching Family Day Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Wellbeing Walk -POSTPONED Due to hot weather.

Due to the expected heatwave and predicted high temperatures of up to 36 degrees JCC have postponed this event until September... more to follow.

Join us on a peaceful countryside wellbeing walk around the beautiful fen edge villages of Peakirk and Glinton, 11:00-14:00 Sunday 14th August 2022. We will venture out in to the heart of John Clare countryside. This 5 mile circular walk starts at St Benedict's church, leads up to the edge of Northborough and back down to Peakirk. Come alone or bring your significant others and spend some quality time in the sublime nature.

Please find attached our Eventbrite page link below where you can 'sign up' now!

Summer Day Wellbeing walk Tickets, Sun 14 Aug 2022 at 11:00 | Eventbrite

Finally, a gentle reminder to please park considerately.

Big Green Day

Join John Clare Countryside and other local organisations which are helping to combat climate change at our Big Green Day! There will be loads of people to chat to and lots of different things to discover at Peterborough Museum on the 13th August 2022, 10:00am- 4:00pm.

To find out more, please visit: Big Green Day - Indoor in Peterborough, Peterborough - Visit Peterborough .

To find out about more of our events this summer, please check out: Events | John Clare Countryside

Geocaching Family Day-1/2

JCC are inviting you to join us on the 10th August 2022 for our first Geocaching family event in Helpston- Torpel Cabin on the B1443 heading West out of Helpston village, 150 metres on the left as you leave Helpston towards Bainton village.

The What3Words location is:

cheerily.sulked.definite

We will have PECT staff outside the entrance wearing Hi-Vis jackets to help guide people in.

It begins at 10am until 12:30 pm and we welcome you to join us for a 'bring your own picnic' lunch afterwards.

Please ensure that all participants wear weather appropriate clothing, ie waterproofs, sun cream, hats etc.

We also ask that each family bring one mobile phone or device which they will be able to download the geocaching app onto prior to arrival. This is to ensure that any countryside data/ signal problems are avoided. Please find attached a photograph of the green geocaching icon app which this event requires access to as well as a google earth image of the meeting point car park outlined in yellow.

Please use the link before the time of the event to register your attendance Geocaching Family Day Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Geocaching fun!

This morning the JCC team held their first Geocaching event in Helpston. The sun was shining, and the group enjoyed their circular geocaching route! We can’t share too many secrets, or else we’ll spoil it before our next event on the 24^th of August 2022! Come and read the clues, Children, dogs, friends and family, too!

Please register via our eventbrite https://JCCGeocachingevent.eventbrite.com

Find more of our events this August: Events | John Clare Countryside

Perkins prepares Northborough for planting season!

On the 5^th August 2022, the John Clare Countryside team and Northborough Parish Council hosted a large corporate group from Perkins to make some improvements around the village. Northborough Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan – Northborough Parish Council (northborough-pc.gov.uk)

One of the groups from Perkins focused on clearing a drainage point at Paradise Lane, which occasionally gets flooded. There’s been a large patch of nettles growing there, and whilst nettles have many benefits as they provide a habitat for wildlife - as well as being a staple food source for the caterpillars of least five species of butterflies. Having removed just a few of these nettles, it’s now a good opportunity to increase biodiversity whilst keeping the benefits of still having nettles in and around the area.

The work has created a space for some native wetland species such as meadowsweet, purple loostrife, fleabane, flag iris and water mint to be planted there. These varieties will thrive in these occasionally wet conditions. The other group spent time creating two other areas on Maxey Road for wildflowers to grow, and which will also provide a natural screen for the two areas of concrete that the utilities companies have recently made there. 

In the afternoon the groups joined up together to complete some wildflower meadow maintenance as two species in particular, yarrow and thistle, are extremely competitive and were making it difficult for other wildflower species such as cornflowers and ox-eye daisies - and many other species, to flourish. The team ended a productive day collecting wildflower seeds. This is great as they will be used to create (for free!) the new wildflower area on Maxey Road!

John Clare's Cottage Celebrations

The John Clare Trust purchased John Clare Cottage in 2005. It has been restored using traditional building methods to preserve it for future generations to learn all about John Clare and his life around the village of Helpston. The cottage contains examples of his work and encourages visitors to further explore in the 'footsteps of John Clare' in The Gardens. Home (clarecottage.org)

On Saturday 16th July 2022, John Clare Cottage held over 100 visitors, all whom came to remember the famous poet, John Clare. Resources | John Clare Countryside The visitors enjoyed the warm summers day with tea, coffee and cake and were entertained by local musicians. JCC engaged with many of the visitors and talked about the connections between John Clare's poetry and some of the environmental improvements which are being made to the landscape he would have once known.

BGL improve access at Torpel Way

On the 13th July, members of BGL spent the day with JCC improving access to the Countryside along Torpel Way in Stamford. The team split up into groups to tackle the large area effectively. One of the groups focused on using up the remaining limestone from a previous work party to fill in all of the holes in the footpaths made by burrowing rabbits. The other team cut back overhanging branches that were impeding access along the footpaths.