Hands Off Hartlebury Common

Steve McCarron

/ #432 erosion

2011-06-30 18:01

Walking around the common today I was shocked to see the level of erosion east of the pine plantation. Adjacent to a bench overlooking the lower terrace 2 cubic meters of soil have slumped  and a chunk of terrace is missing. The decay to hartlebury common is taking place at an unprecedented rate. Hardly a day goes by now without some significant change.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x395/stevemac2/morebrash.jpg...

This top picture shows the level ground and path adjacent to the bench. It is as if a bite has been taken out of the landscape. even the bracken is sucumbing to the changing habitat.

This picture shows more cut gorse and the hole that has been created

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x395/stevemac2/moreerosion.jpg...

The effects of gravity, wind, rain, the killing of the gorse, the destruction of the areas integrity have made it even more suceptable to further damage and on top of all that, there is pedestrian traffic and cattle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is where the resulting soil- sand has ended up. Approximatley 2 cubic metres have cascaded down and have settled up to 50 feet away. This and other disturbances are resulting in the most significant changes to the common in such a short period of time in its history. Put it this way, if this level of decline was initiated by prehistoric settlers, to this extent as claimed by WCC, by now the common and its terraces would be far  less prounounced and its features less distinct. Ie the sharp transitions from terrace to slope. It would have a much more rounded appearence.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x395/stevemac2/DSCF6464.jpg...