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Friends of The Harnham Water Meadows - News
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New Commitee Member
New Addition to Rose Cottage Garden
In Memoriam
Award for The Harnham Water Meadows
Recent pictures by Kris Jendersen
Open Day and Book Launch at Rose Cottage
New funding for the Water Meadows
New Fencing on Town Path
Photographs from David Noton
Work from Wildlife Photographers
New Commitee Member
We are delighted to welcome Jennifer Cowan (Michael Cowan’s widow) onto the Friends Committee, where she will make a significant contribution.
New Addition to Rose Cottage Garden
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We have an addition to the garden - a beautiful bird bath created for us by a well-known sculptor. This is being given to us by Charles Villiers, in memory of his wife Clare (who took the photograph of a Kingfisher feeding its young that is one of our notecards), and we are extremely grateful for this wonderful gift.
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In Memoriam
Sadly we have to report the death, on July 23rd, of Michael Cowan. His knowledge has been of inestimable value to us - he wrote the authorative Monograph on ‘Floated Water Meadows’, he part wrote our new History, and he contributed many learned, fascinating, informative and amusing Articles for our Newsletter. For many years he also served on the Friends Committee, contributing much sound advice and many interesting ideas. His funeral took place on August 5th and was attended by Trustees and Friends. Typically, having suffered for 7 years from a brain tumour, he donated his brain to science.
He will be sadly missed by us all.
Award for The Harnham Water Meadows
The Trust has received an award from the Association of Industrial Archaeologists (AIA), a prestigious national organisation. Their members voted to present the Initiative Award to us because they considered us to be a group that has taken on a challenging task in an innovative manner.
We have been commended for being 'a really enthusiastic group managing a priceless asset for the City of Salisbury', and 'a good presentation to our group - physical signs of active work by volunteers and strong on public education.'
On 26th August industrial archaeologists converged on Salisbury from all over the country and it was a |
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a privilege to show everybody around. AIA promotes the study, preservation and presentation of Britain's industrial heritage. The historically important Harnham Water Meadows are a famous example of a meadow irrigation system dating from between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries and contains many features of interest to water management from a time when water meadows made a major contribution to the agricultural economy of Wessex. We are especially appreciative to Michael Cowan for organising such a successful visit.'
Click here to read the letter from the AIA
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Recent pictures by Kris Jendersen
Open Day and Book Launch at Rose Cottage
On an uncharacteristically sunny day for this year, the Friends of Harnham Water Meadows Trust held its autumn Open Day on Sunday 14th September 2008 at Rose Cottage. This was the occasion to launch our new history of the meadows and it was supported by Lord Marland (Chairman of the Trustees), Robert Key (MP for Salisbury), Cllr Iris Evans (Mayor of New Sarum) and the mayoress, and The Very Rev'd June Osborne (Dean of Salisbury and a Trustee). There were two well supported guided walks on the meadows as well as refreshments and opportunities to meet people concerned with the Trust. |
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In addition to the above, I would like to thank Dr John Chandler of Hobnob Press for his care in publishing the volume, Miss Jennifer Bowen (Chairman of the Friends HWMT) for her support during its writing and production, Michael Cowan and Tim Tatton-Brown, my co-authors, and all who came and helped to make such a successful day.
The Harnham Water Meadows by Hadrian Cook, Michael Cowan and Tim Tatton-Brown is published by Hobnob Press, Salisbury (2008) ISBN 9 780946 418732. It is available in local bookshops and through the Friends at £5.95. |
Click here to view media coverage of the book launch
Hadrian Cook
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New funding arrangements for the water meadows
As from 1st August 2008, the Harnham Water Meadows will be enrolled in the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Scheme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This is an extremely important development for the Harnham Water Meadows Trust because better funding will enable us to improve infrastructure (including hatch restoration, pollarding, boundary restoration and ditching), and also modify grazing management.
To achieve this, the Trust required approval of its Farm Environmental Plan submitted to Natural England. HLS recognizes the complexity and value of the historic landscape of the Harnham Water Meadows and enrollment is valid for 10 years. On behalf of the Trust, I would like to thank Robert Lloyd and Dr Kathy Stearne of Natural England, Louise Stratton of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and Sholto Moger from Strutt and Parker who helped the Trust prepare its application.
Hadrian Cook
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New fencing on Town path
Most of you will be aware that new fencing has finally been installed by the Long Bridge and at the Harnham end - and very nice it looks too!
Brian Dalton reports on further work:
The County Council have now agreed that they will replace all the lighting across Town Path. All the lamp posts will be replaced with new ones, with more of them. There will be in-keeping columns around the Old Mill area. This is something that I have requested right from the beginning and I am delighted that this is now going to be done.
Resurfacing works were due to start in early January, but are likely to be delayed again as the lighting work will have to be done first before any resurfacing works.
All the benches will be replaced too, with more of them, along with new and more litter bins.
WCC may have to apply for a closing order, which will enable them to close the path, I am advised, during non-peak times. Although this may inconvenience some users for a while, it will enable contractors to speed up the works and get it done quicker.
Well done to all who have campaigned on this issue and written to the County Council.
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Photographs from David Noton (c)Britainonview/DavidNoton
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Fruits of work from Wildlife Photographers
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