It was the antlers that first caught Jasmine Shiner’s eye as she walked down Okeford Hill. Creeping closer, she waited patiently and focused her camera, getting an incredibly magnificent photo of a stag in a cornfield. The picture is one of several photos displayed as a small exhibition in Scruples Cafe, Blandford Forum.
Image by: Jasmine Shiner
She puts her beautiful kingfisher photo down to luck. “I was down by the River Stour in Blandford Forum and I spotted the kingfisher having a rest on one of the bramble bushes and I managed to get that perfect shot. I then took many more as it darted back and forth up the river for another couple hours or so. I’ve been waiting for a shot like that for years since I started photography.”
Image by: Jasmine Shiner
Jasmine, 25, lives in Okeford Fitzpaine and has always been keen on photography, inspired by walks with her family, looking out for wildlife and learning about them from her dad. It’s also the unknown factor that drives her.
Image by: Jasmine Shiner
“What I love most about photography is the excitement of never knowing what you’re going to come across and capture, and then getting that amazing shot and doing that little dance of joy. Sometimes you’ve gotta take hundreds of pictures just to get that perfect one! “
In search of the ley lines in Dorset. The early morning mist rises on Hambledon Hill, revealing the spectacular Blackmore Vale below it. It is the perfect time for walking before the heat of the day arrives. Treading through the uneven ground and ancient ridges, it is easy to imagine others taking the same route thousands of years ago. But there’s something more about the hill with its magnificent ridges and views that runs deeper than time itself.
image by: Laura Hitchcock
Hambledon Hill is one of several places in Dorset sitting on a Ley line. There are hundreds of them all over the world linking landmarks from the Pyramids of Giza to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A century ago in 1921, Alfred Watkins was standing at a viewpoint in Herefordshire and noticed how certain hills and settlements appeared to run in a straight line. He went on to write The Old Straight Track in 1925 detailing his thoughts on Leys. But what exactly are they?
A Ley line is a straight route across the landscape, generally invisible to the naked eye, but one that connects landmarks together. Trees, ponds, church spires, cathedrals, castle mottes, and standing stones are examples of features on Ley lines. Alfred Watkins saw them as prehistoric trading routes or navigational markers. Once the concept emerged, they fuelled the public imagination around mystical things in particular. It wasn’t long before druids and other spiritual believers saw them as powerful energy lines. Many scientists dismissed Watkins’ theory, stating the lines were purely coincidental and completely unconnected with the spiritual ways of life.
North Dorset’s Ley Lines
It’s no secret that the Blackmore Vale is one of the best places to live but the area is full of Ley lines criss-crossing he landscape.
Hambledon Hill, once a neolithic burial site and Iron Age Hillfort, has several Ley lines traversing it. It is one of the six apex points connecting the mystical Wessex Astrum to Stonehenge, Avebury, and Glastonbury. Stand at the top of the hill, and several landmarks are in alignment from Hod Hill to churches. Child Okeford is also reputed to be at the centre of several Leys, in its position at the foot of Hambledon Hill.
Considered one of Britain’s largest neolithic sites, the Dorset Cursus is an ancient processional route running six miles in length along two parallel tracks on Cranborne Chase. Although there are a few neolithic barrows left in place today, it can still be walked. The Cursus is aligned to Ley lines and also with views of the winter solstice (see more of the archaelogy from the area surrounding the Dorset Cursus in Martin Green, the most professional amateur, The BV Sep 22)
Close by is the neolithic henge complex at Knowlton, famed for its Norman church inside the ancient structure. There was quite a community here in medieval times but the village was decimated by plague in the 15th century and abandoned. Several Leys run through the henge and it is believed to be one of the most atmospheric and haunted places in Dorset. What drew believers of different faiths to the area across the ages? Was it the views of the equinox sunrise from the nearby Great Barrow or an unseen energy of aligned places? Or, was there some deep sense of spirituality here?
There are all kinds of theories surrounding the Cerne Abbas Giant, but the hill above the iconic landmark is on a Ley line. In the village itself a sacred spring and the church is also aligned with the Ley. The Cerne Abbas Ley runs seven miles cross country to Holwell and to St Laurence’s Church in the tiny parish, named after a holy well.
Coincidental places or deep spiritual energy? Whatever your thoughts on the Ley lines and their connections, there’s one thing for sure. These lines are among some of Dorset’s most beautiful places and a good excuse for getting out and about and appreciating more of the county.
Who can fail to be inspired by the fluffy white face of a barn owl or the sight of these magnificent birds out hunting for prey? Although owls are formidable looking creatures, the environment they need to survive is actually a fragile one. It takes a lot to create the optimal conditions needed for barn owls to settle in a place and breed. The pair at Bere Marsh had been there for 20 years but never bred owlets. So what happened that made a difference?
Image by: Alan Wicks Photography
Last year, the Countryside Restoration Trust launched an appeal to fund £30,000 worth of repairs to the roof of a tumbledown Victorian barn at Bere Marsh Farm in Shillingstone which was threatening to collapse and force the owls out of their home. Many local people supported the initiative – North Dorset loves good conservation projects and wildlife. As the money flowed in, the barn was duly restored in three weeks by local roofers, so the owls had shelter and crucially, somewhere to nest.
Bere Marsh has volunteers working with its conservation programme run by the CRT. Photographer Alan “Woody” Wicks volunteers at Bere Marsh and took a special interest in the owls. He has dedicated time to tracking and filming these beautiful birds and is an expert on the subject. His amazing photos and videos are a testament to capturing these moments when the barn owls have been active, and is an insightful appreciation of their beauty. But it was what he did inside the barn with his expertise of barn owl habitats that made a massive difference to what happened next.
Image by: Alan Wicks Photography
Once the Countryside Restoration Trust decided to give over the whole of the Victorian Barn to the barn owls, Alan set about building a “magnet” for rodents like mice, voles, and rats with hay bales, branches, spent grain, and even leftover sandwiches inside the barn. The rodents duly arrived for the party. Now the birds had a ready made larder they settled, and crucially, had a food store in wet and stormy weather when it was impossible to hunt as a barn owl’s wings are not waterproofed. With parent owls assured of food, their babies grew healthy quickly.
Image by: Alan Wicks Photography
The baby owls now had an environment where they could learn to hunt, watched by mum and dad from the perch above them- as well as developing their flying skills. They have grown quickly into healthy youngsters with adept flying and hunting abilities- vital for survival. The support provided to nurture the family are a major reason why the youngsters have developed so quickly into healthy owls and flown the nest already.
Image by: Alan Wicks Photography
The CRT says that up to 85 per cent of the barn owl population now live in nesting boxes, so to have a traditional barn dedicated to these exquisite birds is an authentic means of encouraging more wildlife to the local countryside in the Blackmore Vale. And with the expertise of people like Alan and the team at Bere Marsh, we can look forward to hearing more conservation success stories.
THIS POSITION HAS NOW BEEN FILLED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.
Oil Tank Fitter / Groundworker job
Location Stalbridge – DT10 2RU
Up to £24,500 per annum plus overtime depending on experience and qualifications
Immediate Start Available – full details and how to apply below
The successful applicant will be an energetic, hard working person with a full clean driving licence and friendly approachable attitude. Ideally you will be experienced as a groundworker but not essential. An OFTEC qualification would also be a great advantage but the company is willing to fund this training for the right person.
The role will be a real mix between ground working and technical so it is ideal for someone who enjoys a physical job but is looking to progress and develop new knowledge and skills.
In return we will offer a competitive salary, great development opportunities, full training, development opportunities, company pension, 28 days holiday (including bank holidays), Cycle2Work scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, Eyecare Scheme and Retail Discounts.
Job responsibilities
You will be responsible for carrying out installation and maintenance of oil tanks and associated equipment, including emergency call outs for failed or leaking oil tanks. The job holder must hold the relevant OFTEC certification (or be prepared to train for this).
·Preparing Groundworks and bases for oil tanks
·Installing oil tanks and associated equipment
·Connecting oil lines between the oil tank and the appliance
·Pressure testing of oil lines
·Removing fuel from oil tanks
·Setting up temporary tanks
·Installing gauges, filters, pumps and other ancillary equipment
·Perform water checks and remove water from oil storage tanks
·Filtering fuel to remove debris
·Delivering of oil tanks and associated equipment
·Decommissioning and transporting of old tanks for disposal
·Testing repaired systems to verify that functionality has been restored
·Report defective and dangerous systems to your line manager
·Complete company paperwork in full and return to the office in a timely manner
·Ensure that all work is carried out to specification, to the quality standards set by the business, and ensuring that all work complies to OFTEC and building regulations where applicable
·Ensure that all work is carried out safely, and that any accidents or near misses are reported to your line manager
·To work with the office to ensure that all parts and equipment are available to each job
·Ensure vehicles are kept in a clean and roadworthy condition, that regular checks are undertaken, and repairs carried out in a timely fashion
·To communicate regularly with the office, your line manager and customers as appropriate
·Monitor the stock of parts and equipment kept on your allocated vehicle
·Ensure that all tools and equipment used is fit for purpose and has received the relevant safety and maintenance checks
·To follow Company procedures at all times
·Keeping your vehicle in a clean and presentable condition
