Are you a keen historian, local super-sleuth or simply fascinated by your parish’s past? Do you belong to a local history society with shared knowledge of your local area? Or perhaps you’re new to the area and keen to learn all about the history of your new home and surroundings?

If so, then the Buckinghamshire Council Archaeology Service needs your help with updating its special ‘parish summaries’. These give an important potted history of locally significant archaeological sites, landscapes and buildings in each parish and include illustrations and links to other detailed records and photographs.

The call for help follows last summer’s launch of the Buckinghamshire Heritage Portal, an interactive public-facing website containing vast amounts of data and information about the history of Buckinghamshire.

Included on the portal are the parish summaries, one for each of the county’s 163 parishes. While they are fascinating and informative, some of the summaries are now over 10 years old and need updating in light of more recent local parish discoveries. You can check out the current parish summaries at https://heritageportal.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/theme-list/parishes

Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Patrick Hogan said it was really important that local people take part. “The Heritage Portal is a hugely valuable resource containing thousands of important local references. Brilliant as it is, we can make it even better by tapping into those with invaluable local knowledge to help us update our parish summary records.

“We’re really keen to invite local historians, societies and interested parties to join in and help us out with this fascinating project.”

Patrick continued: “Training on using the portal to update the text will be provided, and all assistance will be acknowledged on the relevant parish pages once updated. Of course, additional information, known to the local community but missing from the portal, is very much welcomed.”

For further information and details of how to take part, please email her@buckinghamshire.gov.uk with the subject heading ‘FAO Lucy Lawrence – Knowing Your Place’ and with the following information:

• Name of participant(s)
• Parish(es) of interest
• Association to parish(es) of interest
• Affiliation to local archaeological or historical societies
• Any particular area of expertise.

We will allocate a volunteer group or individual to each parish on a ‘first come first served’ basis, although we will be looking for an association with a parish from the participant. This will be a real two-way relationship and we will provide positive support to volunteers.

There is no deadline for expressions of interest, and the volunteers are welcome to take on further parishes if there are any remaining after the first round of applications.

·       Farmers and conservation groups are urging people to keep to the paths and keep dogs under control when walking in the countryside.

·       Farmers livelihoods are at risk with one farmer losing the equivalent of 9,000 loaves of bread due to trampled crops.

Leading conservation organisations in the Chilterns have come together with farmers and landowners urging people to keep to paths and to keep their dogs under control when walking in the countryside.

The latest lockdown has coincided with a period of particularly high rainfall making paths extremely wet and muddy. This, combined with far greater numbers of people using their local paths is damaging paths and crops. Paths have widened to several metres across, with people trying to social distance from each other, or seeking drier ground. Some people have abandoned the waymarked paths altogether and followed field edges instead to avoid the worst of the mud. This is damaging field margin habitats which are important for wildlife.

The Chilterns countryside is providing much-needed solace and pleasure for people at a very difficult time. However it is also a farmed landscape with many paths crossing farmers fields. The message from farmers is clear – please keep to the paths!

Georgia Craig at the NFU says, “Mud can’t be avoided at the moment, so your best bet is to put your wellies on and follow the signposted paths. People are welcome on the signposted rights of way but straying off those paths means crops will get trampled, affecting farmers businesses. At this time of year the crops might still be below the surface or look very similar to grass, but walking on them will compact and damage the growing plants”.

Daniel Hares, who farms at Buckmoorend Farm near Wendover, is one of the many Chilterns farmers affected. Walkers widened a path through one of his wheatfields to 10 metres across – the equivalent to losing six tonnes of wheat, enough to make around 9,000 loaves of bread.

Chilterns farmers care for the land which produces our food and many played a vital role during lockdown supplying their local communities with fresh local produce such as the seventh generation Lacey family in Lane End. The land they manage has always been popular with walkers but, like many farmers, they have experienced a big surge in numbers and issues not seen on that scale before, as farmer Ed Lacey explains ‘We have on-going problems with people letting their dogs off the lead and out of control. We have had sheep killed and injured by dogs.’

The Chilterns Conservation Board’s Chief Executive, Dr Elaine King, said “It’s great that more people are getting out and enjoying the nature and the beauty of the Chilterns during lockdown, and we want that to continue. However, the Chilterns are also a place where people live and work, including the farmers that produce our food. We are working with a wide range of farmers, landowners and conservation partners to raise public awareness of this special landscape and ensure that everyone can enjoy the Chilterns safely”.

Tim Bamford from the CLA added “It is perfectly natural, in times such as these, for people to want to enjoy the countryside. They are genuinely welcome and we encourage people to enjoy the thousands of miles of footpaths available to them.  But we need to work together to ensure the public can have an enjoyable time while also protecting farmland, animals and wildlife”.

The Countryside Code sets out some simple guidance to ensure that people can enjoy their visit to the countryside while being safe and respectful of others. See https://bit.ly/2YfK3dE

Image: Path widening at Penn Street Farm near Amersham

Following an exchange of emails that some may have seen on The Grapevine, here’s what Bucks Council Fly Tipping Enforcement team advise if you spot fly tipping (or the results):

• If you see someone fly-tipping please take the vehicle index details and don’t interfere (they could take the waste somewhere else to dump it where there is no witness) – report details including location, date and time to SCRAPflytipping@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

• No need to put yourself at risk taking a photo, but always helpful if possible to do so safely 

• Report dumped waste for clearance at Fix My Street www.fixmystreet.buckscc.gov.uk unless on private land then report to mailbox SCRAPflytipping@buckinghamshire.gov.uk active from 1 April 2020

• Householder’s duty is to check they are using a registered waste carrier

• We ask everyone to insist that they pay online as it can be traced 

• Please also make a note of the waste carrier vehicle registration number

• Will be prosecuted if traceable payment – NOT cash

• Use someone you find – not someone who finds you, don’t use ‘man with van’ knocking at door

• Most waste fly-tipped in Bucks (> 50%) is brought in from London (and Slough)

• Since 1 April 2019  72% of fly-tipping has been trade waste and not a resident dumping their own waste 

• Average more than 1 dumping conviction a week for 10 years in Bucks

• Average total to pay by offenders at court is £1,875  (includes both dumping and failures in duty of care)

• Fines increasing since 2014 Sentencing Guidelines

• Re-offenders are much more likely to be caught and will be at a higher risk of a prison sentence (max up to 5 years) 

• Council is awarded on average 75% costs by the courts

• Of that 75% we recover 97% to Council accounts

• Don’t be tempted to add to fly-tipped waste – this would be viewed as fly-tipping (by you !)  and a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy applies

• Household waste is free to take to the Household Recycling Centre, aka ‘the dump’ (includes fridges, mattresses, sofas, household black bag excess)

• ‘Household waste’ usually means the things you would take with you if you moved house, plus plant based garden waste – full details at :-www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/waste-and-recycling/household-recycling-centres/waste-we-charge-for

• Waste management has never been ‘free’ – it was paid for through taxation

• We believe service users should pay for expensive services, rather than being fully subsidised by all

• Scrap Fly-tipping campaign details :

https://www.recycleforbuckinghamshire.co.uk/scrap-fly-tipping/

Follow Fly-tipping Enforcement team on Twitter at @BucksFlyTipping