Millennium Spinney Restoration Update

Taken from the Gayton News – Summer 2020 Edition

In the last issue of the Gayton News, I wrote about the planned restoration of the Millennium Spinney, the work that had been done between December and February and the further improvements that were planned. Shortly after I wrote that article a large spanner was thrown into the works, in the form of the Coronovirus lockdown. All activity was suspended and nothing was done for several weeks. Work resumed around the end of May led by John Upson and a small group of volunteers, respecting social distancing of course.

Several work sessions have been organised during June with a larger group of volunteers and the ‘Chain Gang’ in particular, have toiled away heroically, pruning, strimming, clearing away the undergrowth and disposing of the debris. Piles of wood chips have been deposited by local tree surgeon Colin Ellis, and the volunteers, using barrows, shovels and rakes, have spread them along two sides of the perimeter, the back and the Blisworth Road edge. So, there is now a clear easy to walk path all the way round. Two new bench seats have been installed – generously donated by John and Diane Upson – along with several tree trunk seats. A mechanical digger, supplied by Martin Church has dug out the overgrown hedge along the Back Lane and Blisworth Road perimeter and the freshly cleared ground has been prepared for the sowing of wild flowers and planting of bulbs. Martin has also installed two new gate posts and will refit the gate. New fencing is being ordered to close the gap between the gate posts and hedge, so the whole entrance area will have been renovated. Next to the seats, a framework for a den or playhouse has been nailed to the trees and there are piles of pruned branches for children to use as building material.

An imposing two-sided signboard has been erected at the entrance. The front panel features a beautiful original painting of a woodland scene by Gayton artist Judy Hamilton. The back panel tells the story of the Millennium Spinney from conception in 1999 to restoration in 2020. It was designed by Jenny Chapman (née Steer) using words and pictures supplied and mostly taken by myself over 20 years – the two 1999 planting pictures were taken by Rod Poxon and the final February 2020 one by Manja Ronne. The board itself is a splendid piece of carpentry designed and built by Dave Roe. A brilliant team effort and a stunning result. Pictures do not do it justice. It needs to be seen and examined up close.

There is still more to be done, but in the meantime it’s good to note that more Gaytonians of all ages are visiting the Spinney and using it as a place to walk, relax and play – just as was intended by the Millennium Committee that conceived the idea of the Spinney at the end of the last century.
Barry Steer