The art of dry stone walling: master craftsman Tom Trouton talks to Tracie Beardsley about finding a stone’s timeless connection to the landscape
All images: Tom Trouton
Tom Trouton tells me his head is “full”. And how! It’s impossible not to be captivated by his passion for his craft, his knowledge of geology and his deep love of the landscape. We meet at his house in Castle Cary – a lockdown project to keep both his head and skilful hands occupied. He’s transformed a modest 1960s bungalow into a stunning dry stone clad home within a walled garden now jam-packed with tropical plants. It’s soon clear that the melodic noise of a hammer ringing on stone – a ‘tchock, tchock’ sound that Tom mimics perfectly – has been the soundtrack to his life since childhood. ‘I grew up on Exmoor, always outdoors playing,’ he says. ‘When I was about ten, I decided to build a den. I borrowed my father’s pickaxe and hammer to cut through some stone to make a pathway. But what to do with all the stone? I stacked it up … and that was my first dry stone wall. It was tiny, but as a kid I thought I’d built Hadrian’s Wall!’ He still owns the hammer he used that day. Family photo albums show him as a little boy holding stones – Tom would spend hours watching the “old boys” on Exmoor patiently building walls with no mortar. ‘I’d spend my summer holidays patching up holes and learning the techniques from these real old characters.’
right: Master stone craftsman Tom Trouton
He met Heather, his wife of 28n years, on a blind date. He moved to south Somerset where he was a postie in the morning and in the afternoons he gardened and walled. He also worked in a local quarry where he met another great mentor. ‘The quarry owner, Brian Trevis, was an amazing man. He taught me so much about the local stone. Geologically, there’s lots of different stone in this area; Shaftesbury Green, Cary Stone, Ham, Blue Lias … local to North Dorset is my favourite, Forest Marble.’
A wildflower meadow thriving within the microclimate of a walled garden
In 2005, Tom set up his own landscaping business. One of his first jobs was in Jersey, at a mansion formerly belonging to the island’s chief minister. He was tasked with creating hundreds of metres of walls … and building an amphitheatre. The massive undertaking involved three quarters of a million tonnes of soil and rock that had to be sorted. It was here his stepson Liam was trained by Tom, learning his craft on one of the ‘hardest stones to work with’. ‘He’s an absolute natural,’ says Tom proudly. Liam is now a partner in the business, and Tom’s son Joseph, also a talented waller, works with him too. And business is booming. ‘I had 19 people working for me at one stage earlier this year. I didn’t enjoy that. I feel a responsibility to my team – at heart I’m not a businessman, I’m a craftsman.’ Being his own severest critic, perfectionist Tom trains everyone who works with him. ‘A lot of people think they can wall, but they can’t. It’s a fluid process. You’ve got to be guided by the stone. I visualise exactly what I‘m looking for, then read the stones I’ve got and see how they can come together.’
Up the apples and pears …
Stone apples It was a quote for just one wall that led Tom to his most prestigious client – The Newt in Somerset. He’s now been working for the private country estate and exclusive hotel for nine years. ‘A branch had fallen off an oak tree and The Newt’s owner, Koos Bekker, asked me to incorporate it into a dry stone wall. Spectacular! After that, I was asked to create stone sheep using iron-shot Sherborne stone, making their black heads with Mendip stone. Some people will look at them and see sheep. Some will just see rocks!’ And what gift to give a multi-millionaire client? ‘I‘d been working at The Newt for four years and thought the project was coming to end. I’d always fancied having a go at stone sculpture, and the theme of The Newt is apples. I used a template of an actual apple from my own garden, and I created a stone apple. My nephew Alex had the idea to make it look like someone had taken a bite out of it. Koos loved it!’
Tom Trouton resting on one of his stone sheep, made with honey-coloured Sherborne stone, with black heads of Mendip stone
Tom may not (yet) have got his wished-for commission to build another stone apple for Apple HQ in California, but that first one led to many more – along with acorns, cherries, pears, trees and waves. ‘A Cockney lady asked me to create apples and pears for her enormous landscaped garden staircase as a nod to the Cockney rhyming slang!’ He’s also immensely proud of his own Stonehenge-style creation. In conjunction with the Arts Development Council, Tom helped build the Black Down Stone Circle near Hardy’s Monument. Five “totems” built from local Forest Marble stone are perfectly aligned, one with true north and the other four with the midwinter and midsummer solstice sunrises and sunsets. In clear conditions, the Sun’s full disc shines through an opening in one of the totems, lighting up a central rock of Portland stone. ‘It was a real challenge, but so incredible when I witnessed it working perfectly.’ Tom is proud to give what he calls ‘comfort to the landscape’: ‘I aim to create walls that complement the land they are to reside in. I turn up at a job and there’s just a pile of stones. That is traditional dry stone walling. You use what is lying around – part of the environment – and you rearrange it to form a boundary that blends with the existing backdrop. ‘It’s always an incredible honour to rebuild a wall which you know someone worked on hundreds of years ago. Hands from the past touched the stones the exact same way you are.’ With such a busy head, Tom admits he finds it hard switching off from work. ‘I love what I do. I’ll never retire.’ When he relaxes he goes wild swimming – but he doesn’t take a dip in a river. He swims in an old quarry, surrounded by more inspiration to fill his head.
Summer solstice at the Blackdown Solar Circle. Tom Trouton built five totems from local Forest Marble, all perfectly aligned: one true north and the other four with the sunrises and sunsets of the two solstices
You can see Tom in action at The Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th August,where he’ll be creating a memorial stone sheep wall to celebrate the Show’s 30th anniversary at Turnpike Showground.
If you’re going to the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show this month, don’t forget to stop by the church tent. A reliable fixture at every show, it’s a refreshment marquee run by the Church of England in Gillingham, Shaftesbury and Stour Vale. The theme for this year is ‘The church is the place for life events’ – try out the photoboard to see how you would look as the bride and groom. It will show the happy couple in one of the 18 local churches – and you can have a look at the map to see the nearest church to you. All profits are shared among selected rural community charities. Once again, the church tent are keeping their prices the same – £2 for filter coffee or a mug of tea and £2 for a slice of homemade cake. They’re brewing up from 8.30am to 6pm each day and their tent offers a warm welcome – and the chance to have a sit down!
‘My father began the Berlin Airlift.* It was actually his idea.’ As interview openers go, it’s unexpected. But I have been sitting in photographer Charlie Waite’s studio – his mill house is just outside Gillingham – for less than ten minutes, and I am already feeling it’s going to be a lovely afternoon. Charlie greeted me in the lane outside his house with a broad smile and a broader hug – we had never met before, but the warmth from this gently-spoken man made us instant friends. I settled back into the depths of the sofa, surrounded by the detritus of a lifetime of photography: walls hidden by stacks of frames below a gallery of hung photographs, half-packed boxes of books, large work-desks stacked with prints, chairs overflowing with files and paperwork. The studio overlooks the millpond below the house, and a wall of French doors let light flood in. As we talk, I am constantly distracted by the squirrels cheerfully swaggering about on the deck outside, and the endless flurry of wings as birds stop by at the numerous feeders.
Charlie Waite
‘My parents were in Berlin at the end of 1948,’ Charlie continues. ‘My mother left Berlin to have me in London. Meanwhile, my father was putting the finishing touches to the airlift – which he hardly ever talked about. It was this massive achievement … had it not happened, there could have been a third world war. And my father never discussed it. If we asked him what he did, he’d say “Oh, just after the war, something called the airlift. ‘Anyway. I’ll go and feed the geese …” and that would be that.’ Charlie’s photography is instantly recognisable. His style is perhaps a natural result of his theatrical roots, every image a scene patiently crafted, a set design where light and shadow are carefully composed to balance and expose. There is an essence of deep stillness which pours from every frame, as Charlie finds the quiet beauty in even the stormiest of scenes. As one of the world’s leading landscape photographers, Charlie’s career has included solo exhibitions at top venues in the UK, the USA and Japan and countless awards. He is sought-after as a speaker, frequently invited to share his insights on landscape photography all over the world. ‘That’s all very well now, but I was really bad at school … HATED school. I was mercilessly bullied by other boys and I was useless at sports. I could not understand them – even less today. I’m sorry world, but football and rugby leave me completely bewildered. I was beaten by the headmaster for playing football, actually – he was Scots: “You’ll no play with a round ball in my school. It’s rrrrrrrugby, and only rrrugby!”. ‘I left school at 16 and went to a tutor in Devon, an amazing guy called Eric Siepmann, whose wife Mary [Wesley] went on to write The Camomile Lawn and became a huge success. It was the late 60s, and Eric also beat me – once for fraternising with a local girl in Ashburton, on the banks of the Dart. That was the punishment – pull your pants down, you got beaten. It was pretty tough. Awful, actually.’
Africa not RADA ‘Anyway, I absolutely hated school. I made no friends. I was thrown into swimming pools and ditches and had a really horrible time. I think it’s because I was so, sort of, useless at everything. ‘I tried to get O levels, but I didn’t manage it, so I never did A Levels, and I never went to university. I feel, even to this day, rather un-informed about life and things. ‘So I was living in the New Forest with my parents, and I went to the Salisbury Playhouse … within two years I was working there. I got £12 a week as an assistant stage manager with some acting parts. And absolutely loving it. ‘I had immense parts of one line: “your carriage is waiting” – how do I stress it? Your carriage is waiting? Your carriage is waiting? Big roles! ‘In later years I met my wife at Salisbury while we were in pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. She was a dancer, and she thought I was gay … ‘But slowly I did get larger parts, and I had been there three years when I applied to the Donovan Maule Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya. The head of the Salisbury Playhouse, an amazing man called Reggie Salberg, said I was okay to go, and so I went to Africa! I’d had no formal training – I had been accepted at RADA, but I’d only been 17 and you had to be 18 to start. ‘We had excellent directors, and the Donovan Maule Theatre was marvellous. That year in Nairobi was terrific. When I came home I was a member of Equity, and I worked for another ten years in the theatre. I wasn’t particularly great, but I did enjoy it. ‘I became fascinated by the lighting director. They are the unsung heroes of theatre but no-one can ever name one. Costume, set design, actors, director … everything else but the lighting. ‘But they manipulate the light – and with it they manipulate the story. They can ensure the audience looks at a particular place, sees a particular story. They can inject pathos or humour … it’s fascinating. ‘In 1970, Jess, by then my wife, landed a monumental television role in The Onedin Line – she was in every one of the 92 episodes. She was brilliant. ‘It was a perfect role for her of course … the character was short, mildly irritable, and always apologising afterwards! ‘I finally decided that acting was too spasmodic and unpredictable, and I decided I’d get a studio and start photographing actors. I already knew some really good actors’ agents, and a good few actors, and I just asked if I could photograph them for their portraits for Spotlight, the big casting directory. And I did, and I did. And I did. And I did. And I did … and I did it for 12 years. It was phenomenal. Only actors. Zillions of them. Even though I’d been one for ten years, I swiftly learned so much about actors. They generally have very low self worth. I was aware myself of the vulnerability of acting. How many people do you know who “hate having their picture taken?” Actors are the same. Everyone feels exposed when the camera is raised up. ‘Usually I would chat for an hour and then spend maybe half that on the actual photography. I needed to see the actor’s confidence, not their arrogance – their personality, but not their ego. Actors often hate being well known – they’re just doing a job like anyone else – but then happen to become well known. ‘Every supermarket we went into in the 70s and early 80s there was excited whispering … the worst one was someone coming up to Jess and saying “I think you’re amazing in Poldark!”
I’m a landscape photographer ‘By this time I had a studio in Battersea, but was feeling restless. At a party I met a man called Colin Webb, who happened to be selling his house – I went to see whether we’d like to buy it. We didn’t. It was a bit awkward, it was a perfectly fine house, but not for us. We got to the door to say goodbye, and then four words changed my life. For some reason, he said “what’d you do?” I’d always liked landscape. I used to go and watch Jess filming in Devon, get bored and wander off to explore the countryside with my camera. I had wanted to try and do it more. And I remember swallowing and saying, oh-so-confidently, “I’m a landscape photographer.” “Are you?” he said. “I’m the director of the illustrated books department at Weidenfeld and Nicolson, the publishers. I’d love to see your portfolio!” And the rest is history. I went to see him. I met a giant talent called Adam Nicolson, who grew up at Sissinghurst – which was created by his grandparents, Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson. Colin, whose house we didn’t buy, said: “We’d like to do a book called the National Trust Book of Long Walks. Adam is going to write it. Would you like to do the photographs?” And I said yes, yes. Yes! It took about a year, and I had the most wonderful time. Adam gave me the manuscript, walking in Cornwall or wherever it was. And I then went to the place and did the walk. Actually that’s not true, I did most of it by car – but only because I had all the equipment! We came back, we met up with Colin Webb, and he looked at the results – my babies, my babies, they really were! – in their two and a quarter inch square transparencies. And he just said “Lovely. What would you like to do next?” ‘Adam promptly joked: “long walks in Russia and France?” and Colin said “long walks in France? Super … contract tomorrow.” ‘It’s unbelievable now. Since then I’ve done 30-odd books. And I’m still obsessed with landscape photography and the natural world. I go on and on about it. It’s never just a shot. It’s a huge production. I’m happy in my obsession though.
LPOTY In 2007 I thought it would be great if we found a way to celebrate our amazing landscapes, and I approached the AA, the book publishing arm, to suggest the idea of Landscape Photographer of the Year (LPOTY). Thankfully they immediately said, “great idea!” I then spoke to the National Theatre, who I knew as I’d had exhibitions there, and said: “I wonder if I could have the little theatre as the gallery for exhibiting LPOTY?” So for five years we had the exhibition at the National Theatre, which meant a guaranteed audience of a thousand people a night: because they all needed the loo in the interval and saw the exhibition on the way! ‘Then we partnered with Network Rail – and now LPOTY’s exhibited on railway platforms. Paddington, London Bridge, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh … something like seven million people a month going through Waterloo alone? It’s just phenomenal. ‘But like every event or award, sponsorship is hard to find – I’m not absolutely sure we’ll make it to year 17. And contrary to popular belief, I don’t earn anything from it! It doesn’t earn enough to pay me, and I wanted the winner to have the £10,000. It’s really hard work, for no money. I haven’t been a good businessman, maybe? I haven’t, I’m not a businessman. I’m just a fairly simple guy who absolutely loves being outside and wants to encourage people to photograph the landscape.’
And so to the 19 random questions …
What’s your relationship with Dorset? It’s next door to Hampshire where I was brought up, so I popped into it from time to time! In the 70s I was working in France when Jess heard about a mill for sale in Dorset. The solicitor told Jess she couldn’t go and see it on her own, or make an offer. She had to have her husband there. I just said “You must go and see it. You make the decision.” So she did – the solicitor was rather unhappy about it! She made the offer, and it was accepted. Actually, it turned out no one else wanted it because they suspected it flooded! So we left London when our daughter was eight, and moved here to Dorset. It’s a neverending relationship. I’ll look along a lane less than two miles from here, and think “I’ve never been up there! Oh my word. Look at that beautiful shape in the land. Look at that line of bushes. How could that have been here all this time?” It’s an extraordinary county, I’m still discovering it. Dorset never ends. I relish it all the time. And you can be so brilliantly alone in Dorset. There’s so many silent places. I usually set off in the rain – after the rain, the light is incredible for about three to four minutes. That moment the rain has passed, it’s impossible to believe the quality of the light. There’s a tiny window of clarity … and then it’s gone.
What was the last song you sang out loud in your car Probably Climb Ev’ry Mountain, from the Sound of Music. I think I’m still in love with Julie Andrews. I love singing Climb Ev’ry Mountain. Oh, and I Can’t Help Falling In Love. I just heard it the other day in Shaftesbury High Street. Beautiful.
The last film you watched? I promise you, it was The Sound Of Music! It was! I went with my son in law, who’s a filmmaker. And we absolutely loved it. I can’t bear films which have any violence, and there’s so many movies with death and violence and cruelty. I just want happy stuff. And The Sound of Music is utterly beautiful.
It’s Friday night, you have the house to yourself, no work is allowed. What will you do? There’s something about creative endeavours, they carry a degree of insecurity. I look at certain pictures and I think “Does that cloud look a bit mannered? I waited for it, but …” I get a bit uncertain. So what I love doing is coming in the studio and looking at photographs that I took 30 or 40 years ago – if I can find them because my cataloguing is absurd. Sometimes I just search “little tree with cloud on top”. Somewhere I’ve written what it was, I usually find them, but I do get into a bit of a state. Anyway, I love looking back and re-evaluating them. Sometimes I see something in a photograph that I didn’t consider was worthy at the time. And I think “that was alright”. It gives me immense pleasure, especially those I haven’t seen for a long time.
The best biscuit for dunking. A Ginger Nut, no question.
What’s a sound or smell that makes you happy? A curlew. Just gorgeous. It really does make me happy. To be honest, any animal that makes a sound, I’m gawking at them all the time.
What little luxury would you buy with £10? I think I’d buy as many packets of ginger biscuits as I could.
What would you like to be remembered for? As somebody who’s encouraged a sense of amazement about the natural world. If I could do that, if I could be somebody who’s encouraged you to look through a camera and notice. And really spend time engaging with the natural world. Don’t just take a snap. Everyone should be a photographer, because it makes you notice. But it’s not easy. The image has got to convey a massive emotional hit to the viewer. It’s got to be an emotional reaction, it can’t just be “Oh, that’s pretty” It’s got to absolutely slam you.
What’s your comfort meal? PIZZA! Spinach pizza, always spinach pizza. Or maybe my breakfast… with blackcurrants. I read up a lot about them, and they are the most amazing fruit. I usually have a really big pot of blackcurrants – the Udder Farm Shop does them frozen! I get about a carrier bag full. Blackcurrants rock. So breakfast, blackcurrants and yogurt. Lovely.
What’s your secret superpower? Complete wonder at nature. Not necessarily to photograph – I told you, I’m obsessed. I rescue worms. I’m in a total state of amazement at the existence of the natural world.
What was the last gift you gave or received? I gave the girls (Charlie’s twin granddaughters) a basic little canoe to be able to go on the river, to know what it feels like to float in a little boat. They love it.
What’s your favourite quote? I love Gandhi’s ‘the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.’ I think that’s the best.
Your most annoying trait? Untidiness. It’s desperate. I know it’s kind of amusing, but if I could, I’d find a therapist who would help me be tidy. I cannot understand how I can be doing something with one bit of paper, writing a list or something – a list! If I can achieve that, that’s amazing – and then suddenly something else comes into my head and I completely forget what I’ve just been doing and go and do the second thing. Then I forget the second thing because a third has popped into my head … I’m surrounded by half-finished things. That’s why my studio is such a tip. I love it when I’ve had a tidy up though. I feel heroic. I want to tell everybody!
What shop can you not pass without going in? A brocante or a bric-à-brac shop. I’m not very good with modern things, really. Actually, there’s a lovely old shop in Shaftesbury High Street which has become a sort of antique shop. Not high end antiques, a bric-à-brac place. Crazy items. Wonderland.
Tell us about one of the best evenings you’ve ever had The evening the grandchildren were born. Even now I get tearful. And I’m completely besotted, absolutely bonkers about them.
What in life is frankly a mystery to you? Why we aren’t more aware of how we have to save our planet. I did a thing for the Art Society a while ago, and they asked me what my favourite landscape was. I chose a picture of the planet Earth from space. It is the most extraordinary image. And I always says: “That’s all we’ve got, it’s just us. We must protect it.” It’s the biggest mystery, why we aren’t hell-bent on trying to ensure that we preserve our wonderful planet Earth.
Chip shop chips or home baked cake? A really lovely vegan homemade cake (but please put in brackets I LOVE CHIPS. Because I really do.)
Cats or dogs I grew up with cats. I think they’re amazing creatures, what they have to put up with. But I have dogs, and I’ve always had rescue dogs. I think dogs can teach us a lot. And the more we learn about dogs the better. And you usually know you’re going to get along with somebody who likes dogs.
You have the power to pass one law uncontested – what would you do? There are more women photographing than ever – but they often go out with fear in their hearts. And far fewer of them do sunsets or sunrises, especially in towns and cities. I’d make a law which states when a woman is murdered, the perpetrator should go to prison for their entire lives. More than 1,000 women a year are killed in the UK. It’s unbelievable that women are just walking in the park, or decide to take the shortcut home, and … Because I was bullied, I know that there’s an aggressive side to men. I wish our laws were much stronger when it comes to violence against women.
*In 1948, Air Commodore Reginald Waite was Head of Disbandment at the headquarters of the Allied Control Commission. He suggested that the Berlin Blockade could be broken by an airlift. Subsequently, the British and Americans started a joint operation to circumvent the Russian blockade.
Mosaic, a Dorset charity founded in 2007 to support bereaved children, has launched a major fundraising appeal to continue supporting children struggling with the death of someone close to them. The charity provides qualified counsellors who help children and young people understand and manage their grief and anxiety. However, the increasing demand for Mosaic’s services has outstripped its ability to provide free access to counsellors. The charity urgently needs to raise £100,000 this year to maintain its support services amid rising costs and dwindling funds. Jo Revill, Mosaic’s CEO, says, ‘This is the crunch point for us now. We’ve seen a 47 per cent increase in the number of children and young people being referred to us for help this year. We want to continue to exist for Dorset’s children. The services we offer can transform a child’s life, and their life chances, but we cannot be sure of meeting that need if we can’t raise the money.’ Teachers from primary and secondary schools across Dorset refer children to Mosaic for counselling support and advice. Last year, the charity provided counselling to 412 children and young people – this number is likely to be substantially higher in 2024, with extra help also going into school in peer support. Nearly half of the referrals involve children or young people who have lost a parent. It costs £350 to provide comprehensive counselling for one child or young person, including family support, over several months. Karen Parnell, Chair of Trustees, says, ‘I’m incredibly grateful for the support our family received from Mosaic when my husband died. It had a profound impact on my children during a very difficult time. The specialised counselling and peer support provided my daughters with a safe space to express their feelings, share their experiences and connect with others who understood their loss.’ She added: ‘We hope that our communities can really get behind us in this challenging financial period to help us raise funds so that all the children and young people who need our help can receive it. There is so much more for us to do as a charity and we’re lucky to have very dedicated individuals – staff, volunteers, trustees and counsellors – who make all the difference.’
Child okeford will once again be opening its doors this August for the annual Art Trail, showcasing 21 talented artists and craftspeople across four venues, exhibiting in their own homes, studios and community spaces. All the venues are located within walking distance of the village centre, and visitors can view and purchase a varied collection of arts and crafts. Exhibiting in the Community Centre is Martin Brierley – a painter who works in oils on board, inspired by land, sea and sky. Also ceramicist Gaynor Waring – she works in various clays and uses smoke-firing methods to create beautiful objects rooted in the landscape – and Karina Gill, a notable Dorset silverware and jewellery designer. Local plein air oil painter Rob Adams will be at Clock Cottage with artist Sue Fawthrop. Diane Ablitt will be exhibiting at the Old School House. She is an artist who likes to strip an image of unnecessary detail, keeping a strong design and creating flat poster-like pieces. She will be joined by Kathy Clarke who uses Reduction Lino Printing: cutting away the Lino after each colour is added to the reverse impression of the design. There will be a group of 13 artists in the Village Hall, where local charity SERO (raising money for Julia’s House Children’s Hospice) will be offering refreshments, homemade cakes and sandwiches throughout the four days. Their member Julie Little creates affordable paintings in various media with all profits going to SERO. Also in the hall will be Sue Bates – a talented watercolour artist who uses no pencil before she paints, Rachel Chenery who will be showing her stoneware pottery and Diane Mary Alice will return with her paintings inspired by the Dorset countryside and her upcycled children’s chairs. With such a wide variety of artists, from painters to jewellers, photographers to potters and much more, there is something to interest everyone. The trail provides an opportunity to meet local artists in person in their creative worlds and discover new and surprising aspects of their work.
Friday 23rd to Monday 26th August 11am to 4pm daily Follow Child Okeford Art Trail on social media to see more artist profiles and more information about the trail
The Martin family at Deverel Farm hosted a farm walk in July – conversation centred on crop rotation, control of fixed costs and diversification
Dorset FCN have been busy this summer, with plenty of activities to bring our local farming community together. Alongside our regular Walk & Talk events around the county (see dates for the upcoming ones in the poster below), we have held two wonderful farm walks. The first at the Crutchley’s family farm at Nettlecombe near Bridport. We met on the most idyllic evening to explore the farm nestled under Eggardon Hill. We looked at the dairy, and a lively discussion centred around stewardship schemes and the diversification of redundant farm buildings.
Our second walk was courtesy of the Martin Family, at Milborne St Andrew. The farm is all arable, and we discussed machinery needs and how to keep fixed costs down. The farm is close to a Wessex Water borehole, and the family works closely with the water board. With much of Dorset acting as a catchment for phosphates and nitrates, hearing first hand how farmers can help was very useful. And a quick note for non-farmers when they’re out and about – as harvest gains momentum, please be patient with the increased farm traffic on the roads. We hope for a fine month for both the farmers and holidaymakers alike. Farming is testing at the moment and myself and our volunteers are always here to listen and help when required. – Bec Hill
FCN is here for you. The confidential, national helpline is open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm and volunteers provide free, confidential support to anyone who seeks help: Call 03000 111 999
Dorset Mind volunteer Annabel Goddard takes a minute to appreciate how furry friends enhance our lives and affect our mental health
August is an animal lover’s dream – we celebrate both International Cat Day on the 8th and International Dog Day on 26th. While most of us need no excuse to give our furry friends an extra treat or cuddle, it’s worth reflecting on why we love our pets so much – and the importance of their company in aiding our mental health.
Routine It doesn’t matter if you’re a cat or a dog person, or even a rabbit or fish person – our pets need, and often demand, attention. Dogs need to be walked, fed, sometimes groomed and definitely loved daily, for example. By having to attend to our pets we find ourselves unconsciously in a regular routine and getting outside and active – which benefits humans too! We often work our lives around theirs, in the best way possible. But by looking after your pet, you are in fact looking after yourself too.
Connection Our pets love us back. Companionship from animals can be a massive tool in reducing loneliness, and even helps ease grief and depression. Service animals play a huge role in many lives, especially for those who may not be able to get by without them – for example guide dogs for the visually impaired or anxiety dogs in schools.
Support Dogs have been “man’s best friend” for centuries – having one is almost guaranteed to help you get through difficult times. Many pet owners, me included, often feel as though their pets understand their moods better than humans do. Support from a pet can feel less emotionally demanding, especially if you don’t want to talk about your feelings. Pets care for you in their own silent ways and intuitively know when to comfort you. There for you Many of our childhood pets have taught us amazing things about love and loyalty. It’s true to say that you never forget your first pet – they are simply cherished family members. My first cat, Nicholas, would lie on my lap when I was only four years old, and I have remained a cat person ever since. Cats are particularly helpful with anxiety – if you’re lucky enough to have a cat that loves to sit on your lap, I guarantee you often take a moment just to listen to their purr and feel their warmth. They can be very calming when they want to be!
Giving a pet a home If you’re considering getting a pet, you don’t have to buy a puppy or kitten. Sadly, there are plenty of unwanted animals, and adopting a rescued animal is a great idea – but do your research and make sure you find a reputable charity or organisation. Initially it can be difficult to navigate their needs, which, like ours, can be physical or emotional – being able to see your pet grow towards you and settle in can be so rewarding. It will feel amazing to be the one who gives an animal a second chance at life, and your new pet will love you for it. Our pets play a crucial role in our well-being. They provide us with routine, connection and unwavering support. The lessons of love and loyalty they teach us are invaluable, and the bond we share with them is irreplaceable. And let’s not forget the simple joy and fulfilment that comes from living with an animal. By giving a pet a home, we not only improve their lives but also enrich our own in countless ways. Celebrate this month by showing your pets extra love, and perhaps opening your heart and home to a new furry friend in need.
Support for you: First steps towards support should be to speak to someone – a trusted friend, family member, professional or your GP Visit Dorset Mind for local mental health support and helpful advice The Samaritans are there to listen 24/7, call them free on 116 123 Call Dorset’s mental health helpline Connection for support on 0800 652 0190
If you’ve never watched an Art Race, you’ve been missing out! During July the Stour Hall at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton became a challenge arena – twelve artists with very different styles each set out to create a picture in just 20 minutes, watched by an audience free to stroll around and see the works develop. The viewing was helped along by music, a bar, fresh-cooked pizzas and the chance to chat and compare opinions with the rest of the audience. The observers voted for their favourite work, and the four top scorers competed again in a Grand Final. Finally, a well deserved winner was chosen – Claire Gillies will now have an exhibition of her work in the Bibbern Gallery at The Exchange. The remaining three runners-up will share an exhibition at the same venue, which is also the well-used café as well as the bar for all evening shows at The Exchange. It was a real challenge for the artists, fascinating for the audience, and a great social night out, with the chance to buy all the art created during the evening as well. The event was held to raise funds for The Exchange, and there will be another Art Race on Friday 28th February next year.
The winning work by Clare Gillies
Coming soon Meanwhile the next fundraiser for The Exchange is on 25th September, when three-time Olympic medal winner William Fox-Pitt, who has just coached the Japanese Olympic team to a first equestrian medal, getting Bronze in Paris, will be talking about his remarkable career in eventing and his decision to retire from 5* level events.
George Hosford looks at how his experiments in bi-cropping and mob grazing have been working, and sees the impact of ‘making room’ for nature
‘We haven’t seen grass like this for a very long time on this field – something to do with being flooded four or five times over the winter perhaps, borrowing fertility from upstream?’
Some weeks ago our experimental area of bi-cropped wheat with crimson clover looked like the image below. The clover, sown at the same time as the wheat last autumn, had become rather dominant. A week later it rained heavily, and pretty much the whole lot laid over. Once the clover finished flowering and started to die back, some of the wheat managed to stand up again. However, the early clover dominance will have depressed the potential yield of the wheat – which is the part we get paid for – and it is far too late now for the wheat to throw up more tillers to fill in the gaps. The difficulty with minority interest cropping like this is that there is not much guidance available for seed rates etc, so there is quite a lot of guesswork. The wheat/clover bi-crop last year went the other way: we used a less vigorous white clover which ended up so lacking in vigour that there was barely any there at all by spring. The reason for bi-cropping is to see if we can move away from traditional mono-cropping, which can have poor outcomes for soil and environmental health. We are growing the wheat for Wildfarmed, a new company dedicated to growing and baking healthy food which does not degrade the environment, and making it widely available on the high street – their bread is available in Waitrose and M&S. The wheat has no chemicals and limited nitrogen, plus it always has a crop partner. Diverse families of roots in the soil foster a broader range of mycorrhizal and other organic activity. One way of doing this is to keep an under-storey going through several seasons – it keeps the soil shielded from hot sun and heavy rain, the clover fixes its own nitrogen, some of which can become available to the following crop as the clover dies and regrows. A good under-storey can also shade out weeds. Diversity is one of the five guiding principles of soil-focussed regenerative farming, which, thanks to the great god Gabe Brown from North Dakota, can be summarised as follows:
Minimise soil disturbance. Minimising physical and chemical disturbance to the soil prevents damage to the micro-flora and fauna that form the soil ecosystem
Keep the soil covered
Maintain living roots in the soil
Maximise plant diversity
Reintroduce livestock
Gabe has recently added a sixth important element, that of context – by which he means that when you apply these principles to your land, you should also consider the context: your soil type, location, altitude, aspect etc. Gabe’s book ‘Dirt to Soil’ is considered by many to be the regenerative bible – it’s a great story, and full of useful guidance.
The bi-crop of clover looked wonderful when in flower, but its dominance has depressed the yield of the wheat – which is the profitable part of the crop
Theo living his best life Out here in the herbal ley fields, the cows are happily munching away in their mobs – mob grazing is short duration, high density grazing with a long grass recovery period. You move the cattle every day, and then leave the grass to recover for up to 100 days, depending on the time of year. The cows have got very used to being moved on to fresh grazing every day, and don’t hesitate to let the world know if we are late! This year’s rainy spring has led to vigorous grass growth everywhere – a very early hay cut was taken in places, and even parts of the river meadows have been mob grazed this year to force the animals to graze it properly. The system is working well, with the lightweight Kiwi-designed electric fence easy to move, and a network of water pipes across the fields with quick release push-fit fittings so that it is straightforward to empty and move the troughs daily. There are a number of advantages from mob grazing. We see fewer flies bothering the animals, as fresh grazing every day moves the cattle off yesterday’s dung pats, where the flies congregate. Fresh grazing also reduces the pressure from intestinal worms, as a 50-day cycle between the grazing of any single part of the field helps to break the worm life cycle. This means less wormer is needed, the chemicals in which, when present in the dung pats, can kill the flies and beetles on which many species like the rare greater horseshoe bat thrive. Also, some of the herbs which the animals are grazing have a natural anthelmintic effect (discouraging or killing intestinal worms). Mob grazing, which leaves around a third of the pasture behind, allows the plants to regrow far more quickly than traditional grazing which takes nearly all the herbage, because enough leaf remains to enable plenty of photosynthesis. As plants are grazed down, their roots also die back, and therefore they take even longer to recover and regrow, both under and above the soil. As you can see from the picture below, Theo the bull enjoyed his favourite six weeks of the year with a mob of cows and their calves. The pretty one in the foreground is one of his daughters from last year, out of cows with a certain amount of Belgian Blue in their genes. The pairings gave us two calves this year with freckles and a white line along the spine, a little reminiscent of the rare breed Gloucester cattle.
Theo the bull enjoying his favourite six weeks of the year with a mob of cows
We need to be smarter A fascinating seminar with local grain merchant Bartholomews, held at the Hall and Woodhouse brewery, not only fed a group of farmers with a very fine cooked breakfast, but also provided vital intelligence on the current grain markets. An essential event in the farming year, this meeting, presented by grain trader Edd Britton, gave us much useful information which will help us to navigate the minefield that is the world wheat market for the next few months. The weather in the US and Russia (both major world wheat producers) has been a very influential factor recently, with quite violent up and down swings in grain price over a short period of time, making rational sales decisions very tricky. His graph (below) shows how the balance between import and export of wheat in and out of the UK has altered over the last ten years. Since 2012 we have overwhelmingly been a net importer, for several reasons. Firstly the good old (un)reliable British weather, followed closely by the bioethanol and starch plants up north which take a great deal of grain, sucking it in from a wide area and helping keep the market buoyant. However, if prices rise too far, these plants will close for a while until things calm down.
how the balance between import and export of wheat in and out of the UK has altered over the last ten years.
Then there are the generally lower levels of production as farmers commit more land to environmental schemes: taking (usually poorer) land out of production in exchange for payments of public money for public goods like wild flower headlands and wild bird food. Housebuilding also has some effect, taking land out of food production for ever, and then there is the contentious issue of organisations like the Dorset Wildlife Trust, in conjunction with Natural England, purchasing land with Nutrient Neutrality money, paid by housing developers in exchange for planning permission. Please see my blog here for a full account of my day out with the DWT as they celebrated the revolutionary purchase of Lyscombe Farm, which, by reverting it to 100 per cent nature with no food production, will somehow unlock the building of 3,700 new homes in the Poole Harbour catchment, in which the farm sits. As you will see, I am not convinced: either by the wisdom of this in terms of value for money, or whether any actual improvement will occur in Poole Harbour as a result of this purchase. Is this where I should be banging on about the importance of looking after our home-grown food supply? There has to be room for food production to thrive, we have a growing population and some of the best soils and weather climates for food production anywhere in the world. But without care for soils and nature, healthy food production will become increasingly difficult. Weeds and insects become resistant to chemicals, which all too often wreak collateral and unintended damage elsewhere … so we must learn to be cleverer.
A common spotted orchid found in a wildflower margin miles from any other orchids
Life finds a way On the left is a common spotted orchid found in a brand new site – on a wildflower margin miles from any other orchids. It is approximately 14 years since Traveller’s Rest was intensively farmed, and we are seeing some interesting plants showing up on our oldest margins. I am reliably informed that the tiny orchid seeds, almost dust-like, will have sat in the soil for decades, waiting for the right conditions to return to enable germination. They then need the right mycorrhizal conditions to develop, to connect the seeds with the right nutrients in the soil. They have endured so many years asleep, through generations of evolving human activity, only to return to life when government schemes pay farmers to rein back a bit on the intensive farming. We have to make room for nature in and around our main food production, and this little flower shows it can work.
