Nature Recovery in Easton on the Hill

Jeff Davies

In 2024 some of the residents of Easton in the Hill (EOTH) began working closely with Sophie van den Bergh from Rockingham Forest Vision (RFV) on a Parish Nature Recovery Plan. They were pleased to be awarded a Community Grant from the National Heritage Lottery through RFV and then another from the North Northants Rural Community fund to implement a nature recovery plan for the village. In this article Jeff, a key member of that group, describes what they have achieved so far and their plans for the coming years.

Initially the EOTH Nature recovery group identified five main areas within the village that would benefit from additional resources to improve biodiversity, community access and public interest. Examples include an dense Hawthorn thicket that requires thinning to create rides and clearings whilst maintaining a public shade area, a churchyard that has potential to convert amenity grassland into native flora meadows, a pocket park that requires pond improvements and several other smaller areas that will benefit from introduction of bird, bat and insect nest boxes, additional flora and native trees and hedges. A long standing concern about the demise of Swifts, House Martins and Swallows within the village has enabled us to purchase suitable nest stations that will involve using local residents properties. This will hopefully encourage ongoing monitoring.

The resource to achieve this would involve work parties which would would vary depending on safety issues and skill levels, but importantly open community days will be arranged involving all villagers.  The project will probably need three years to make an impact, dependent on volunteers, access and weather and started in winter 2024/2025.

As of May 2025 plenty of activity occurred over the winter period with the help of volunteers and the Trees and Greens committee from Easton on the Hill parish council. The tools and PPE we purchased were put into good use in the Hawthorns and elsewhere as was the the chainsaw refresher assigned to Robin Holwell. These will be useful on conservation projects going into the next couple of years. We also have some waders ready for a future pond clearance and w still have £150 credit from our tree supplier.

The five main recovery areas chosen are as follows with a description of work done and pending.

The Hawthorns

We’ve made a good start here working on a dense thicket in the south east corner of the sports pitches adjacent to Collyweston Deeps or quarry. The plan here is to open up the scrub to offer wider diversity. Letting sunlight in improves the understory, creating more flora and subsequently more invertebrates, birds and mammals. This has been set close to the Deeps fence so hopefully seed from this SSSI can blow in as can Butterflies and other insects. The ground flora has been augmented by planting suitable wildflower plugs, seed bombs, Gorse, Hazel and a couple of Wild Service trees.

Three rare butterfly species should benefit:, Green Hairstreak, Dingy and Grizzled skippers and the first of these has already been seen in the newly open glade. (Picture above). A tawny owl box has been erected ,as have various bird and bat boxes. I'm really pleased to report tha two of the nes boxes have been used already by Blue and Great Tits.

Plans for the next two winters are to clear another glade to the south of the area and then link the two glades with a north-south ride. More seeding, bird boxes, maybe some hedge laying and improved paths will be discussed subject to funding and interest.

Pocket park/Spring close

Bird, Bug and Bat boxes have been placed around the site and some marginal management has been completed around the pond. Careful management of the trees vegetation to blend with the more formal areas around the Polish War memorial will continue and we’ll do some some work to improve the pond and restrict the reeds from taking over. A Kestrel box will replace the existing Owl box which we hope to rebuild and use elsewhere.

Top Green.

This is a small area at the ned of West street. Careful management of the trees and scrub patch have been achieved and the plan is to increase and protect the villages only patch of Cowslips, maybe add some more flora types. Bird boxes have been placed and a Blackbird family are nesting in one these already.

Millenium garden.

Bird boxes have been added and the shrubs will be managed. A hedgehog house has been temporarily placed in the scrub and we'll look at putting in a more permanent feature here.

All Saints church.

Following on the bronze and two silver awards from the Northants Churchyard Conservation scheme, we have added a couple more bird boxes and intend to continue to increase the flora diversity in the older parts of the graveyard.

Some areas area becoming infested with ground elder which outcompetes sensitive plants so by clearing this year we can reseed in 2026. The heritage orchard area requires cultivation and the existing meadows will be continuously seeded with Yellow Rattle (photo below, left), which should weaken the amenity grasses and allow more wildflower species.

General areas

A few nest boxes have been dotted around suitable areas in other green patches around the village. Also three Oak trees and a selection of Heritage Fruit trees have been planted around the sports ground. The native tree and shrub planting undertaken in March 2024 is thriving and is well maintained.

Swifts, House Martins and Swallows

One area in which we can make a real difference in nature recovery is providing more nesting potential to birds that now need human structures to survive. Centuries ago, all three species above probably nested in trees, cliffs, caves, riverbank overhangs, etc. but now they have adapted to buildings.

Swifts in our village find holes in old Collyweston slate roofs and occasionally clay tiles, normally above the gutter and soffit line. Swallows or Barn Swallows as they are now known, nest in outbuildings, barns (yes!!), occasionally porches, open garages, stables etc. House Martins, build their mud nests under the gutter line often attached to the soffit/wall apex. All species have declined nationally ,and quite dramatically in this village. As a project we can’t do a great deal about the hazards of the massive migration these birds undertake from central and south Africa, nor about their problems finding food in the wintering grounds, nor the lack of insects actually here in the UK…or even the weather, but we can give them opportunities to nest. 

We have already installed a couple of Swift boxes in Church street and have more to fix if people want them, hopefully we can get these up ready for next spring. We need to have these near to existing Swift colonies which tend to be in the older buildings on Church Street and the High Street, although there is the occasional pair seen in Westfields

We also have purchased Swallow cups (left below) and House Martin cups (right below).

This year the plan is to use the Swallow cups in local stables and we know we have one or two pairs in them, so as long as the doors are left open these will be ideal. House Martin Nest cups need to be placed under or on soffits/gutters but not south facing unless under a ledge. Westfields and Western Avenue hold a small colony and these houses will be ideal. 

This summer we’ll establish who wants these and we’ll get the team to put them up when agreed. We still have an excellent Barn Owl box if a local farmer has room for one and we still have some Sparrow Terraces and Starling boxes.

Thanks to all the volunteers who have attended the work parties and contributed to the scheme.