National Trust Not Practicing What It Preaches?

[Frank-the-Wool]

On the many hundreds of acres the NT owns near to me that has been left derelict for "nature" they are in the process of putting in new fences.
If they had maintained the hedges and cleaned out the ditches properly, much of this would be unnecessary.

Now I would have expected an organisation that tries to maintain its properties and the land to use materials that are in keeping with the local area and help to maintain local industries as well as preserving the landscape.
I was very surprised when I see they are using all metal Clipex fencing and not a single piece of Chestnut anywhere. Some 14kms I am told!

On the Weald of Kent and Sussex there are thousands of acres of Sweet Chestnut woodland that is falling over or deteriorating from disease through not being managed, there are only a couple of Coppicers left making stakes and posts from Chestnut and they are due for retirement.

I would guess the NT probably have Sweet Chestnut woodland that they own as well.

If it was an old house that they used the wrong sort of bricks or mortar there would be an outcry!!!

 

[Nearly]

But the countryside just happens?

 

[egbert]

On the many hundreds of acres the NT owns near to me that has been left derelict for "nature" they are in the process of putting in new fences.
If they had maintained the hedges and cleaned out the ditches properly, much of this would be unnecessary.

Now I would have expected an organisation that tries to maintain its properties and the land to use materials that are in keeping with the local area and help to maintain local industries as well as preserving the landscape.
I was very surprised when I see they are using all metal Clipex fencing and not a single piece of Chestnut anywhere. Some 14kms I am told!

On the Weald of Kent and Sussex there are thousands of acres of Sweet Chestnut woodland that is falling over or deteriorating from disease through not being managed, there are only a couple of Coppicers left making stakes and posts from Chestnut and they are due for retirement.

I would guess the NT probably have Sweet Chestnut woodland that they own as well.

If it was an old house that they used the wrong sort of bricks or mortar there would be an outcry!!!

gotta use all that sub somewhere.....

 

[Jonp]

Clipex fences aren't environmentally friendly either considering they're made of metal using fossil fuels to produce them. Thought the NT were on that particular bandwagon.
If they want to properly rewild they need some large herbivores to open up the woods otherwise it'll turn into impenetrable bramble.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

gotta use all that sub somewhere.....

No sub!

 

[Will Blackburn]

They practice landscape transformation around here, by building houses on it.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Clipex fences aren't environmentally friendly either considering they're made of metal using fossil fuels to produce them. Thought the NT were on that particular bandwagon.
If they want to properly rewild they need some large herbivores to open up the woods otherwise it'll turn into impenetrable bramble.

Already turning into Scrub and Bramble!

 

[Bury the Trash]

Clipex fences aren't environmentally friendly either considering they're made of metal using fossil fuels to produce them.

actually when all things considered clipex is probably better in that respect than using tanilth treated softwood because it will last a good 5 times longer or far longer anyway.

If all these big clever moneyd organisations /people got behind a push to get good effective wood treatments ,now that really would be a good thing for natural resources

 

[robs1]

Already turning into Scrub and Bramble!

As we saw with saddleworth moor too many university educated clever people actually know f all about what happens when nature is left to nature.

 

[Bury the Trash]

No sub!

Hmm, The NT has had millions of sub money over the years .

 

[Post Driver]

Clipex fences aren't environmentally friendly either considering they're made of metal using fossil fuels to produce them. Thought the NT were on that particular bandwagon.
If they want to properly rewild they need some large herbivores to open up the woods otherwise it'll turn into impenetrable bramble.

Posts are made in China, the netting is woven in NZ from Australian mined iron, drawn in Chinese wire factories.

But if it lasts twice as long as a timber fence post maybe it is more eco

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Posts are made in China, the netting is woven in NZ from Australian mined iron, drawn in Chinese wire factories.

But if it lasts twice as long as a timber fence post maybe it is more eco

I am not sure it does last twice as long and may be cheaper to put up, however an organisation such as the NT should use local and native products that keep local people employed and preserve the landscape.

Ironically if Chestnut fencing is hot dipped in Creosote it will last over 50 years, I doubt the Clipex next to the sea will last 20.

The Chestnut will grow again and store carbon!!

 

[egbert]

No sub!

I believe they're drawing a 'bit' elsewhere.
(2nd biggest claimant?)

 

[Post Driver]

I am not sure it does last twice as long and may be cheaper to put up, however an organisation such as the NT should use local and native products that keep local people employed and preserve the landscape.

Ironically if Chestnut fencing is hot dipped in Creosote it will last over 50 years, I doubt the Clipex next to the sea will last 20.

The Chestnut will grow again and store carbon!!

Agreed, more to life than the bottom line at times.

 

[bluebell]

Its a comedy if not so tragic, our hardworking forebars must be so angry? then what will these thousands of acres produce? govt, council paid jobs? paid again by the tax payer, wheres before that same land was productive, productive to produce food, productive to produce wood? but as any school boy, history reads, we in europe thousands of years ago, went from hunter gatherers, to settled farming, that means the land was cleared, managed and food, animals produced, but is that so difficult to understand?

 

[exmoor dave]

On the plus side.... if the NT are using Clipex themselves, at least they can't really stop their tenants from doing the same.

We find clipex is a great system for us as tenants, we can put fences up and potentially remove in 5/10/20 years and all the components will likely still be extremely reusable.

 

[Swarfmonkey]

Hmm, The NT has had millions of sub money over the years .

It takes millions off the taxpayer every year. Last year alone the taxpayer bunged it north of £25 million.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

It takes millions off the taxpayer every year. Last year alone the taxpayer bunged it north of £25 million.

They don't take any money from the agricultural budget though.
I am told the work they are doing locally has been funded by Highways to around £160k.

Apart from the 14 km of fencing they have not spent anything on the land apart from having consultants looking around!!

 

[Swarfmonkey]

They do take money from the ag budget. NT's most recent entry on CAP Payment Search (2022) shows them taking £6.7 million in Rural Development and £3.2 million in Direct Aid (BPS and Greening). That's on top of the millions they get from DEFRA via grants for various projects. Then there's all the other taxpayer-funded entities bunging them cash.

Still, gotta find some way to keep on paying their top bod that £190,000 or so a year...

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Hmm, The NT has had millions of sub money over the years .

Church money.
SS