Sudbury has what might be called a ‘unique’ riverside. Of course its landscape is not mimicked elsewhere so it is different but its uniqueness lies in what it has to offer yet is often overlooked. The uniqueness really comes down…

Willow is a very common tree of the riverside for it thrives in damp conditions; the wetter the better. There are numerous species from the graceful, but non-native weeping willow through to the smaller grey and goat willows. Crack and…

The recent chilly Siberian conditions meant that those creatures that hibernate would have been well and truly hunkered down and tucked up. In our considerably more open winters animals tend to break their hibernation during mild spells. Bats in particular…

It is surprising how very early in the year spring starts for some species. We tend to associate spring with improving weather as March hopefully ‘goes out like a lamb’ and promising days of April, cheerful with yellow daffodils brightening…

With the cattle now removed to their winter quarters and the autumn colours fading and falling from the trees some may feel that the Sudbury riverside loses its appeal. It is, however, all about looking and listening and then it…

The end of yet another grazing season fast approaches and with it any lingering ideas that halcyon days are still with us are banished. The evenings are drawing in and cooler days mean that grass growth becomes imperceptible and no…

Many people enjoy the Sudbury riverside and see it uniquely as a place of informal recreation for walking the dog, picnicking, boating on the river, cycling, feeding the ducks and so on. They rarely give any thought to the economic…

In the 1690s, John Ray of Black Notley near Braintree, sometimes considered to be the father of natural history in Britain, wrote that butterflies existed ‘to brighten the countryside like so many golden jewels’. There can be few people who…

Each year the first Tuesday of July is a special day on the Sudbury Common Lands. It is the day when Freemen of Sudbury reacquaint themselves with, and reaffirm their ancient links and rights on the Sudbury commons, namely the…

At this time of year plant growth is spectacular. There is urgency to grow and produce flowers to attract insect or wind pollinators in order to set seed to ensure future generations so it is all systems go on the…