Each month the Parish Council receives National Trust updates covering a number of topics including housing and landscape (including ‘Big Access, Better Nature’). Copies of the updates are attached below.

If you have questions you would like the PC to ask on your behalf, please email clerk@sherborneparish.org. Whatever you think about the way in which the NT manage their housing and landscape, please make sure items are to the point and respectful.

If you would like to remain anonymous, just mention that in your email and your details will not be shared with the NT.

As we receive questions, and associated answers from the NT, we will post them here for reference.

National Trust Monthly Update Q&A:

Reference – DateCommunity QuestionDateNational Trust Answer
25/1 – 21/1/25“When will the Trust undertake pathway work, they said would be done in the winter, for the path between ice house and through the wood past the quarry, and the gateway up from ewe pens, both of which have become quagmires again recently. They have also still not replaced the information board on woodland, that was demolished by the wood contractors, near the eastern gate house on A40.”4/2/25Track repairs will begin shortly and will be completed before the Sherborne Fun Run in Mid-May.
25/2 – 21/1/25“Can they please advise volunteer days for 2025, which it was their intention to do.”4/2/25A full calendar of Sherborne events for 2025 will be released by Mid-February. Volunteering days are currently planned for April, July and October. Walks are planned for March, June and September.
25/3 – 21/1/25“Any progress on further Newsletters, as minutes on website are not the same, and I am sure a lot more people would read it”.

Note: last National Trust news letter was published Winter 2023

4/2/25We are working with colleagues in our communications team on distribution channels and methods for our newsletter. There are challenges surrounding GDPR on emailing or posting out communications.
25/4 – 21/1/25“What is the situation with the wooded area below Turbine House, as the work that they did at the other end of the Brook, is a real eyesore, and would hope they would not make the same mistake here. Whoever has cut the hedges around the car park at Northfield Barn, has absolutely flailed some of the branches on the mature trees inside the wall – how can we stop this happening in the future?”4/2/25Mareslaid Copse is in the Woodland Management Plan for the estate but there are no current plans to remove any timber from this area of woodland. The track along the North Park wall is an agricultural access track and needs to be kept clear to allow access. We will speak to our contractor to keep any impact on the mature trees to a minimum in the future.
25/5 – 26/1/25“What actions are the Trust taking to stop sheep escaping onto public highways? It has become a weekly occurrence.”4/2/25We have a rolling program of fence replacements taking place across Sherborne Farm and working with our grazier. The new Delivery Manager will be working on this issue as a priority.
25/6 – 21/03/25Wood chip path (Ewe Pens to Ragged Copse): Given the high cost (believe £5K per replacement) of sourcing the correct wood chip, are there plans to create a more permanent path to protect the wild plant margin? If not, could NT use or borrow a woodchipper to produce the required chip from fallen wood on the estate?21/3/25
It is an aim of the NT to replace the woodchip section of path with a surface similar to that of the paths through Ragged Copse. This will involve negotiations with our Tenant at Home Farm and will likely require planning permission following consultation with the Gardens Trust.
25/7 – 21/03/2025Ragged Copse clearance: When will the runoff into Ragged Copse be cleared? Roadside grips can’t be repaired until that’s done21/3/25The grips are planned to be cleared within the next month.
25/8 – 21/03/25Tree planting volunteering: NT mention tree planting taking place, with members of the public? How do they publicise this sort of event, so we can keep our eye out for the future?
21/3/25Public events are advertised via our social media channels, but also on our webpage in the events section: Events at Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate.
25/9 – 21/03/25NT have appointed two new positions, with no mention of names- how will they be introduced?
21/3/25Tim Green is our new Delivery Manager and Caroline Senior is our new Senior Project Co-ordinator. They will introduce themselves fully in an upcoming newsletter.
25/10 – 21/03/2025NT contact – Would it be possible to have a monthly drop in at the office, or the club, to discuss issues of concern with Andrew?
21/3/25Would a quarterly drop-in session at the NT offices with Andrew be sufficient as a pilot? The session would be held on a weekday evening. We would also encourage members of the community to get in touch with us via our office email address Sherborne.estate@nationaltrust.org.uk or ring us on 01451 844257.
25/11 – 16/04/2025Advised track repairs would start shortly , but so far nothing has started. When will they be completed? Also the woodland management board that was knocked over by contractor, has still yet to be replaced? 24/4/25Machinery being delivered to site on 24th and 25th April. Work will be completed the following week in time for the Sherborne Fun Run.
25/12 – 16/04/2025Fence Replacement for Sheep – Priority for Tim Green. There is a hole in fence in the field just over the bridge on Clapton road, that has been temporarily filled with a large plastic road barrier and ties, which is ugly and unsightly. Can this be replaced soon? Sheep and cattle continue to get out of all fields.
24/4/25The temporary plastic barrier will be removed and replaced shortly.
25/13 – 16/04/2025As it is an aim to replace wood chip, with more permanent path, how long could that take? In the interim, I am sure they will have to replace with wood chip again, so are they able to utilise wood chip from Sherborne, rather than buying it in? 24/4/25No current timescales on long term replacement with a more permanent surface. This year approximately 1/3 of the woodchip used to resurface the path was produced on the Sherborne Estate using storm damaged trees.
25/14 – 16/04/2025Can we confirm that grips have been cleared in next month, by end of April. If not why not?
24/4/25Grips will be cleared by the team before the end of April.
25/15 – 16/04/2025For those members of the village, who do not follow social media, and website, are they able to post on village noticeboards, to try and get maximum involvement. Looked on NT Sherborne Website and cannot find the events section? Can we ask where this is specifically please? 24/4/25Events will be advertised using posters on the village notice board. Events are advertised here Search | National Trust Upcoming events may be found at the hyperlink to the right of this column. Events at Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate or https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/gloucestershire-cotswolds/lodge-park-and-sherborne-park-estate/events”
25/16 – 16/04/2025When is this upcoming newsletter likely to be circulated – village is happy to help with delivery, if this helps to speed up process.
24/4/25A spring newsletter will be published in May.
25/17 – 16/04/2025Quarterly drop in session with Andrew is very welcome. How and when will this be publicised? Is it possible to do one in April or May?
24/4/25Andrew will host a drop in session in the third week of May – The event will advertised on the village noticeboards and details will be shared with Parish council.
25/18 – 23/04/2025Following new gates on path from Northfield Barn down to Water Meadows, there are currently 1 old metal gate (Skip with metal in has been removed from outside the cottages, and there is a metal skip in NT storage area beside Water Meadows Car park, 3 old Wooden Gates with metal on them and a lot of old fence posts, that are just lying around, several weeks after the work has been completed. Can these be removed, so the area looks a little more natural?
24/4/25The old fencing material will be removed by the Ranger team by the end of April.
25/19 – 16/04/2025Where are we with the design concepts for access to the Boathouse/Turbine area. Are we allowed to see their work, and understand the options they have considered for access, with pros and cons, and comment on this, before being presented with their decision? 24/4/25We are waiting for the first draft of the concept designs to come back from the designer. These will be shared for information when we receive them.
25/20 – 16/04/2025Can we ask why the milestone dates column have been removed from their monthly brief in February? Can it be reintroduced? 
24/4/25These will be shown again on the May Parish council update.
25/21 – 16/04/2025Are there plans to create lakes or dew ponds on Sherborne Common? Remember it being mentioned on a walk last year.
24/4/25These ponds were going to be funded by National Highways Designated Funds. Unfortunately this funding was withdrawn. We still want to create ponds in this field and are working on alternative funding sources.
25/22 – 16/04/2025What are the plans for all these new trees, if dry weather continues for an extended period? The new orchard planting could be a worry, for example.
24/4/25We have already started watering our pot grown trees at the Sherborne Farm orchard and Lodge Park avenues – if you see the team towing a bowser and engines whirring in either of these locations, that is what we’re up to; planting trees is the easy bit, keeping them alive is much harder
25/22 – 16/04/2025What is the plan with the Poplar trees in Broad Close ? Very disappointing if this is the finished job.
24/4/25The poplars were removed as part of our woodland management plan. These trees were planted up across the estate – and all over this part of Gloucestershire – as a timber crop for the old Bryant & May match factory. Poplars were planted wherever there was space.
Unfortunately, the income from the timber did not make extraction economically viable. When this is the case, or when habitat value dictates, we leave the trees as standing ‘hulks’ to provide an extremely valuable decaying wood habitat. Admittedly, we don’t always leave the stems as tall as here but there will be more work to follow, and they will be reduced further.

We appreciate it looks a bit of a mess at present.

Brash has been stacked but full clear up not carried out as there is more work to be done in Sherbrook Copse and future work will utilise some of this material.
Information about future work will be shared soon but this whole area will look even more ‘messy’ in the short term whilst we enhance the wet woodland and establish an area of wetland. We manage the land for nature and the land will recover in time. Replanting with appropriate species will take place within a couple of years (following wetland work) and will provide a more aesthetically pleasing area of wet woodland.”

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