Public Places
Radio-controlled mower at work on the steep banks at Pickering Castle
most cases, it has to be done by hand using brushcutters. We next moved on to Pickering Castle, another site offering similar management problems to Helmsley Castle, having many steep banks to maintain. The castle was built around 1070 as part of
William the Conqueror’s ‘Harrying of the North’, which was being carried out at this time to punish rebellion and discourage any further thoughts of the same. One of the contractors, The Gavin Jones
Group, was on site carrying out the ‘once in three years’ grass cutting and collecting all the grass from the site. It is quite an arduous and daunting task
due to the limited accessibility of the site and the sheer scale and size of the steep banks to be maintained. However, in recent years, the contractor has resorted to using radio controlled flail mowers to undertake this task, hiring in, on a daily rate, a specialised mower and trained operator. It was intriguing to see this work going on.
I was amazed at the speed and skill of the operator and the capability of this machine to work on such steep banks without rolling over. The mower was a tracked diesel powered flail model that could be controlled from 150 metres away. Even though most of the steep banks were
able to be cut with this machine, there was still a need for some manual work for the really steep and difficult areas, along with the need to rake and collect the cut grass. English Heritage have recognised the risks involved in carrying out this work and have installed fall arrest systems at all sites requiring works on steep banks. The possibility of grazing for this type of
work is, again, being considered. Another issue highlighted at Pickering was the management of trees, especially large mature species that have shown signs of decay. English Heritage has a policy of carrying out a professional survey on their trees on a fifteen month cycle, with interim observation carried out by their own site staff and managers when on site. The fifteen month interval has been introduced intentionally so as to ensure formal inspections are carried out at different times
88 I PC APRIL/MAY 2014
of the year. This approach helps build a comprehensive knowledge of each tree and its particular condition and characteristics throughout the seasons and aids the identification of issues such as the presence of fungi or wildlife. There were two large mature trees
identified with some signs of decay, both of which were on a public right of way. Mick’s concern was that some branches might fall off and cause injury so, after further inspection, he carried out work to reduce the canopy weight of the trees. Mick was keen to prolong the life of these mature trees as they provide a haven for wildlife and insects. However, he knows it is only a stay of execution before they have to be felled. Our final destination was Whitby Abbey, a
ruined Benedictine Abbey overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above the town. The first monastery on the site was
founded in 657 AD and was subjected to several raids by the Danes between 867 and 870, following which it remained desolate for more than 200 years. In 1078, a second monastery was built which lasted until it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1540. Though the abbey fell into ruin, it remained a prominent landmark for sailors and also helped inspire Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ published in 1897. In 1914, the abbey was shelled by the German Battlecruisers, Von der Tann and Derfflinger, which were reportedly aiming for
‘Inside’ Whitby Abbey
the signal post on the end of the headland. Scarborough and Hartlepool were also attacked. The abbey sustained considerable damage during the ten minute attack, but this was repaired after the war. Whitby Abbey is a stunning example of a
large medieval monastery and, again, the main maintenance issue is the management of the grass cutting around and adjacent to the site, although there is an old pond within the grounds that, in recent years, required dredging to de-silt it. The land adjacent to the abbey is, on
occasions, used for staging other events, such as concerts, so it is often a case of working in the general maintenance of these sites to accommodate these events. Like the majority of English Heritage sites,
the contractors endeavour to start early to enable them to complete the main mowing tasks and the use of noisy machines before the visitors arrive on site at 10.00am. Visiting these four unique sites provided a
fascinating insight into the work that English Heritage perform to ensure they can be enjoyed by generations to come. With in excess of 150,000 visitors a year between them, these historically rich sites show that there is a genuine interest in our heritage. Something our Government may wish to consider when it comes to the ongoing financing of English Heritage.
Whitby Abbey - a prominent landmark
Whitby Abbey pond
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