DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS News and Visitor Information for the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Free Spring/Summer 2018 Enjoy our Outstanding Landscape and Help Us Care for It Learn about Dark Skies p7, the State of the AONB p9 and Drone Photography p10 d r o f g n i m r o W s l l i H e g d o L , h t a P y e l l a V r u o t S y r u b d u S l l t i a H w s r o e d p a r e a M H t s r a a i a r p F p t u s c a p d e g n n r i a s i e e u l - l r l b c e a l s i w t a a a v o a g b e n i p d i y i r o u t j g f n o e w t s e r e n e e l , e f t d s n n ’ t a u l l s y o u a r V T N y r e n l u i l o a g t V S n i r r k u l e o a v i t S W R Artists and Events Celebrating Volunteering is not all hard Get Outdoors, Explore the AONB See our new walk guides Pages 4, 15 and 16 the River Stour work and no play! Pages 3, 13 and 15 Pages 5, 8, 12 and 14 DEDHAM VALE & STOUR VALLEY NEWS www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org 1 Your AONB Messages from the Chairmen Dates for your Diary Dedham Vale Forum Fundraising Walk of Conference 15 June Dedham Vale 9 June veryone is invited to the Forum n Saturday 9 June Peter Conference on Friday 15 June at Chillingworth, the Mayor Elect of ELamarsh. The day will be a showcase OColchester, and Nigel Chapman, of our outstanding landscape and issues the AONB Chairman, invite you to take for its care, with speakers talking about part in a fundraising walk for the heritage, farming, events, and the work Mayor’s Charities and the Stour Valley of the AONB Project team. Environment Fund. Robert Erith TD DL Cllr Nigel Chapman Sad News for the AONB Chairman, Dedham Vale Chairman, Dedham Vale t has been a difficult time for the AONBs Rachel Penny was the Natural England AONB and Stour Valley AONB and Stour Valley Joint with the passing of several people that have representative on the AONB Partnerships for Partnership Advisory Committee (JAC) Iplayed an important part in our outstanding many years when Natural England was the landscapes. Our thoughts are with their family AONBs main funder. She helped shape the and friends. team through restructures and the work of the ven as the boundary review of the he days are longer and it’s time to AONB Partnership using her extensive Suffolk Coast & Heaths drags on, appreciate the Stour in springtime! Last Jeremey Cohen was a former chair of the knowledge, humour and drive. Rachel’s work Natural England is looking at ways of April I thoroughly enjoyed our E T Dedham Vale Society and long-term member has been acknowledged by many, including the speeding up the process in future. We hope fundraising walk from Bures to Dedham, of the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley team at the National Association for AONBs that its conclusion will be that where there lapping up the seasonal renewal of the Partnership. He played a key part in shaping who recall her support for the AONBs at a is widespread support and no known countryside all along the river. I recommend it the AONB team and the work of the national level and her contribution to opposition, as in the case of the proposed and invite you to join another fundraising Partnership, in particular around planning and outstanding landscapes. extension of the Dedham Vale AONB, the walk and our team-led walks this year, or do- wildlife management. He managed his own time taken for review and designation can it-yourself with our new walking trails! land in a way that contributed to the natural Rosemary Mead was a trustee at Tiger Hill be greatly reduced. There is, of course, an optimism about beauty and special qualities of the area. Nature Reserve, perhaps the best area for nature conservation and landscape in the The Partnership’s annual Forum, open to all springtime and, as I think about various Keith Turner was the first project officer at the whole of the Dedham Vale AONB. Her who apply to be there, will be at Shrubs aspects of life in the Stour Valley, that Dedham Vale AONB and made a huge positive knowledge, warmth and fierce determination Farm barn in Lamarsh on Friday 15 June optimism flourishes. Our Parish Councils and impact with landowners in encouraging them were just a few of her super human starting at 9.30am and finishing with a amenity societies continue to support us to conserve and enhance the area. His characteristics. Her support for wildlife buffet lunch and opportunities for local financially. We received over £4,000 from knowledge of the area, the work of John conservation meant that the Tiger Hill Nature visits in the afternoon. Keynote speakers them to assist the River Stour Enhancement Constable and conservation management has Reserve was always one of the first sites to include David Barker, winner of the national Project that the AONB team is undertaking never been surpassed in the AONB. He left the benefit from AONB projects such as stag beetle Silver Lapwing award for conservation on his with the Environment Agency. This includes Dedham Vale AONB for the National Trust pyramids, hedging designed for dormice and Suffolk farm, and Fiona Cairns, Chair of the the creation of backwaters and the planting where he used his considerable talent to barn owl boxes. Suffolk Preservation Society. Both are of not just the original plan of 1,000 trees but enhance many of the National Trust’s passionately committed to a thriving a phenomenal 5,000 trees, supported by a properties and countryside sites. Simon Amstutz countryside and conservation of our grant from Essex & Suffolk Water. beautiful landscapes. Our volunteers work all the year round, but The Prime Minister launched a major I’m sure the joys of spring put a little Cadent Reduces Visual Impact of initiative called the 25 Year Environment lightness in their step! The Stour Valley Plan in January 2018. This is well worth Volunteers, the Constable Country Volunteer Gas Pipeline Marker Posts reading and contains much positive and Rangers, the four volunteer work placements constructive material including a review of within the Project team and everyone else adent, Britain’s largest gas distribution AONBs, National Parks and other sensitive National Parks and AONBs which may lead who contributes in some way, all deserve our network recently completed work to areas to reflect concerns raised. to more being created. An outline of the thanks for enhancing the valley. Crelocate some existing gas marker posts changes expected in payments to farmers, within the Dedham Vale AONB (Area of Cadent removed 11 white marker posts and which will put more weight on Can I remind you of the Stour Valley Outstanding Natural Beauty). replaced a further three, reduced three AMPs in environmental quality and management, is Environment Fund? This is steadily growing in height, removed or relocated another four set out at length. This will also be a key the capable hands of the Essex Community Cadent, previously known as National Grid Gas AMPs to less conspicuous locations and feature in post-Brexit support from the Foundation and recently made a grant to the Distribution, uses white marker posts and relocated three other AMPs to new locations. Government for farmers and landowners. Eden-Rose Coppice Trust, which provides distinctive white and orange Aerial Marker woodland sanctuaries for those suffering with Posts (AMPs) to mark the route of its high The end result of the project has been to Partnership meetings take place twice a year terminal illnesses. The Fund provides grants pressure underground gas pipes. reduce the visual impact to the AONB and local in the spring and autumn. They are well throughout the valley, in Essex and Suffolk. landscape while still maintaining the safety attended by a wide range of countryside Please consider supporting this with a The posts alert farmers, contractors and the and security of the gas pipelines. organisations as well as the funders, being donation - details from the AONB. public to the pipelines presence and reduce the local authorities and DEFRA. Meetings potential for accidental damage and associated Antony Quarrell, Cadent include reports on AONB activities, work by However, there is one challenge that we safety and gas supply risks. The posts include volunteers and presentations from well- continue to face, the need to ensure our emergency contact details and also serve a known speakers. It is also the place where planning authorities acknowledge the ‘natural secondary purpose in assisting with aerial route key initiatives are launched and decisions beauty and special qualities’ of the AONB inspections, which are carried out by made. In recent years these have included when they determine planning applications. helicopter. the extension of the AONB, Dark Skies policy, We have therefore recently strengthened the signage for AONBs, and opposing team with the appointment of a dedicated Before starting work Cadent held extensive inappropriate developments.