Sandy Land

Some place-names are steeped in mystery; how did a village get the name Shellow Bowells? Others are blindingly obvious; the land around the village of Sandy is, well, sandy! It stands at the foot of a sandstone hill and that's where we're exploring today.

The way in which we've valued or dismissed this landscape over the centuries is a lesson in human indecision and fickleness. A hunting ground for stone-age man.  A safe haven in the Bronze Age.  A barren worthless tract of heathland. A useful source of building stone.  A place only fit for breeding rabbits. An exclusive site to build a country residence. A good place to grow conifers. A store for ammunition in World War II.  A valuable habitat for birds which should be restored to it's former state. A place to observe wildlife and wander through glorious heathland. Lets take a rather random stroll through the area.

One thing you notice if you've travelled from the rich agricultural lands of Cambridgeshire is the prevalence of bracken around here. It starts to appear in roadside verges and among the woodland trees in a way which is unusual in the wider area. I know all about its carcinogenic properties and how it is a pernicious weed but I still like to photograph it; something to do with hearing it called "fairy ferns" in my childhood perhaps.

The present guardian of the site, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, is trying to restore deciduous woodland to part of the area, removing most of the conifers which have been planted in the past. Oak woodland supports more insects and birdlife than coniferous plantations.

Insect life like this gorgeous Peacock butterfly. I also saw lots of Speckled Wood butterflies dancing through the sunlight.

The RSPB has its national headquarters at Sandy in this fine old house called The Lodge. The house was built for Sir Arthur Wellesley Peel, son of the Prime Minister Robert Peel, in about 1870. 

The pool in front of the house was constructed originally as a swimming pool for Sir Malcolm Stewart, a keen swimmer, who bought the estate in 1934. It now is a ornamental feature with water lilies and a fountain.

The RSPB purchased the property in 1961 after Princess Margaret decided not to buy. It was a major expenditure for what was then a small organisation. But people inhabited the area a long time before even Sir Arthur set his heart upon living here.

Nearby is the site of Galley Hill iron age fort, built around 2000 years ago. Now that the conifers have been felled you can wander around the banks and ditches and wonder at the huge amount of work involved in its construction.

The old quarry, greatly enlarged when Sir Arthur took it into his head to have the whole estate surrounded by a stone wall, is now a breeding area for many birds and a good place to observe bats in the evening.

The RSPB are working hard to restore the heathland and are having some success as both Dartford Warblers and Nightjars, two specialities of the habitat, are slowly returning to the area. The heather in August is a wonderful spectacle.

And some people just like to photograph that pesky bracken!

Take care.