Our February visit to Aston Rowant found us cutting and burning scrub on a high hill-top overlooking the Oxford plain. Photographs from the 1960s show this was open grassland apart from some yew trees, so the wardens have made a project for volunteer groups such as ours to return it to its chalk downland state. There was plenty of cut material to start a bonfire on the site previously used for burning, and we 10 added to the pile with our own efforts. When tackling the taller trees we donned helmets and despite the brisk breeze soon warmed up, especially with hot cross buns at coffee break.
Julia, 27/2/2014
