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THE CHRONICLE
Step into the library…
For this blog, we’ve captured the feeling of stepping into a beautiful, tranquil library, looking out onto the rolling English countryside as you browse through our posts.
We’ve created a labyrinthine collection for everyone, whether you are an interested adult learner, dreaming of donning a velvet smoking jacket and immersing yourself in a fireside expedition through canonical scholarship or a budding researcher, eager to equip yourself for exciting fieldwork. For university and A level students, your studies should not be just a matter of cramming knowledge into your head: here, you can relax, immerse yourself in your specialism and enjoy it!
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An Otter Stops By!
We set up a wildlife camera in our historic Victorian spinney and it recently captured one visitor we weren’t expecting—a beautiful wild otter! This came as a surprise, because, although we do have a wildlife pond next to our woodland, we have never seen an otter there before. Otters are semiaquatic, meaning that they hunt, feed and mate in water, but shelter, sleep and birth on land. They tend to prefer running water, such as rivers and streams, but they can also be fo
Feb 20
Pioneers of the Ancient Wildwood
I n 2022, we planted our own native woodland from scratch on one of our fields. This year, we’ve identified a few sparse areas that need a little help, so we’ve planted some silver birch and rowan—two “pioneer species” that create ideal conditions for a new wood! Dr. Orton investigates… Around eleven thousand years ago, as the ice sheets retreated, trees arrived in Britain’s arctic grassland. These trees— birch, pine, aspen and hazel—were the pioneers that would create Brita
Feb 17
Meet the Badgers who Live in Our Victorian Woodland
We’ve set up a wildlife camera next to a badger latrine in our spinney and the results have been delightful! Dr. Orton introduces our stripy, stocky mustelids… We’ve set up a wildlife camera in our historic Victorian spinney to spy on our native British wildlife and more recent arrivals. Our camera recently captured footage of Britain’s largest land predator having a good old scratch to get rid of those pesky fleas! Those pesky fleas! Badgers are unmistakable mustelids wit
Feb 11
The Oak Tree and the God of Thunder
Many of our native trees have a special association with Anglo-Saxon paganism. Last week, we looked at the ash tree and its link to Woden and the runes. In this week’s post, Dr. Orton investigates the oak tree and its possible links to the god of thunder! Part three of our Trees and Anglo-Saxon Paganism series, in which we explore the links between our native British trees and Anglo-Saxon paganism!* This series is more academically dense than some of our other posts. For a
Jan 19
The Ash Tree: England’s Link to the Ancient Runes
We’ve planted our own native woodland and named it Woden’s Wood, after the Anglo-Saxon god Woden , Allfather of the English people ! Many of our native trees have a special association with Anglo-Saxon paganism. In this week’s post, Dr. Orton investigates the ash tree, England’s link to the ancient runes! Part of our Trees and Anglo-Saxon Paganism series, in which we explore the links between our native British trees and Anglo-Saxon paganism!* This series is more acade
Jan 14
Native British Trees and Anglo-Saxon Paganism
Introducing our new series, in which we explore the links between our native British trees and Anglo-Saxon paganism!* This post serves as a caveat for the historical claims in the following posts, as well as the use of certain terminology, before we get to the investigation of different trees in the main series! This series is more academically dense than some of our other posts. For a quicker, more accessible read, take a look at our posts about our native woodland or anima
Jan 8
Highlights from a British Woodland
Dr. Orton reflects on some of the most special moments from our woodland animals in 2025! All of the animals in our woodlands are special, but some of the highlights this year have included our foxes, polecats, tawny owls and their owlets! Fantastic Foxes Foxes are one of my favourite animals and one of the most exciting things this year was watching our family of foxes grow up. Our wildlife camera often captured the pair play-fighting in the spinney during the longer
Dec 29, 2025
We Have Polecats! Meet our Beautiful Bandits
For the first time, we’ve captured polecats on our wildlife camera! Dr. Orton introduces our beautiful woodland bandits… Imagine my...
Oct 3, 2025
Beautiful Beavers! The Return of Britain’s Ecosystem Engineers
A once-lost native species, ecosystem engineer and Europe’s largest rodent, the beaver is back in Britain! Dr. Orton investigates… This...
Sep 22, 2025
Wonderful Water Voles!
Water voles may be timid, but they shouldn’t be underestimated. The little rodents arrived in Britain following epic journeys across...
Sep 15, 2025
Otters are Back! The Return of Britain’s Mesmerising Mustelids
Exceptional hunters, sensational swimmers and sleek in the water, otters are one of Britain’s most charming native animals. Dr. Orton...
Sep 8, 2025
Pine Martens: Acrobats Of the Ancient Wildwood
Iconic, elusive and lithe, pine martens are one of Britain’s rarest native mammals. They scale trees effortlessly and if they fall, they...
Sep 1, 2025
Polecats are Back! The Return of Britain’s Beautiful Bandits
Polecats are a bit bigger than stoats, and are recognisable by their dark “bandit mask” across their eyes. Once confined to Wales, they...
Aug 25, 2025
Red Squirrels: Britain’s Uncommon Acrobats
Acrobatic, agile and double jointed, red squirrels are Britain’s native squirrel. Dr. Orton investigates the nimble little rodents and...
Aug 18, 2025
Rhythms of the Wildflower Meadow
Why do some wildflowers flourish some years but are hardly seen the next? Dr. Orton investigates the natural rhythm of the wildflower...
Aug 11, 2025
The Butterfly Summer: British Butterflies of the Wildflower Meadow
The summer of 2025 has been great for butterflies! We have 57 species of butterfly in the UK, along with two migrant species and over...
Jul 28, 2025
Unsung Heroes of the Wildflower Meadow: Highlights of The Year So Far
In honour of National Meadows Day 2025, we highlight some of the most abundant plants in our wildflower meadow so far this year. B...
Jul 5, 2025
Meet the Owlets! Baby Tawny Owls Caught on Our Wildlife Camera
Last autumn, we introduced you to our resident pair of tawny owls , Mayweather and Dempsey. The exciting news is that they are breeding, and produced two chicks this spring! With pictures from our wildlife camera, meet our new owlets! Tawny owls usually mate for life and lay two or three eggs in the spring. This March, our contact from the Barn Owl Trust checked our owl box and found that Dempsey was sitting on two eggs. By April, there were two chicks! Photo credit: Michae
Jun 3, 2025
Hazel: A Native British Tree
Hazel trees are a feature of European folklore, a haven for wildlife, and a food source for humans. Dr. Orton introduces one of Britain’s most fascinating native trees! Also known by its Latin name corylus avellana , hazel is one of Britain’s most iconic native trees: one of the first to colonise Britain after the last ice age! Hazel is easily recognisable even in winter, as trees often have multiple trunks growing in clusters. You’ll see that the bark is smooth and grey-brow
Mar 31, 2025
Incredible Deadwood: Why Dead and Decaying Wood is Good for Our Forests
Deadwood is the dead and decaying wood that lies in our woodlands - fallen branches, rotting stumps and dead trees which still stand,...
Jan 24, 2025
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