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CREATED BY:
D C Lumley
Tech Support Supplied By
TJWebdesigns & Computer Services
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Arable Margins
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These are grass 2 or 6 meter wide strips along certain edges of fields, grass species
that are planted are Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata ), Creeping red fescue (
Festuca rubera ) and Timothy ( Pheum pratense ).Their purpose are to provide an
area for animals to live and nest in especially in spring
and early summer.
As these strips become more established then wild flowers are naturally become
established, these in turn provide food for different insects which in turn
provide feed for insect eating birds. The Arable margins are also part of the network of introduced footpaths that we
have put around the farm for walkers to enjoy. Along our Southern boundary
we have placed a series of large tree trunks for walkers to sit on and enjoy the
panoramic views across the Vale of Pickering, it is very easy to imagine
how the valley looked when it was a de-glaciation lake 10,000 years ago.
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The margins along the Northern boundary
are 2 meters and follow along the line of Sherburn Beck which was dug as part of the major
drainage scheme in 1802 when the river Derwent was straightened. All
our fields along this area run in a North South direction to allow open ditches
to flow into this "Drainage cut". Into these open ditches under ground
clay pipes drain the fields of water which rises up in these fields from water
falling on the Yorkshire Wolds. |
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These open ditches are bridged so walkers can pass over them with ease.
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The margins are to increase the wildlife along our farm boundary,
and in the hedge bottoms as well as the drainage ditch sides. Animals
that use these are small mammals, which come out of the hedgerows to eat beetles and insects. Owls
hunting at night, Sparrow Hawks and Kestrels are to be seen to use these as hunting strips hunting for these small mammals
during the day. |
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