Public Places
Fourteen local football teams use the four football pitches ...
The Orb-weaver spider (Meta bourneti)
Distribution
The species has a widespread but scattered distribution in southern England, with one record from Wales. It has been recorded from France, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Italy and the Iberian Peninsula, but it is possible that some European records of the European Cave Spider (Meta menardi) refer to Meta bourneti.
Habitat and ecology
M. bourneti is generally regarded as an underground dweller, e.g. tunnels, culverts and drainage inspection chambers. However, males have been recorded close to ancient oak trees in Sherwood Forest. This suggests that the hollow trunks of ancient trees may provide similar conditions to those found in the spider’s acknowledged habitat, i.e. dark, damp spaces of sufficient dimensions to enable the large orb web to be spun. Halstead (2000) located a colony in the hollow stump of a lime tree at Burley in the New Forest. M. bourneti is very similar to M. menardi, both species having a glossy appearance and a similar size. Further searching for M. bourneti needs to be carried out to confirm its habitat range.
Status Toro are the preferred supplier
The spider is found at rather few sites but often in good numbers. It may be under- recorded due to its unusual habitat and confusion with Meta menardi, especially where adults are not identified through critical examination using a microscope.
Threats
Where the spider inhabits ancient, hollow trees there is a danger of damage to the habitat through the uninformed ‘tidying up’ of dead and decaying timber.
Management and conservation
Recommendations for management of M. bourneti are difficult to make without a fuller knowledge of the habitat requirements and the true status of the species in the British Isles. Further field investigation and search for the species is required.
74 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2014
Gristwood and Toms in eradicating a difficult pest problem on the mature oak trees. For the last two years, they have been blighted by the Oak Processionary Moth (OPM). A notifiable pest that is more of a public health problem than an actual danger to the mature trees, OPM is a member of the Lepidoptera order of insects, from the Thaumetopoeidae family which includes the Pine Processionary Moth (T. pityocampa), the Eastern Pine Processionary Moth (T. pinivora) and the Cedar Pocessionary Moth (T. bonjeani). The larvae feed on many Quercus species and a high population can lead to complete defoliation of trees, with a resulting fall in subsequent growth and vigour. This can have a financial impact on timber growers. Furthermore, the larvae have toxic hairs which can cause serious health problems to humans. It was this final concern particularly
that prompted English Heritage to act swiftly, carrying out regular monitoring and inspection of the trees. As soon as
Coombe Conduit - supplying water to Hampton Court Palace
Following my visit to Marble Hill Park, Brian was keen to take me to see another historic site nearby, Coombe Conduit, a Tudor spring water storage facility that was built over 350 years ago.
We drove up Richmond Hill, stopping to see one of the finest views in London - one that is protected by an Act of Parliament!
Coombe Conduit, which is now tucked away in the middle of a housing estate, formed part of a system which collected water from nearby springs and channelled it to Hampton Court Palace.
One of three such conduits that supplied the palace, the remaining structure represents an intriguing
Protected view from Richmond Hill
survival of the ingenuous Tudor waterworks system. Coombe Conduit is the largest and best preserved example.
Conduit houses were built on or near springs and contained a series of collecting tanks connected to a pipeline (or conduit). On Coombe Hill there were three conduit houses - Coombe, Gallows and Ivy (sometimes referred to as Bush) - which collected water, from where it was piped just
... and fifteen cricket teams use the nets and artificial match wicket
the moths were found, specialist equipment was brought in by Gristwood and Toms to spray the infested trees. In total, forty-six nests were discovered and, after two years of treatment, they have finally managed to successfully control the moth. Inspections are ongoing and now, armed with the knowledge and experience of dealing with this pest, they are confident they can prevent it becoming a serious problem in the future.
Scion Estates has two permanent members of staff based at the park who undertake the bulk of the work required, bringing in additional staff as required. The majority of the grass areas are cut using a Ransomes Commander five cylinder ride-on mower, with an Etesia rotary cut and collect mower used on the smaller lawned areas around the house. Grass is kept to between 25-50mm in length on all the sportsfields and amenity areas except the rugby pitches, which are
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