Big John's News Page

5th May
THE BLUEBELLS in Abthorpe’s Bucknells Wood are absolutely stunning this year. Glade after glade in this Forestry Commission ancient woodland are carpeted almost as far as the eye can see with the familiar much loved vibrant blue flowers. In the warm sunshine the bluebells’ intense scent heralds the arrival of summer. An anonymous cuckoo’s call completes this wondrous attack on the senses. Visitors wishing to see this typical English scene must hurry as within a week or so the bluebells will be past their best. Now that the Forestry Commission has closed the visitors’ car park on the Silverstone village side of the wood, drivers must take their chance of finding a parking space alongside the road if they wish to explore Bucknells from that side. Far better, if they have a couple of hours to spare, to experience the wood from the Abthorpe side. Park at the pub or by the church and then walk up Brackley Lane until the houses give way to countryside. About 200 metres after negotiating the second set of gates across this ancient unpaved byway, veer left over the stile into Bucknell’s Wood where the bluebells’ magnificent show begins. Make sure you wear your wellies as many of the paths are still muddy from the winter’s rain. But hurry as within a few days this miraculous display by Mother Nature will be over for yet another year.

23rd April
Ian Morgan, the Assistant Scout Leader at Greens Norton is furious! He regularly takes his scouts to Bucknells Wood, a large Forestry Commission site totally within Abthorpe Parish, for field craft and adventure exercises. Ian has recently noticed a small A4 poster affixed to the entrance to Bucknells Wood car park that states that with effect from 1^st May 2008 the car park will be closed due to a short fall in funding.

The unpaved approach road and the car park itself are in a poor state of repair with many pot holes. Ian states that if someone puts up the money for a load of gravel, he feels sure that he could get enough scouts together to repair it at minimal cost. Ian, who is well known as a partner at Towcester’s Paynes Nursery,  believes that with our Government pushing for youngsters to have more exercise in the fresh air, it seems ridiculous that another government department The Forestry Commission is effectively preventing many people, including youngsters, from visiting Bucknells Wood.

The Clerk to the Abthorpe Parish Council has explained that although Bucknells Wood is totally within her Parish, she has not received notification from the Forestry Commission about the imminent closure of the road to the car park.

Bucknells Wood, the Forestry Commission states on its web site, is a delightful ancient woodland with a pleasant mix of semi-natural broadleaf woodland and conifer plantations. The small car park, accessible from the Abthorpe to Silverstone Road , allows visitors to park safely away from through traffic. There are delightful picnic and play areas close to the car park. The wood teems with traditional woodland birds such as woodcock, turtle doves, barn and tawny owls plus all three varieties of woodpeckers. It is home to both muntjac and roe deer as well as snakes and slow worms. It is truly a wonderful national asset and many people believe that for the Forestry Commission to effectively prevent visitors enjoying Bucknells Wood is outrageous. It is very well used by walkers and riders of both horses and mountain bikes – many of whom arrive by road and use the car park.

Kevin Stannard the Commission’s Forest Management Director for the Northamptonshire Area was not available for comment. 

22nd April
“Always plant your potatoes on Good Friday,” was something my Grandfather told me when I was very young. An undereducated farm worker all his life, he was nevertheless highly intelligent and a fount of country wisdom. I’ve tried to follow his instructions ever since. But this year as Easter Day was almost the earliest it can be, Good Friday fell on 21^st March – surely too early to plant potatoes? If I had planted them then they would have sprouted and would almost certainly have been nobbled by Jack Frost. So we planted them a month later and are hoping for the best. Today, 22^nd April, we were busily erecting cane pyramids to support runner and climbing French beans when the call of a cuckoo startled us. We couldn’t see this harbinger of summer, but it must have been very close as its call was loud and very clear in the warm sunshine. Although the RSPB states that cuckoos arrive in this country as early as the end of March this was the first we’d heard. This really is a wonderful time of the year in Abthorpe with myriads of daffodils lingering in bloom and the golds and yellows of celandines, cowslips and primulas acting like beacons in the garden. This year the plum, cherry and pear blossom is spectacular and as there are plenty of bumble bees around, a good crop of fruit seems likely. The apple blossom is just beginning to burst and if there are no late frosts we could be in for a bumper year. Isn’t it a lovely thought that after six somewhat dreary winter months, we have the six summer months to look forward to?

[ Home ] [ Notice Board ] [ Parish Council ] [ News ] [ The Church ] [ Fabric Appeal ] [ Sport & Leisure ] [ Broadband ] [ Businesses ]