Upper and Lower Dicker Village News

THURSDAY COFFEE MORNINGS for Upper Dicker are held at The Plough, Coldharbour Road, just beyond Bedes and are open to anyone who would like to join other villagers for a coffee and chat. Meet from 10.30am.

 BATES GREEN FARM HISTORY continues as relayed by owner, John McCutchan MBE: In 1923 my father rented Bates Green, including Beatons Wood, from Colonel Gwynne of Folkington Manor for £65 per annum. In 1925 Col. Gwynne had to put the Michelham Priory Estate up for sale and my father bought Bates Green. It comprised a six-roomed cottage with an outside privy, a thatched cowstall and 56 acres, which included 23 acres of Beatons Wood, all for £900.

I remember that pigs were kept in a large, fenced area on the south side of Beatons Wood, with pig arks giving protection to the sows when farrowing, and for feeding they had to travel down to where the compost area of Bates Green Garden is now situated, hence the original name of the Wildflower Meadow was always the Pig Field. There are few oak trees in this area, as many were ring-barked by the pigs, I presume when there were few bramble roots for them to unearth. In those days the only form of heating was wood, so each year around one acre of the hornbeam underwood was cut, the ideal management plan for an ancient wood. I distinctly remember picnicking in this Wood with my mother, brother and sister and enjoying the abundance of wild strawberries, which have long since disappeared, even though I tried unsuccessfully to reintroduce them.

In 1946 my father was allowed to sell 100 of the oldest oak trees, so a forester and his son brought their caravan and stayed for many months, as there were no chain saws then, so all had to be cut with a two-person crosscut saw that had to be repeatedly sharpened.

Suddenly losing these large oak canopies allowed the ingress of brambles in the open spaces, which have been the bane of my life since Beatons Wood was opened for the Bluebell Walk.

It is amazing how what seem to be minor management decisions have long-lasting results. I started farming here with my brother in 1959 and, having a small sheep flock, we felt it sensible to make good use of this 23-acre block of land.

Erecting a simple fence round the circumference meant we could overwinter the rams, leaving them to browse the brambles. Little did we notice that the then multitude of primrose plants produced their leaves in early spring, tasty morsels for the rams, hence their sparse presence now. Before the Lower Pond existed, there was an area of sandy soil, and the large deep hole nearby was an ancient saw pit so, not realizing its significance, we had it filled in. There were many sweet chestnut stools, planted for their long life as fencing material. I remember our father used to select the straightest to use for fencing, but failed to cut the overhanging hornbeam coppice, so many chestnut stools died out from lack of light. When I was a young teenager trying to build my muscles, I had great fun helping my mother with bonfires by burning all the roots I could carry in the mistaken belief we were tidying the Wood. With no thought of the unique habitats, we were destroying it.

 BLUEBELL ROOTS NIGHTS RETURN and hosts Jim and Josie Tipler “thank you for all the support and words of encouragement you have all given us over the past 10. years.” They are delighted to announce that they are returning to put on monthly events in 2027. Each first Sunday of the month (final dates to be confirmed) expect either a regular Bluebell Roots night with a meal and a guest performer or, new for 2027, a Singers Night with guest hosts.

More details. of everything to come soon. If you’d like to join the WhatsApp group for event announcements, send a message to 07980 892072.