Hackland Old Church….. A Major Undertaking…. From ‘Wild Justice’….
by Bernie Bell - 08:35 on 15 September 2023
Hackland Old Church…..
Neighbour Steve walked to Hackland Old Church…
https://canmore.org.uk/site/188185/north-hackland-church
…..and took some crackin’ photos which I believe capture the atmosphere to be experienced around ruinous churches…...
In this one, I’m reminded of the old church/monastery on Eynhallow…
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/11/26/bernie-bell-orkney-walks-with-stories-eynhallow-to-canada-2/
I particularly like the image of the window, where the remains of the support echoes the shape of a cross…
Steve pointed out that there are owl pellets on the window-sill – which brought the Tower of Flints in Mervyn Peake’s ‘Titus Groan’ to mind – and I quote….….
“Over their irregular roofs would fall throughout the seasons, the shadows of time-eaten buttresses, of broken and lofty turrets, and, most enormous of all, the shadow of the Tower of Flints. This tower, patched unevenly with black ivy, arose like a mutilated finger from among the fists of knuckled masonry and pointed blasphemously at heaven. At night the owls made of it an echoing throat; by day it stood voiceless and cast its long shadow.”
Also brought to mind my pieces about the old Kirks of Orkney…
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/10/07/the-old-kirks-of-orkney-part-one/
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/10/13/the-old-kirks-of-orkney-vikings/
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/10/25/the-old-kirks-of-orkney-part-3-bits-pieces/
There’s always more to be discovered…..
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A Major Undertaking….
But here it is…..
https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/the-archaeology-around-the-ness-and-further-afield/
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From ‘Wild Justice’….
“Good morning!
Today we are asking you, please, to respond to the Defra hedgerow consultation. Does that sound dull and unimportant? Well, it might be slightly dull to fill in the form (but it is quick, and we are providing you with quite a lot of suggestions which will make it even quicker) but it is certainly important because hedgerows are very important refuges for farmland wildlife - birds, insects, plants, mammals, spiders ... everything.
Many of the respondents will be farmers, who are likely to respond in ways that make life easy for farmers and not necessarily in ways that make life easier for wildlife. We're sure that many farmers will respond in wildlife-friendly ways but this is your opportunity to speak up for wildlife. The proposals apply to England but responses are welcomed from all parts of the UK (as is clear from Q6).
The consultation is a consequence of Brexit and so is a test of the promises that were made that Brexit would not weaken environmental protection. We are in a wildlife crisis and Defra should be strengthening existing protection, stiffening the enforcement of existing and future protection and focusing on producing recoveries in farmland wildlife. This consultation scores low points in those areas. There is a danger that Defra weakens the existing rather feeble levels of environmental protection at the behest of the intensive agriculture lobby.
The consultation closes on Wednesday 20 September, presumably at midnight. Here is the link to the consultation: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/legal-standards/consultation-on-protecting-hedgerows/ .
If you have responded to a government consultation before then you'll find this one very easy - there are lots of Yes/No questions and boxes for (optional) comments. Unless you want to go overboard it won't take you more than 10 minutes to answer all the questions and make brief comments. If you've never responded to a government consultation before, then this is a good place to start because it is quite straight forward.
Wild Justice will respond as an organisation but we are asking you to accept the invitation from Defra to respond to this consultation as an individual. Perhaps you know others who also might want to respond to it - feel free to forward this email to them.
Thank you!
Wild Justice (Directors: Mark Avery, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay).
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Here’s one I made earlier…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/03/21/professor-challenger-and-his-lost-neolithic-world/
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