Stung into action!

August 2026

My last visit of the month involved digging out a 'run-off water' gulley, cutting down several dead elm trees behind the fence-line on Spixworth Road and trimming the hawthorn hedge by the lodge car park.

This is another annual task. 

It's looking quite neat don't you think?

September 2026

First job was to finish trimming the hawthorn hedge, as we ran out of time the previous week.

Then on to give the wooden sculptures their second clean & oiling of the year. 

The following week, while Tabby was strimming around Victoria pond, Chris and I had a go at removing some of the duck weed/algae that was covering the pond.

We used an old 'tennis court' net which we threaded a long length of rope through. The idea was to stretch it across the pond to create a sort of boom, slowly dragging it (and the green film) to the edge. This seemed to work reasonably well. 

We then used a fishing net to scoop it out (including some floating bottles and cans). It wasn't as much as we would have liked to have removed, but it was a definite improvement 

 

This is Shaggy Parasol. 

We spotted several of these near the barn owl sculpture whilst carrying out our next task....

....The plan was to 'crown raise' two oak trees to increase the line of sight across the park.

As you can see in this photo, the low branches and scrub obstruct the view beyond the tree.

Armed with loppers and hand saws, we set about removing everything around the base. There were lots of branches, which we dragged into various sections of undergrowth. I then made use of a hedge trimmer to cut back some dense patches of bramble, and Tabby reduced the scrub with a strimmer.

Quite a transformation, wouldn't you say?

The second oak tree was less labour intensive, but still produced a similar improvement.

Autumn is now officially upon us. 

We spent the morning removing fencing around the overgrown 'soil banks' by the lodge car park. They looked a lot smaller once Tabby had gone round with the strimmer! We also tidied up the outgrowth from the picnic area along the adjacent fence-line.

The willow tunnel was looking good in full leaf and new growth. It just needed a bit of a haircut and several clumps of weed removed from the internal 'woodchipped' path.

We've had 'Summer Branch Drop' again this year.

Another large oak has shed one of its limbs. 

With all of the hot dry weather this year, I'm surprised that there hasn't been other casualties (there were three instances last summer).

October 2026

Another warm and sunny day greeted us on the 1st day of the month (gradually climbing to 20°C after a cool start).

We started with a bit more 'crown raising' (one of my favourite tasks), before heading off to the top of the park for some mulching.

First we loaded up a trailerful of woodchip and then began clearing/strimming a young planted bed near the fence-line by the back of the village hall.

Unfortunately, work had to stop shortly after, as Chris disturbed a wasps nest and got stung a couple of times in the process!

Following a break for treatment and refreshments, we decided that only half of the bed could be mulched to avoid the swarm. We did manage to make a start on the next bed along before the day caught up with us.

There's a new team of city college volunteers. They've been clearing a large section of brambles on the edge of the west woods.

Tabby and I were tasked with removing the cuttings. This is not always easy, as the heaps get entangled by the thorns making it difficult to pull apart. We eventually loaded 3 to 4 trailerfuls and transported them to a suitable area for disposal.

The afternoon was spent clearing sweet chestnut husks from the car park, this always gets carpeted. 

Latest news: There's been another oak tree casualty at the park, but not 'Summer Branch Drop'.....

We believe that this was a combination of old age, decay and drought, as the tree has completely uprooted.

Several branches have snapped during the fall.

Well, that's it for now. Hope to catch you in a few weeks time.

Unprecedented!

I've never known a year with so many heat waves. So far, two of my volunteering days have been cancelled due to excessive heat.

July 2026

This month I was involved with the annual pressure-washing of the main gates by the car park. Then we were back to trim and mulch the shrubs in the 'island'. We also cut down a dead box tree, did some 'cutting back' around Victoria pond, and cleared the fence-line along the Spixworth Road entrance.

August 2026

The long dry weather has taken its toll on the meadow grass. It's in such poor condition that it's not suitable to be harvested for hay.

So, Matt has started cutting the meadows using a Topper mower.

As you can imagine, there's been quite a bit of watering. Tabby has used extension hoses to get to the trees in the picnic area.

The hedges in front of the lodge were also given a trim, followed by even more crown raising along the hoggin path.

Then we were up by the Humphry Repton sculpture to cut back bramble and coppice the sycamore behind the bench.

Incredibly, this photo was taken in October 2025, but the sycamore had grown back up similar to the photo below....

 

This photo shows the height of the sycamore in October 2023, a bit higher than on this occasion. However, still an amazing amount of growth in just ten months!

During the sixth heat wave of the year, I was determined not to miss another volunteering day.  The elm plantation just outside the back of the picnic area needed weeding and watering.

Actually, the enclosures were not too overgrown. So, whilst Tabby and Chris carried out the weeding, I concentrated on a bit of 'crown raising' and litter picking in the area.

Unfortunately, you couldn't stay out in the sun for too long as it was quite fierce.

After a break we chose a spot of painting at the back of the workshop/tractor shed. This enabled us to work in the shade.

With the sun moving westward, we were back at the elm plantation to carry out the watering. We hooked up a bowser to the back of the jeep and parked up in shady spot. As access to the enclosures was limited by vehicular means, we managed by filling buckets of water and transporting them by hand.

Hats off to Matt and Tabby who need to work in all weathers, week in and week out.

Finally, some welcome rain has returned.

Now that quite a lot of the meadow has been mowed with the Topper, it was time for a major litter pick to collect up all the once hidden discards. We decided to extend this to the east and  west woods (plus St Faiths Road fence-line) as there is never a shortage of litter there too.

As usual, we were not disappointed 😠.

On a brighter note, I did come across some nice finds.....

This is Giant Blackening Polypore, found close to the spigot mortar base (for those who know where that is).

This is Chicken of the Woods, found sprouting out of a Yew tree.

That's it for now. Look out for my next post in the autumn.

Ducking hell!

It's that time of year when people start ducking and avoiding the low branches along the woodland paths.

We began 'crown raising' in my last post, and I next spent the morning at a spot along the west woods which is a favourite of the Catton Park Runners. No doubt there'll be many more areas to come.

Next, we turned our attention to chopping down some dead elm trees near the 'squirrel sculpture'. 

Firstly, we had to cut back and clear the surrounding vegetation.

We managed to down one of the smaller trees with a pruning saw.

After a cordon was put in place, Matt joined us with his chainsaw to fell the larger ones.

These were then chopped into smaller sections and dragged into the undergrowth behind.

Due to the continuous long dry spells this year, it was necessary to water the parkland trees.

Tabby has spent the last two days going round with the water bowser. 

Unfortunately, even when full, the bowser can only really manage to satisfy 4 trees at a time.

Then it's a trip back to the lodge to refill.

I spent the morning strimming around as many park benches as I could (walking between benches with the heat and the weight of the strimmer soon saps your strength). 

In between refilling the bowser, Tabby and I met up and headed to the entrance at Church Street in order to cut back the encroaching foliage. Tabby with the strimmer and myself using the hedge trimmer (another job off the list!).

Whilst Tabby continued with the watering, I sought as much shade as I could, litter picking and then cutting back further at various places as I happened upon them. 

June 2026

More 'crown raising' and cutting back followed. This time it was along Oak Lane and St Faiths Road.

Dodging showers (made easier by working under the canopy of the trees), we cleared the fence-line from the car park to the start of buttercup meadow....

Absolutely covered in greenfly 😝 (I've been here before!).

St Faiths Road wasn't so bad as there was less sycamore, which the greenfly seem to love. 

Here, we just concentrated on low branches and the worst outgrowth onto the pavement.

It's too long a stretch to include the strimming, raking and sweeping up. Fortunately, it isn't as dense as Oak Lane.

That said, we managed to clear a section from the ring road to the second park gate before the day ran out (good going I'd say for two of us). 

The wet weather and the 'crown raising' continued, we also started a more thorough clearance of the fence-line back on St Faiths Road.

This photo gives you an idea of the intensity....

The vegetation has been cut back by about a metre, and all the leaves have been cleared from the pavement.

This needs to be done every two or three years. 

With the return of much warmer and drier weather, it was decided that some of the parkland trees would benefit from having 'tree bags' fitted.

These bags wrap around the base of the tree and are then zipped up (see sample photo).

The bags are filled through a slot at the top of the liner (usually via a hose), which then slowly releases the water directly onto the roots. 

Some of you may notice that the path through the east woods is a bit clearer. 

Prior to fitting the 'tree bags', we spent the morning cutting back - mainly holly - to widen the route. The shade from the woods was a blessing on this hot and humid day.

More updates in a few weeks.

Blimey, it's May already!

I last visited the willow tunnel in June 2025.

It was time to continue pruning the perpendicular shoots above the tunnel canopy. A bit easier this time without it being in full leaf.

As you can see, it's looking healthy and definitely shaping-up well. I was also able to weave more of the finer shoots into the existing canopy.

Tabby worked on the rest of the tunnel and cleared all grass and weeds along the internal path, plus the load of cuttings from above.

Earlier, we had been feeding dead branches (through the wood chipper) of one of the affected oak trees from last summers 'branch drop phenomenon'. 

Unfortunately, we encountered a hydraulic fuel leakage on the chipper, so were unable to finish clearing.

Replacement parts have been ordered by Matt.

April 2026. 

Just over a year ago, a new woodland project for 'disease resistant' Dutch Elm trees was undertaken. We were back there to check and tidy up the enclosures, adding fresh woodchip.

I must say, the plants were looking quite healthy.

We had also planted a mixture of other woodland species ('whips') at the time, and these were looking good too. 

First heatwave of the year, and it's a balmy 21°C!

This week included more mulching, plus some further ivy removal.

 

Tabby had to wield the strimmer in between the plants as there were large clumps of grass, which were quite dense in places. 

Several of the plastic guards were temporarily removed as the grass was also growing up the middle!

On my next visit (and with the sunny weather continuing), we gave all twelve wooden sculptures their first coating of the year. They receive at least two coats per year to keep them looking shiny and protected. 

This was a day's work for Tabby and myself, as each one needs to be checked, washed and cleaned prior to applying the oil. It takes a while to work the oil into all the crevices and ensure there are no drips.

Looks like Matt will be hiring the 'cherry picker' again. There is a large yew tree in the west woods that needs a bit of surgery. However, before that can happen, we needed to open out a route for access purposes.

The small woodland trail that meets on a bend (and eventually runs behind Victoria pond) was the nearest point of access. Tabby and I cut down several elm trees and cleared away snowberry, bramble etc lining either side of the path.

 

People who regularly use this path may be surprised at the transformation.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a 'before' photo 

The Church Street entrance has had the side gate repaired recently, and a new coat of paint. To even things up, we finished the day cleaning and preparing the other half (watch this space!).

May is usually the start of the growing season, although Tabby has already had the mower out to trim the verges and re-determine the meadow trails.

Anyway, we had a full day of crown raising and cutting back along the trail by the edge of the east woods (funnily enough, an almost repeat of one of my days in May 2025). 

The branches get heavier now that it's full of leaf, flower, seeds etc, so any low hanging branches need to be lopped.

Another productive, back-breaking day but always satisfying.

That's all for now, hope to be back in a few weeks time. 

The essential work continues

February 2026 

I always really enjoy my time at the park. However, helping to maintain this beautiful sanctuary does require a lot of unvaried work (so apologies if my journal sometimes sounds the same).

Now that the bank has been cleared, it was time to plant some hazel.

Matt joined us to chainsaw some of the larger trees close to the fence-line, plus others in the bank which were too big for our pruning saws.

A week later, I was involved in clearing away some recently felled yew trees near to one of the entrances in the east woods. This was a case of dragging the branches into the undergrowth to degrade naturally.

We then spent the afternoon mulching the planted bed that was cleared last month.

The east woodland path had turned into sludge due to all the rain and frequent footfall. We had a really squelchy time clearing back overgrown holly along this route. However, this helped to widen the path making it easier for walkers.

It goes without saying that there are lots of litter picking in between. 

There was more clearing and mulching of planted beds, this time by the Spixworth Road entrance.

Whilst there, we noticed that some of the trees had become encrusted with ivy, so sections of it were removed to halt the spread and kill off the upper reaches.

March 2026

The ornamental wrought iron gates, piers and railings by the South Lodge entrance are a treasured part of Catton Park history. 

Designed by Barnard, Bishop and Barnard of Norwich c1860 (famous for the Norwich Gates of Sandringham Estate), these are annually pressure washed and painted where necessary to keep them looking at their best.

Any damage to these would prove extremely costly (as you can imagine).

Unfortunately, one of the piers has been hit and is currently awaiting repairs.

As you can see, the damaged pier has twisted on impact and needs resetting.

To prevent further problems, it has been necessary to install bollards to keep vehicles from parking too close.

 

There was an interesting change for my next visit....

Matt had volunteered our assistance for a local community project at Swansgate park.

We met with several other volunteers and community members to plant an avenue of trees along the footpaths.

There was a variety of about 22 trees in total, but with our combined effort, all of the planting was completed by lunchtime (despite the strong winds).

It was lovely meeting other dedicated, community spirited people.

Matt, Tabby and myself still had time for a bit of mulching back at Catton Park in the afternoon!

Who knows what I might be doing next time! 

Roll on spring!

January 2026. Some wintry scenes taken on the 6th! 

It was so cold, even the pond froze (including the usual flotsam 😠)....

There's nothing like a good work-out to keep you warm. Clearing planted beds on the edge of the west woods was just what we needed.....

.....you should have seen it before we started! It was covered with bramble, dead goosegrass, etc, etc.

To ease my aching back, Tabby and I followed up with a litter pick, but at just 3°C we were glad to be heading back to the lodge as soon as the sacks had been filled (shame that it's so unsurprising to find all that rubbish every time).

The middle of January was slightly milder but quite damp when we tackled our next assignment. 

The woodland where it meets the fence-line (towards the bottom of St Faiths Road) banks steeply in places. This was becoming overgrown, mainly by young elm, and needed coppicing. 

This was to be the start of a major task as it covers a fairly large expanse. Tabby, Chris and I picked a section and got to work.

The steep terrain coupled with the usual bramble made it difficult to keep a good footing. However, we were pleased with our mornings achievement.

For a change of pace, there was an additional apple tree that needed planting at the back of the orchard by Victoria pond, following a recent donation.

As expected, we continued coppicing elm (managing similar sized section each time), plus a bit more clearing of the planted beds that we started a couple of weeks previously. 

It was certainly a month for cutting back and clearing.

I shall end this post on another 'snow' covered scene....

This time it's a covering of snowdrops, which we came across (whilst tackling some more bramble) amongst our hazel beds on Oak Lane.

That's it for now, hope to be back in a few weeks with further updates.

Winter draw(er)s on!

There was a mixed bag of weather in the last week of November. The cold snap was replaced by some milder days.

It was on one of those days when a bunch of dead trees (situated in the small wooded area by the back of the Hall school) had been earmarked for felling . 

Unfortunately, one of the trees uprooted itself a few days earlier, so it had already been chain-sawed. 

As you can see, it was next to the path.

Matt, Tabby, Chris and myself were all involved. We cordoned off the area before work started.

To help direct the trees as they fell, a rope was attached midway and pulled taut as the chainsaw cut through the trunk. 

All of the smaller branches were then lopped or sawn and dragged into the undergrowth. 

The thicker pieces were cut into logs for transporting back to the lodge.

We still had time to continue coppicing laurel in the east woods. We don't like to rest on our laurels 😄.

December 2025. There was more team work the following week.

Tabby and I began the day by planting a new parkland tree (dedicated to a couple, celebrating 60 years of marriage).

 

Meanwhile, Matt and Chris were putting the finishing touches to a new 'viewing seat', situated at the top end of the park.

Christened by a dodgy looking set of characters!

Having rested, it was off for more coppicing. This time it was willow, quite a bit actually.

The long stems were lopped and tied into bundles, these will be destined for crafting purposes.

We had just enough time for a spot of litter picking. End of another busy day.

It was certainly a month for felling trees. Matt had hired a 'cherry picker' to facilitate chopping down some trees in the west woods.

We followed up the next day clearing away most of the branches. Two more trees (dead elms) were then removed by Oak Lane, near the car park and just behind the fence-line.

We were back there again on my last visit of the year (a bit further down the fence-line). We had the task of clearing overgrown bramble and vines, which had completely covered the fence. This was quite thick in places, and I think we were winning.....

   .....until the weather had its say and brought the day's proceedings to a premature end.   

  

Anyway, it just remains for me to say (including a rather damp Humphry) .....Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

Hope you will join me for more updates in 2026.