Thursday 12/12/2024 I brought my chainsaw as we expected fallen trees after the storms and there was one blocking the track on our way to the mill, I cut through the trunk and Eddie and Howard cleared the debris away so we could get past.
When we got to the mill there was another fallen tree opposite the water wheel blocking the Nar Valley Way footpath. We're lucky it fell where it did, a few metres in either direction would have demolished the bench seat or damaged our information sign.
Eddie emptied ash from the fire onto the garden as it deters slugs and has nutrients, he then lit the fire. Howard bought sausage rolls from Royal Butchers of Dersingham and put them in the oven above the fire in the wagon. We had coffee with some biscuits which Beryl gave us, Howard inspected our new gas hose and tested the smoke alarm.
We loaded up wheelbarrows with chainsaws, loppers and handsaws and went across our bridge to cut away the fallen tree. Howard and I cut the tree-top and branches off and Eddie cut them up and put them aside for wildlife. The tree trunk was big, so we just cut away enough for walkers to get past.
Daniel from Norfolk Council came out to inspect the tree as someone had reported it. We told him what we were doing and he will arrange for contractors to clear the rest of the tree. The Swan family were in the river next to us while we were working.
Howard and Eddie took turns to go back to the wagon to keep the fire going. At lunch time we all went back for our hot sausage rolls which we enjoyed. We wore neck ties today, as Howard said that as he was bringing Royal sausage rolls we should all dress for dinner. I told Howard about the research into the bone mill workers from the 1800s. Howard said he enjoyed reading the KL Magazine article about the mill.
In the afternoon we went back to the fallen tree to cut up the pieces for fire wood. There was a lot so I drove the Gator down to the farm bridge and back up the other side and we loaded all the logs, which I brought back to the mill and tipped out by the log store. I saw a pair of Swans near the bridge and a Cormorant flying over the river.
The storms had blown our fencing, bird feeding station and two of the insect hotels over. Howard straightened and staked down the insect hotels, Eddie straightened and filled the bird feeding station, but the fences will have to wait until another time.
I posted on Narborough Facebook pages so walkers know the footpath is clear. Paul and Spencer from S & P Motors garage have cleared another fallen tree from the footpath in the other direction from the village towards the A47.
Thursday 19/12/2024 At The Maltings I saw a Little Egret which flew up from the river. Beryl had a pallet of salt for the water softeners in the holiday cottages delivered, so I got the forklift and brought the pallet over, Eddie and I unloaded the bags and stacked them in the garage and got Beryl’s Christmas decorations out for the cottages.
I brought a bag of bird seed and box of suet balls today which we loaded up and took to the mill. Our first job was refitting the windscreen wiper on the Gator as it came off last week, I repaired it by fitting a screw to hold it onto the wiper arm, Eddie fitted it back on the windscreen.
We noticed the Barn Owl box was back up in the tree, Emma and David fitted it a few days ago. Eddie switched on the camera system to check the camera in the box was working and noticed the bird feeding station had blown over again out of view.
I filled a bird seed feeder to use up the old seed and Eddie emptied the new suet balls and bird seed into the sealed containers, then we filled the rest of the feeders and Eddie straightened the feeding station pole again. A Wren was flying around in the visitor centre, it went into the roof, we think they can get in and out as we often see them around the building. We saw Moorhens eating fallen seed in the grass.
The tree which fell across the footpath last week shed another large bough which fell and covered the bench seat with brash but did not damage it. Eddie cleared the brash with loppers and I used the chainsaw to cut away branches to clear around the bench and allow walkers to get past. We took two barrows of cut branches back for fire wood.
Eddie brought Papworth sausage rolls again and heated them in the oven above the fire for lunch, they were lovely. After lunch Eddie cut up the wood we brought back today and last week, then put it in the log store. I collected wood down the track where a large tree was cut down. We then noticed the Gator truck had a nearly flat tyre, so we pumped it up and came straight back, Fred has offered to fit a new inner tube.
The Christmas tree with fairy lights has been put in the field in front of the cottages, it can be seen from the main road which looks good in the dark. I would like to wish everyone interested and involved with the bone mill a very Happy Christmas.
Graham Bartlett
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