As part of an on-going  programme of improving habitat for endangered  High Brown and Pearl Bordered fritillary butterflies, Jenny Plackett of The Two Moors Threatened Butterfly Project had asked us to carry out a second day of conservation work on Roborough Down, on the slope above the River Tavy to the west of Double Waters….

The DPA Conservation Team gathered again near Clearbrook, on Roborough Common, on Friday 17th September 2015 under a somewhat leaden sky – the weather showed us both sunshine and a light shower during the day. By the “close of play”, we had reached the road – Roborough Down Lane, which is a milestone along the…

Tuesday 16th June saw the trusty DPA Conservation team starting work again, clearing bracken on Roborough Common. We started at “The Camp” – the old Iron Age hilltop structure and moved onto Drake’s 1591 Plymouth Leat after the morning coffee break. This team doesn’t hang around! The bracken growth seems to be a lot less…

Thursday 5th March was the last day on Devonport Leat as the winter conservation season winds down, before the nesting season begins.  We met behind Roborough Rock and the small car park across the main road and then walked along the leat to the day’s starting point, while Derek and Keith took tools and some of…

The DPA Conservation Team gathered in Princetown on Thursday 12th February to do some clearance work in the churchyard. The main problem was that the grass had not been cut for some time. The volunteers set to work brush-cutters and hand tools. Meanwhile ….. at the top end of the churchyard, two young beech trees…

Friday 6th February saw the motley crew that is the DPA Conservation Team assembling in the car park beside Plymouth Leat on the road down to Clearbrook.  Derek met us there to collect my own tools and then drove via Chub Tor to the end of the tarmac road to deliver the tools to the…

Perhaps I should thank Helios, the Greek sun god? Friday 23rd January was a quite glorious day on our part of Dartmoor, as the photos below show, although the sun faded just as we finished work, with perfect timing. When I got home, the rain set in – the weather forecast was quite accurate. This…

Friday 9th January was a grey day as the DPA Conservation Team congregated in the car park by the leat on the road down to Clearbrook.  The group was split into two parties with four people driving to the end section of Drake’s Plymouth Leat while the remainder walked to the west end of the tunnel…

It started with a quick sortie to get a puncture repair kit for the wheelbarrow that was required to carry some tools. Go Outdoors was nearest and I have used their green “Slime” before. At about 9.30 am I was in the Clearbrook car park removing the valve from the flat tyre, squirting in the…

DPA volunteers met for the second time in the car park of the Cornwood Inn, Cornwood,  prior to setting out to Dendles – the first occasion was on 22nd November 2013. Clearance work was carried out for the conservation of old field walls and the area of the medieval farmstead buildings and associated walls at…