Country Diary: A Walk Through Memory and Conservation in Woolton Hill
Thirty years after the impassioned road protests, the Newbury bypass now soars above the old railway embankment in Woolton Hill, Hampshire. For the author, who was part of the campaign against it, acceptance remains elusive. Yet, on a walk through The Chase, a nature reserve adjacent to the bypass, the roar of traffic fades into a background hum, softened by layers of cherished memories built over decades.
Conservation Grazing and Shared Histories
Many of these memories involve Sarah, a dear friend who volunteers as a "cow watcher" for the National Trust. Together, they check on a small herd of Shetland cows, which serve as conservation grazers. These hardy animals, with their upswept horns, help manage coarser scrub, spread seeds, and create poached areas, thereby encouraging greater biodiversity and diverse plant life in the reserve.
The reserve itself has a rich history: once common land with a sheepwash and blanket mill that gave Woolton Hill its name, it was enclosed for hunting in 1819 and later became a National Trust property in 1944. It has also been a personal playground for the author, evoking memories of the great storms of 1987 and 1990, which left trees scattered like spilled pencils, and more recent felling due to the Newbury bypass construction.
Recollections of Activism and Natural Wonders
Sarah and the author recall darker times too, such as devastating sewage spills that killed invertebrates, fish, lampreys, and native crayfish. Yet, brighter moments abound: bringing their children here, losing boots in streams, enjoying "welly walks" with grandparents, and observing wildlife like great spotted woodpecker chicks fledging from a Corsican pine, waiting for otters in the alder carr, and following silver-washed fritillary butterflies.
Using a tracking app via a collar on Colchis, one of the six Shetland cows, Sarah monitors the herd's whereabouts. During their visit, they wade across a stream to find the cows grazing peacefully among wild daffodils and golden saxifrages, a serene scene that contrasts with past activism.
A Humorous Conclusion to the Day
After completing their circuit, the friends agree to meet at a garden centre cafe. However, due to a bout of brain fog, the author mistakenly heads to a pub instead. Eventually arriving at the garden centre, they follow the zigzag trails of peaty-black mud from Sarah's boots across the polished cafe floor. Apologising, the author adds their own muddy footprints, mixed with a little jus of cow muck, bringing a light-hearted end to a day filled with reflection and conservation efforts.
