Meeting Reports July 2025

Date: Thursday 3rd July 2025.
Start time: 10.30am.
Duration of visit: 3 to 4 hours.
Distance: ¾ mile max.
Leaders: Nora Boyle and Colin Howes

Proprietors: Kerry & Richard Haslam. Home Farm & Lodge 

Background Notes: The Austerfield parish is celebrated for its biodiversity, not least for its geographical position as the first port of call for new species moving into the Yorkshire region. Following a popular YWT Open Gardens event on 8 May, which showed the site had a potential for a natural history survey, the leaders arranged with the site owners Kerry & Richard Haslam to organize a bioblitz, commencing with the opening of a moth trap set the previous evening.

This linear site which extends east ca. 240m from the A614 Austerfield High Street, commences with the 18^th century Home Farm main buildings, followed by a series of brick and pantile agricultural outbuildings converted into holiday lodges. Gardens are planted up with culinary herbs and a range of species to attract pollinating and nectar-feeding insects. Extensive use of recycled building materials, railway sleepers etc. have been employed in the garden design with a view to providing refuges for a range of invertebrates. The boundary hedgerows (which exhibit a fascinatingly low browse-line to the height of the miniature goats) are species-rich, provide bird nesting sites and are maintained to provide blossom for pollinating and nectaring insects. The four major canopy trees in a row down the centre of the lower pasture are remnants of an 18^th century field boundary.

Take photographs of anything you find of interest, bring identification guides and try to list the species you find (plant, animal or fungi) and we shall see what biodiversity the site supports.

Parking: Parking is available in the layby between Home Farm and the High Street. If this area becomes congested there is additional parking to the rear of the adjacent Mayflower Pub.

Toilets: Toilets are being made available in the Farm building.

Topography: The site is relatively flat, generally safe and does not appear to present difficulties for walkers.  

Livestock: Livestock [poultry, and Goats] is enclosed and a group of white farm Ducks is on the pond within the lower field. A group of Bee hives with active colonies are in a fenced-off area at the north-eastern corner of the site.

Refreshments: Bring packed lunches by all means but a good menu is available next door at the Mayflower Pub.

CAH.