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The 39 Steps, in the splendid novel of that name by John Buchan, are located at the fictional town of Bradgate which is generally thought to be modelled on Broadstairs on the Kent coast which the author knew well.  What is not so well known is that The Bourne has its own 39 Steps leading down to the stream near the Bat and Ball hostelry. Although these steps do have an air of mystery caused by the deep shade in which they lie, they have not so far featured in any novel but they did become a centrepiece for the work of our Group on Sunday 20^th November 2022. 

The valley of The Bourne Stream is very steep sided which has resulted in several flights of steps being built over the years to accommodate the network of footpaths that is such an attractive feature of the area. Our Group has helped to maintain most of them but had never before until Sunday worked on this particular flight. The reason that work was needed can be seen in the first photograph which shows that the steps were largely hidden under a layer of compost formed by generations of fallen leaves. This was not a safe condition for pedestrians especially in view of the poor light conditions. 

  Before                                      After

The team on Sunday was well equipped with spades and, under the leadership of Bryan Snashall and Clinton Bradshaw (who thoughtfully came armed with a wheelbarrow) set about the task with gusto. They soon found that this was not a trivial undertaking. Each step had to be dug out and the spoil loaded into large plastic bags which then had to be transported down the hill, across the stream and onto the pub car park to await disposal. For this the wheelbarrow was most useful.

This proved to be very good, healthy exercise for the team members who included three Duke of Edinburgh Candidates Felix, Max and Al who kept up a running commentary throughout which enlivened the proceedings. They and the rest of the team did an excellent job as can be seen by the difference in the steps shown in the second photograph. Pedestrians using the steps complimented the team on their work. The bad news is that the job was not fully completed in the available time so we need to return soon to finish it.

Remarkably we had a second team at work on Sunday at the Underdown Nature Reserve which is close to the 39 Steps. Under the leadership of Wendy Scoble they also did a fine job trimming the hedge, removing an unwanted bramble patch and dealing with a very untidy, fallen fence. That team included Duke of Edinburgh Candidates Alex, Annabel and Ellie. The latter did well to spot very interesting Earth Star and Lion’s mane fungi. Things to add to our species list.

Well done everyone for a good morning’s work keeping The Bourne’s landscape in good order.

Thanks also to the Bat and Ball staff who allowed use of their Car Park, and to Surrey County Council Footpaths staff who removed all the bags of soil.

On Sunday 30^th October Members assembled at the home of the Chairman for the Group’s AGM, the first such occasion since 2019 because of the disruption of normal routines by the pandemic. It was therefore a good opportunity not only to catch up on routine business but to discuss subjects of concern to the Group including two “hot topics.”

It was a lively meeting with many good points being made from the floor within the framework set by consideration of the Combined Report for 2019-2022 circulated before the meeting. A number of good ideas were put forward that might aid future recruitment as well as providing more hands on experience for Duke of Edinburgh’s Award candidates. In this context it was good to see one of our current candidates taking part in the debate.

Essential business carried out included Approval of the Accounts which show the Group in a very healthy financial state. Also election of a committee for the coming year as follows:

Chairman	Noel Moss
Secretary	Richard Sandars
Treasurer	Fiona Walberton
Biodiversity & Newsletter editor	Dr Martin Angel
Membership & Recruitment	Vicky Hill
Footpath Coordinator	David Dearsley
D of E Awards Coordinator	Dr Wendy Scoble
Bourne Stream Project Manager	Clinton Bradshaw

Among those well-known names it is good to see Wendy Scoble and Clinton Bradshaw joining the committee this time. The Stream Project referred to in Clinton’s title is the projected repair of the footpath by the stream near the Bat and Ball pub with Surrey County Council are hoping to accomplish in 2023.

The Hot Topics discussed were possible participation in the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme and the current planning application for 146 houses in the area known to the Group as Compton Fields. This is a very unpopular project locally and BCG, in conjunction with the Farnham Biodiversity Group, has recently reiterated its opposition.

Once the meeting had formally closed, members were able to carry on the discussions as well as enjoying some social chat over light refreshments.

Copies of the Combined Annual Report for 2019-2022 are available on request to info@bourneconservation.org.uk

This article appeared in the Farnham Herald of 27^th October 2022

The Herald carried a report last month about the 20^th anniversary of the Bourne Conservation Group (BCG). It was celebrated on 29^th September at a social gathering with pictorial displays of the Group’s work, and a welcome from the Chairman, Noel Moss. The event attracted about 75 people, which was gratifying as the audience included not only BCG’s members and friends but many more people from The Bourne and Farnham generally. There is little doubt they were attracted by the guest speaker, Bishop Chris Herbert.

The speaker’s subject was ‘Change in the Village: Life in The Bourne around 1900’, based on the writings of George Sturt, who wrote under the name George Bourne. His many books drew on his life in Farnham, the second half of which was spent in The Bourne – the source for ‘Change in the Village’. Dr Herbert was able to compare what Sturt wrote with the Parish Magazines of that period, and other sources. The first Vicar of The Bourne, the Revd Thomas Sidebotham, was still in office at the time; he appears often in the book, not always in a good light. The parish magazines show the work of the church to help the poor in a more positive way; perhaps Sturt came later to understand that.

Sturt was writing at a time of great social change; there were wealthy incomers with large houses, brought about by the railway, the Aldershot Garrison and a clean water supply. Their lives contrasted with those of the older inhabitants often living in squalid conditions, leaving behind what he described as a ‘peasant life’. The speaker requested more research into the parish nurse, so important to the lives of the poor at a time when no doctors or hospitals were available: who were they, how were they trained and how were they paid for?  

It is not the purpose of this article to summarise the fascinating talk, for which the speaker had researched extensively. Dr Herbert had investigated several aspects of the lives of the many labourers and their families living in the area and raised questions that need further research. George Sturt should be celebrated both for the quality of his writing and for his contribution to the history of Farnham.

Revd Sidebotham is buried in the Old Churchyard, Vicarage Hill, which is today looked after by BCG to retain its peaceful character and encourage biodiversity. Among the 800 parishioners buried there are the unmarked graves of Fred Grover, Sturt’s gardener, and his wife Lucy. Both were written about in Sturt’s books, as described in information signs placed by BCG.

The Group is very grateful to Chris Herbert for his contribution to a memorable occasion.

At the awards ceremony on 5^th October, the Bourne Conservation Group was given a Certificate of Excellence for our contribution. That recognition was very pleasing; what made the evening memorable was that our Chairman Noel Moss was the recipient of the Mayor’s Special Award for service. The Mayor paid a special tribute to Noel’s great dedication to BCG, the Farnham Biodiversity Group, Bourne Beautification Group and other groups and individuals he has organised, encouraged, supported and generally assisted with over the years to the great benefit of the town and its surrounding villages. The recognition of our Group, and Noel in particular, by the wider Farnham community and the Town Council is very gratifying.

After a busy summer dominated in our Group by preparations for the In Bloom judging, our attention in the early part of September shifted to Heritage Open Days in which we led two events: a talk on the History of Farnham’s Water Supply and a Guided Walk named “From Bat to Cow.” These were both well attended but were soon overshadowed by the news of the much-lamented death of Queen Elizabeth the Second and her memorable State Funeral.

We soon got back to basics by catching up with our work in the Old Churchyard which had been somewhat neglected because of other priorities. This included the annual hedge trim by the team as pictured below.  Then the final arrangements for our special event on 29^th September to commemorate 20 years of our conservation work had to be put in place.

The chosen date did indeed mark almost exactly the first BCG Work Session in Burnt Hill Wood on 22^nd September 2002 and the event fully lived up to our expectations with a capacity crowd of over 70 Members, Friends and other local residents in the Centenary Rooms of St Thomas’ Church. All were able to enjoy a glass of wine and snacks before listening to a talk by Bishop Chris Herbert, a former Vicar here. His subject, Change in the Village: Life in The Bourne Around 1900, provided fascinating insights into local history as well as identifying topics that needed further research.  Altogether a fitting end to our first 20 years.

There was little time to relax after that because on Saturday 1^st October we conducted a guided walk around the Old Churchyard for members of the Farnham Rotary Group who were interested in learning more about our approach to biodiversity conservation and enhancement.

So, September 2022 will go down as a remarkable month in our records both because of national events and the scale and variety of our own activities. We can approach the coming months with renewed confidence and energy as we start to think about our AGM and the autumn tasks such as gathering up the fallen leaves and bulb planting that will need to be carried out.

As in previous years, our Group made a significant contribution to this annual opening of our heritage, arranged by the Farnham Society.

We were directly involved in two of the many events as follows:

Thursday 8th September. At the Maltings at 11.30 am: talk by Noel Moss on “The Story of Farnham’s Water Supply and its Disposal “

This is the result of our previous research as a group on this subject.

Monday 12th September. Guided Walk starting at 10.30am from the Bat and Ball pub: “From Bat to Cow via Moths.” Led by David Dearsley, with a chance en route to see the lovely moths caught by Martin Angel the night before.

There is more information on farnhamsociety.org.uk/hods2022

This article was published in the Farnham Herald edition of 15 September 2022.

Join us … and help us build on the past 20 years

As reported in the Herald earlier this year, 2022 marks 20 years since the Bourne Conservation Group (BCG) started work on the footpaths and the green spaces that give The Bourne its distinctive character. Appropriately the name of the Group’s founder, Stan Cockett, is remembered on a seat in Paradise Wood alongside the footpath named after him running from Greenhill Road to Leigh Lane.

The Group’s main milestones and achievements are to be celebrated at a special event on Thursday 29^th September starting at 7.30pm. The event is open to anyone interested in learning more about the local area and will be held in the Centenary Rooms of St Thomas-on-The Bourne. There will be pictorial displays of the work of the Group and the biodiversity of The Bourne as well as a guest speaker: Bishop Chris Herbert, a distinguished resident and former Vicar, who will talk on ‘Change in the Village: Life in The Bourne around 1900’, drawing on the work of local writer George Sturt who lived in The Bourne. Refreshments will be provided.

As BCG progressed, it took responsibility for improving and maintaining several sites to promote biodiversity. Its contribution in that field has included playing a part in the formation of the Farnham Biodiversity Group. Over the years it has also worked hard for the town in the In Bloom competition in which outstanding results have been achieved. This year, after the judging had taken place, the Royal Horticultural Society sent a special team to visit the town and included in their tour a call at the Middle Bourne Lane Community Wildlife Garden managed by BCG.

Also, this year the group has been delighted to involve an unusually large number of Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards students in its work, thus giving them the opportunity to learn and promote the need to protect biodiversity.

The students, mainly from Weydon School, bring youthful energy and enthusiasm to BCG’s work – inevitably, they soon move away with each year bringing new requests to join. For BCG to continue to flourish and to provide these opportunities to our young people, more members are sought who will contribute for the longer term. No special knowledge is required; respect for nature and an interest in the area is desirable, along with a willingness to give some time working outdoors.

For more information about the anniversary event on 29^th September, and the work of the Group, visit www.bourneconservation.org.uk or email info@bourneconservation.org.uk

About the Bourne Conservation Group:

The Bourne Conservation Group is a group of volunteers, who share a concern for the environment and a desire to contribute to keeping our area attractive. Founded in 2002, the Group assists in the maintenance and improvement of local open spaces and rights-of-way for the benefit of both residents and wildlife. We always welcome new members. Email: info@bourneconservation.org.uk 

www.bourneconservation.org.uk  

July started well for BCG. Sharp at 8.30am on the lovely morning of Saturday 2nd July, Bryan Snashall’s van pulled up at our Tool Store to be loaded with the considerable pile of gear we needed to set up our stand at The Bourne Show, an event we always enjoy but had not taken place during the pandemic years. We had remembered, however, our well tested drills for a good Show and on arrival at The Green the van was directed to our allocated place by our Pathfinder and in no time at all the setting-up gang commenced the erection of the gazebos. This turned out to be quite tricky because of the gusty wind which, despite the welcome sunshine, went on throughout the day.

Continue reading “A Memorable Month: July 2022” →

Members and friends of the Bourne Conservation Group are well aware that 2022 marks our 20th anniversary. We are holding an event on Thursday 29th September to celebrate the passing of this milestone and to thank all those who have contributed to our work and achievements. The event is open to anyone from The Bourne and the wider area who is interested in finding out more about the Group and in the talk to be given by our distinguished guest speaker.

Continue reading “Celebration event for Group’s 20th anniversary” →

This article was kindly included by The Bourne Parish in its recent Quarterly Newsletter, published for the Jubilee weekend.

Members of the Church congregation may be aware of The Bourne Conservation Group (BCG) because of the work of its volunteers in the Old Churchyard. The Group’s 20th anniversary in 2022 is a good opportunity to celebrate all its other work and activities in the local area.

Continue reading “20 years of the Bourne Conservation Group” →