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This page looks at Local Projects which are underway or proposed in and around Bredwardine and Brobury. At the moment, these include: The Crafta Webb Film Project Additional Premieres - For more details on the Crafta Webb Premieres at the Courtyard in Hereford and at the Hay-on-Wye Festival please follow this link. Film Premiere - Saturday, November 3rd 2007 was the date for the unveiling of the film 'Crafta Webb', that was made by local people under the guidance of the Rural Media Company, Hereford. Crafta Webb is an abandoned settlement high on Bredwardine Hill where many families, some very poor, lived in Victorian times. The poor were perhaps encouraged to settle there by the possibility of receiving assistance through the Jarvis Charity which then covered Bredwardine, Letton and Staunton-on-Wye. The Charity still exists in the area, but no longer distributes coal and meat! Click here to go to the Jarvis page The venue for the premiere, Moccas Village Hall, was packed by those involved in the making of the drama film (about 30 min long), and the other related short documentary films. Everyone who participated in the film received a free DVD on which were the Crafta Webb Drama; the Making of the Drama; the Crafta Webb Animation and Making of the Animation; Crafta Webb Victorians; Photo Galleries; and the Archaeology of Crafta Webb. There is also a 40-page book that describes the evolution of the project, and the history of the site. The DVD can be purchased from Rural Media in Hereford on 01432 344039 and from Jen Maddison in Bredwardine on 01981 500048. Archaeology Report - the report by Christopher Atkinson of the work done during the Project on the archaeology of Crafta Webb and the surrounding area is also available at Herefordshire Archaeology's website, the Sites and Monuments Record. Click on the link: http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/DownloadReports.htm and look for 'Herefordshire Archaeology Report No. 227'. 2007 Programme - The main location filming was concluded on 17th June 2007 with the crowd scenes at the site of the Crafta Webb settlement below Bredwardine Hill. A truly memorable day. Thanks to all who took part, and to Sarah and Dave Morgan for putting their barn at the disposal of the group and for organising "vittals".
In July 2007, the professionals put the filming efforts of the past months together, aided by the small local group who formed the heart of the production. At the same time, these and other locals prepared further filmed and written material which were added to the Crafta Webb story.
Herefordshire Nature Trust Community Commons Project Team has developed a Management Plan for Merbach Hill involving 'commoners' and other interested locals. This plan purposes to maintain the common as a partially open space, to restrict the encroachment of bracken, scrub and woodland in order to preserve the biodiversity. Next Work Day: Monday, September 29, 2008 10am Fungus Foray on Merbach Hill Common You are most welcome to come along. We will meet at the new gate where the bridleway joins the eastern edge of the common (grid ref SO309447). This can be approached by walking along the green lane from the minor road at SO315443. Please come equipped with sturdy footwear (strong shoes or wellington boots), warm clothes and waterproofs in case of a shower. Please note that due to potential disturbance to wildlife, you are asked not to bring dogs. This event is free and everyone is welcome. So that we have an idea of the number of people planning to attend, please contact Judy Hart at judy.hart@hnt-commons.co.uk or phone 01432 853 205, if you would like to come along.
Historical News from the Merbach Hill
August Work Day 2008 July Work Day 2008 For the last few volunteer work parties we have been concentrating on step-building in the woodland in the north-eastern corner of Merbach Hill Common. However, for August we have decided to do some clearance of vegetation that is encroaching on the path that runs along the northern edge of the common. This is the path that was opened up during the first work parties we had on the common. Butterflies abound! May Botanical Walk Disucssions are in progress regarding the position and content of Interpretation panels to be placed near access points. Spring Work Days 2008 Reptile Work Day, January 29th 2008. Last Tuesday proved another successful work day on Merbach Common, which focused on Reptile Habitat. Five enthusiastic Merbach volunteers cleared scrub, mainly young ash, hawthorn and bramble, much of which was shading small clumps of heather. Scrub was also cleared to improve open grassland and the dwarf scrub mosaic for reptiles and butterflies. All our common native reptiles are now ‘Priority Biodiversity Action Plan’ species. The last couple of years records for Merbach were extremely low for reptile records. Slow worm is the only species encountered. No other reptile species has been seen recently, but with the new clearance work undertaken, it should encourage grass snake in the area. The pond on Merbach has Smooth Newt, Common Frog and Common Toad present. A series of anthills in this same area could possibly date back 50 to 100 years. If you have any questions about the work-day or about the project in general, or wish to be added to the mailing list, please phone the Community Commons Project on 01432 853205. If you want further details of the Merbach Hill Commons Project please e-mail Tim Breakwell Herefordshire Nature Trust Community Commons Project or call on 01432 853 205.
Crafta Webb - Community Film Project Overview The Rural Media Company and the communities of Bredwardine, Staunton and Letton embarked on a year-long community film project to uncover the mystery of the lost hamlet of Crafta Webb (Map). This settlement on Bredwardine Hill expanded rapidly in the early 1800s as a result of the George Jarvis Charity which was set up by George's will to help the poor of the three villages mentioned above. The Rev. Kilvert referred to some of the residents of Crafta Webb in his Diary between 1877 and 1879, but fifty years on it had all but disappeared. The Hereford Sites and Monuments Record (see External Links page) refers to it as a shrunken village, which is still marked on Ordnance Survey maps. No-one knows what happened to the people who once lived there, how they lived and what it was that eventually made them leave. Residents of the communities have formed a steering group to research the history of the hamlet (also known as Crafty Webb, Croftywebb), and they will help devise, write, perform and produce the finished film with the Rural Media Company. Already there have been offers of help from the County Archives, Hereford Library and the Hereford Archaeologists, and someone has been in touch to pass on a detailed family tree of one of the residents. As well as helping shape and perform in the drama planned about the hamlet, locals will aslo have a chance to train in digital film making and create, shoot and edit their own documentary about the settlement. The Crafta Webb project has been part financed by the European Union and DEFRA through the Herefordshire Rivers LEADER + Programme. Local publications including Hereford Splash have featured this project, The Lost Hamlet of Crafta Webb. Never a dull moment. A task for everyone and everyone for a task. If you are curious, here is our ever-evolving project plan and timeline ( WORK PLAN ). In an effort to piece together WHO lived WHERE in Crafta Webb back in the 1850s, we have searched the census, going back to 1841, 1851 and 1881. What we do know: Home to dozens of families Crafta Webb sprang up overnight, when, it is said, an erect chimney-stack with smoke meant you could claim land rights. The settlement had its own grocer, tailor and shoemaker and Francis Kilvert (the local reverend famous for his accounts of Victorian rural life) reports visiting it in his diaries to hold cottage lectures. Nothing now remains on the hill and county records refer only to a "shrunken village" although the name Crafta Webb still appears on Ordnance Survey maps today! No one knows what happened to the people who once resided there, how they lived and what it was that eventually made them leave. The story of Crafta Webb is one that the majority of Herefordshire's population know nothing about and yet its existence has many modern day parallels and raises vitally important questions for 21st century rural life (housing and land rights, rapid demographic change, in-migration etc.) This unique and compelling tale needs to be told; its resonance will not only be felt by those people who live in the immediate area, but by the whole of the county. Crafta Webb shouldn't be a mysterious footnote in Herefordshire's heritage, its incredible story should be fully researched and uncovered by those communities that still live in its shadow. The Crafta Webb project has already generated considerable interest and excitement from local communities and groups, Herefordshire Council and key cultural agencies. Rural Media will work closely with Herefordshire Museum and Library Service, the Records Office and Archaeology department to "re-build" this unique settlement. In 2007 Crafta Webb will rise again. Progress: An open meeting for everyone in Bredwardine and Brobury was held, on Thursday March 23rd 2006 in the Bredwardine and Brobury Village Hall. An update of our Crafta Webb Film Project was given. Many shared stories and tales of they remembered about the Victorian hamlet of CRAFTA WEBB, which disappeared sometime around 1923. Historical Progress in the Crafta Webb Project: Success! The application by the Rural Media Company for a grant from the Heritage Lottery to continue with this project was successful. As a result, there have been two series of sessions, open to all and held between October and December 2006. One grouplooked at "Research and Archaeology" and the other at the "Drama and Documentary" films. The field training in archaeology by Herefordshire Archaeology took place in and around the abandoned hamlet of Crafta Webb and a lot of useful physical information was collected from the area. Local people continued with documentary research, which formed the basis for the films. The film group met over the same period and covered the basics of film production, with Lou Osborne lead on script writing. The drama group met on Saturday 16th December from 1-4pm at Bredwardine Village Hall, and the final meeting of 2006 for the whole project took place at Staunton on Wye School on December 20th 2006 at 6.30pm, where the primary school pupils presented their own delightful animation of a visit by the Reverend Kilvert to Crafta Webb. Short films recalling some of the other activities in the last three months were also shown to the large group assembled, who enjoyed mince pies and mulled wine. As well as helping research, devise and perform in a new film drama planned about the hamlet, you will also have the opportunity to train in digital filmmaking and create, shoot and edit a documentary. The two films will form part of a package which will also include a 20 page booklet, detailing the background to the project, these will then be distributed regionally, nationally and internationally.
The main management proposals under consideration are: Eight members of the Steering Group met on 20th September 2006 at the Red Lion Hotel, Bredwardine. Tim Breakwell, the Community Commons Project Officer, confirmed that the proposed Management Plan for the Merbach has been approved by the Heritage Lottery Fund. He then reviewed the current Merbach Hill Management Work Plan. Clearing the walking paths for access to the Merbach was determined to be the first priority of the next phase. Two work days have already taken place in November and December and this has opened up the path along the northern boundary from the Wye Valley Walk eastwards. There will be further work days in 2007 - watch this space. If you are interested in participating with this effort or any aspect of the project, please contact Tim Breakwell. Merbach Hill Common -Diary of Activities
In Spring 2007 Bird Nest boxes were set up on the northern edge of the Common, having been provided through a collaborative effort involving the Commons Project, a local woodworker, Clifford School and others. The boxes were well received by the local blue tits which occupied nearly all of the boxes, and produced many little ones.
MERBACH HILL BUTTERFLY SURVEY Butterfly Monitoring has been carried out weekly through the summer on the transect route defined on the Common earlier in the year - though the variable weather has meant many false starts. A summary of the results for this first year can be found by clicking here. Photos and descriptions of UK butterfly and moth species are available at http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/species/index.php. The Work Day on 2nd Oct 2007 successfully refreshed the clearing done during the first few Work Days last winter on the path along the northern boundary and back up to the south-west to join the Wye Valley Walk August 6th 2006 - Sunday proved a bit breezy for our Lepidoptera "friends"on Merbach Hill. Despite the wind and light cloud cover though, our Butterfly Survey group managed to observe seven species common to Herefordshire. Our Speckled Wood was missing along with the Meadow Browns but it was a pleasure to see so many Gatekeepers! An occasional Painted Lady, Peacock, Green-Veined White, Small White plus one Small Heath and Ringlet completed our study on the day. We theorized now that the Brambles are beginning to fruit there are fewer blossoms to attract the butterflies. July 23rd 2006 -Sunday was a perfect day to wander around Merbach Hill in search of local butterflies. The Merbach Hill Butterfly Survey is part of the Herefordshire Nature Trust Community Commons Project. Despite the fact that the Merbach does not currently have much vegetation to lure and sustain butterflies, nine difference species were sited during our three-hour walk. They ranged from a plethora of Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns and Ringlets, all of which are generally orange to brown in colour. Our sightings also included some more bold-coloured butterflies like the Painted Lady, Peacock and Red Admiral, which are large-sized butterflies. The find of the day was the Speckled Wood, located near a stand of elm and birch trees. Several Green-Veined White and Small White completed the list of Merbach Hill Butterflies in residence on Sunday. Interesting to note that all of the Gatekeeper Butterflies, which were sited on the Merbach were smaller in size than normal. Bramble blossoms proved to be the favourite butterfly food, followed closely by the Common Knapweed and Thistle. Some of the butterflies feed on Fine Grasses and Wild Yarrow which were found under the dense canopy of Bracken. July 2nd 2006 - Local Butterfly Expert Ray Harberd, with a few interested villagers, walked the MERBACH on Sunday in their continuing survey of butterflies as part of the ongoing COMMONS PROJECT. Due to the dense growth of bracken on the MERBACH, there is a shortage of butterfly "food" for the native butterflies. Despite this meagre amount of available plant food for the butterflies, a few specimens were seen. They included several MEADOW BROWN BUTTERFLIES, RINGLETS, PAINTED LADIES, one COMMA, and one LARGE WHITE. It was interesting to note that the latter two species of butterfly fly high above the bracken along the tree line, whereas the MEADOW BROWN, RINGLET, PAINTED LADY fly low, just above the bracken. It was lovely to see the MEADOW BROWN flying in circles as they performed their mating flight. The English butterfly love this hot summer and were warming themselves with wings spread wide open. When the the butterfly sits with close wings, they very likely at having a bite to eat. All very fascinating! The White-Letter Hairstreak Butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of the elm leaf. In early May, elm trees were inspected for signs of White-Letter Hairstreak Butterfly larva. No larva were spotted then and as a result no White-Letter Hairstreak Butterflies have been seen to date. Unfortunately the group noted that one of the larger elm tree on the Merbach appears to be dieing possibly due to Dutch Elm disease and/or the dry weather. The focus of of this initial part of the survey is to identify the number of butterfly species reside on the MERBACH. This statistic will serve as a baseline for future reference. Numbers of butterflies sited to date are very low. This is proprably largely due to the lack of plant food for the butterfly population. At the conclusion of this phase, the group will discuss their findings with the Common Management Planning Group to conclude if the MERBACH is not a suitable site to conduct the Pollard Butterfly Transect as recommended in the management plan. May 7th 2006 - Conservation of butterflies and moths is included as part of the Merbach Hill Common Management Project. It is hoped that the White-Letter Hairstreak Butterfly is alive and well in the elms trees located on the Merbach. Specific monitoring for this butterfly plus the small heath butterfly can be accomplished using the Pollard Butterfly Transect as recommended in the management plan. Local Butterfly Expert Ray Harberd, with a few interested villagers, conducted an initial survey of Merbach Hill on May 7th. The day was spent identifying areas where local butterflies may live and breed. Due to the elevation of Merbach it is too early to expect to see a lot of butterfly activity. Only two Orange Tips were spotted, but then the garlic is just now starting to bloom on the Merbach. May 3rd 2006 - Fifteen people attended our second meeting of the Merbach Hill Common Management Planning Group. The group reviewed the proposed Community Commons Project Officers Management Plan for MERBACH HILL. Aerial photographs showing proposed fencing and proposed areas for bracken cutting or rolling were discussed. The plan recommended that grazing should be re-established for sheep, ponies and possibly cattle, that some coppicing and tree clearance be done to enhance the views and to encourage butterfly and moth populations, install wooden bird boxes and nesting tubes plus hibernation boxes for dormice. Clifford School has whole-heartedly embraced the idea of using the Merbach for educational purposes. Of the twelve commons included in this Community Commons Project, Merbach Hill is the first to have a school adopt a common area for their learning activities. Congratulations Clifford School!
MERBACH HILL REPTILE HIBERNACULA The Reptile Day on Tuesday 24th April 2007 was again unproductive. Nigel Hand, the County Recorder for Reptiles came to the common to survey for reptiles, but no individuals or signs of them were found, despite additional searches on the western flanks of the common. Adders, grass snakes, slow worms and lizards have been seen on other commons already this year. However, Phil Bauer did spot a slow worm on the sunny western slopes later in the year - 7 June 2007. April 24th 2006 - On Monday Nigel Hand, Country Amphibian and Reptile Recorder, conducted a "fieldtrip" for a selected group around the Merbach, identifying where reptiles and amphibians might be tempted to hibernate and to reside. It is thought that the common may provide suitable habitat for reptiles such as adders, grass snakes and slow worms. Spring is a good time to survey for reptiles when they are emerging from their winter hibernation. Knowledge of the locations of these hibernacula can be used to better manage and preserve their habitat. The goal is for the selected individuals to monitor reptile and amphibian activity during the upcoming year.
MERBACH HILL BAT OBSERVATION
Bat Evening at Merbach Hill Common, Friday 8th June 2007 Contacts: Tim Breakwell, Community Commons Project, 01432 853 205
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