In 2006 Tasburgh Parish Council leased a piece of former Marlpit land in Low Road, with a view to creating a wildlife area that is easily accessible to all, which, although specifically structured and managed to enhance the natural flora and fauna, should allow visitors to freely associate with the space. Burrfeld Park is a relaxing, tranquil area of natural interest.

This site has a number of features, which are eminently suitable for the kind of development which continues. For example, there are a number of mature native species of trees and shrubs, which can be trimmed and added too. There is a wet area which is a haven for a wide selection of both animals and plants appropriate to this type of habitat. Traditional English fruit trees have been planted to create an orchard area.

The main body of the site is made up of a wild flower meadow with species selected not only for their individual beauty but also for the butterflies and other insects which they attract. The banks surrounding the site are quite steep in places but it has been possible to plant them up with a range of trees and shrubs and still leave them available to the quite large population of burrowing animals.
For more information or to offer assistance, please contact:
Tina Eagle, Parish Clerk, tasburghpc@btinternet.com, 01508 494569
 
UPDATE AUGUST 2021

Despite COVID restrictions we had a couple of volunteer workdays with some dozen people working observing  social distancing. Others have been working on their own coppicing 
and pruning trees, clearing weed from the pond, cutting the willow herb,  replacing notices plus  the addition of the new notice on the history of Burrfeld, not forgetting the installation of new bee homes. Our thanks as always to all of the volunteers who even in these bizarre times have made the park accessible until the Floods. The heavy rain unfortunately turned the park into a lake, as previously reported with a large area of the park remaining under water for some weeks until the drains were cleared.  We will continue to have work days and maintain the park with the hope of a better year for all to enjoy getting closer to nature there.   
 
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2021
The park has become Burrfeld Lake, an unusual feature in the village at the moment. It will certainly take some time for the water level to get back to normal. When the board walk was originally installed, we never thought it would be used to actually walk over water!
Despite the extreme weather of late we are still keeping busy.  We have replaced one of the information signs at the western  gate and have also installed a further explanation sign on        the History of Burrfeld Park by the pond.  Further solitary bee logs have also been installed.
The observation box lid is also still in need of repair and although we have all the  necessary materials to undertake the repair  we just need the weather to improve! 

UPDATE NOVEMBER  2020
This year has seen quite exceptional growth in the park.  However, we have managed to keep it in a reasonable state, even with fewer work days. The plants placed along the west bank, last year, seemed to have taken quite well and we have managed to cut back the willow by the pond, and at the moment there is very little weed showing. There is a problem with one of the trees along the front of the park where a branch had came down which will require being looked at by a professional tree surgeon.  One of the information boards at the west gate, needs to be replaced as it has become illegible, due to direct sunlight. We are assuming that the other one has survived due to it being in the shade.  Our next job is to look at replacing the wooden inspection box lids by the main gate which are need of repair. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic we have been unable to hold the usual yearly Moth Breakfast, which has always proved very popular and well attended.

UPDATE AUGUST 2020
The vegetation has grown considerably this year,  and unfortunately, due to Covid-19  we have been unable to hold our normal work days. After holding an on-site meeting to decide future maintenance, it was agreed to request that some areas be cut by a grounds maintenance contractor, which would be discussed with the Parish  Council. In the meantime volunteers have spent some time clearing the blanket weed from the pond. Unfortunately after a few days it returned,  so will something that  needs further attention. The level of the pond is now the lowest that we have seen since our involvement with the site.  The area around the Hazels had been cleared and also an area near to the bug hotel by the pond, thanks to Geoff’s efforts with the strimmer.

If you visit the park, it is worth looking under the green corrugated sheets, there are quite a few grass snakes and slow worms and an occasional field mouse to be seen. There are of course the resident rabbits, birds bees and butterflies and occasionally small deer pass through.
Generally we feel that the area is a valuable asset to the village, appreciated by visitors, unfortunately we do have the odd inconsiderate dog owners, who do not clear up and use the bin provided.

UPDATE MAY 2020
Well! What a year so far!
Needless to say, we  haven’t had a Work Day as yet in Burrfeld Park. The grounds maintenance contractor continues to cut the paths, so you can still visit.   Take a look on the grass in front of the pond, there is the start of a small pebble garden, supporting our NHS  workers. If you or your children would like to paint a stone to add to it,  that would be lovely to see. 

The apple blossom has been good this Spring, so there should be a lot of apples in the Autumn. The spring bulbs also did well, but unfortunately the nettles and brambles are  now taking over. A slow worm, a frog, woodpecker and a hedgehog have been spotted, also a pair of ducks have been visiting quite a lot, as well as butterflies, rabbits and an odd deer. A patch of Meadow Saxifrage has also appeared. The trees which were planted on the bank in November seem to have taken well. Unfortunately though we haven’t been able to hold our usual Moth Breakfast this year.  We are trying to sort out a rota for the future, to maintain the area, and ensure that we keep within the Government guidelines.                                                   
 
UPDATE  MAY 2018
Another attempt to create a wild flower area was made with minimal success, lets hope this year the plants were waiting to show. Unfortunately our Orchid failed to put in an appearance but some rare fungi were noted. We have had three work days last year and another recently, some twelve to fifteen volunteers turn up, they work extremely hard to help maintain the park, this would be impossible without this team of supporters.
We are of course grateful that the Parish Council has the paths cut regularly, allowing people to walk amongst the different trees and plants.
The Council had to arrange for some tree maintenance that was necessary for safety reasons, but this has not changed the nature of the park.
The pond has had many changes in the levels throughout the year, the lilies, Iris’s and currently the Marsh Marigold add  colour  to the pond. The algae, although natural, can be unsightly and barley straw has been sunk in the pond to reduce the algae levels.
The highlight of the year, for many, has been the moth mornings, we are grateful to Andy Musgrove and Mike Dawson for the repeated success of this event, regularly attended by some thirty villagers. Let’s hope for a good selection of moths to appear for the next morning, which will be on the first of July.
 
UPDATE 2017
Another year at Burrfeld is coming to an end. Everything has grown really fast this year, a few wild flowers have managed to show through. Unfortunately, the apple trees, although they had some blossom on in the spring, the frost killed a lot of it, so there were very few apples, unlike last year.
The water level in the pond has got very low this summer, but the Scouts did a pond dipping and found quite a few creatures in there.The pink Spindle trees have been really lovely this year.We had a very successful Moth Breakfast in June, about forty people attended and enjoyed seeing the variety of moths.
At the beginning of October we had another Work Morning, many thanks to the fifteen people who turned up to help. Special thanks to Alec and Amy’s friend Adam, who is a gardener, very kindly cut for free, a large area for us, so there was plenty to rake up.
If anyone would like to come and help at one of our work mornings, we would be very pleased to see you.
MOTH NIGHT
A few of us have  been investigating the nightlife of Burrfeld Park. The night sky is usually full of insects feeding under theprotection of darkness. It may surprise  you to know that there are over 2,000 different moth species in the UK, and over 1,700 of those have been recorded in Norfolk.
One way of seeing the moths which are around, is to use a light trap. This is basically a big wooden box with a bright electric light attached. The moths are attracted to the light, fall into the box, and are unable to escape. The moths can then be viewed, identified, recorded, and then released – unharmed – back into the wild.
For those who think all moths are dull, brown, small and boring, think again! The colours of some moths are amazing and have to be seen to be believed.
We caught an elephant hawk moth which is bright green and pink and about 7 cm long. We also saw a privet hawk moth which is the largest moth in Britain at a staggering 11.5 cm, which looks a dull brown colour until it opens it wings and you get a glimpse of the vivid pink hidden underneath.
We also caught a large yellow underwing – but no prizes for guessing the colour of its wings! The variety of shape and colour in our native moths is quite incredible. Although even I have to admit that; yes, some of them are on the small, brown and dull side.
Our first moth trapping evening at Burrfeld park attracted 13 different species of moth over approximately one hour, plus the appearance of a couple of pippistrelle bats.
Our neighbouring village – Saxlingham Nethergate – have been conducting a moth survey and have so far recorded over 240 different moths in their village. My own recording in Tasburgh has so far reached 97 different species. But if any other residents in Tasburgh are recording moths I would be very pleased to learn what you have caught, it would be interesting to see if we can match our neighbours.
The trees, which were planted in Burrfeld Park during the winter by volunteers, are growing well. Most are now showing above the top of the tree guards and are looking fine and healthy.
There was lots of blossom on the apple trees, although perhaps too early to expect any fruit.
Over the other side of the park the wildflowers have survived the ravages of rabbits and deer and most of the netting will soon be removed. It is always difficult to judge the damage caused by rabbits, so as a trial, when we planted our wildlflowers, we put a fence around some, and left the others exposed.

BURRFELD PARK BIRD WATCH - 19th MARCH 2011
This was the first of a series of planned events in and around Burrfeld Park to find out what wildlife there is and hopefully to show it to people who want to see it.  The weather felt like spring proper, with cloudless skies and real warmth in the sunshine.  There were more birds than people, perhaps as a result of the weather, but those who did come along were treated to three Common Buzzards circling overhead, calling and displaying as they did. We can only hope that two of them set up residence in an undisturbed wood nearby.

We kept watch for two hours, and managed to clock up 23 species of bird, plus a nice Brimstone butterfly. We failed to see Mistle Thrush and Siskin that had been there at nine o'clock when I set the hide up, and we also missed Magpie, House Sparrow, Starling or any Woodpeckers, so with a little more luck, we could easily have had 30 species seen or heard from Burrfeld Park. Other planned events include Moths and Bats on Friday 13th May at 8.00pm and a Dawn Chorus Walk on Sunday 8th May at 5.00am. It would be nice to get as many people taking part as possible  - no need to book, just come along on the day.

The list for the day was:
Blue Tit            Blackbird         Great Tit         Marsh Tit
Buzzard           Coal Tit            Greenfinch     Dunnock
Chaffinch        Pied Wagtail    Goldfinch       Black-headed Gull
Wren                Sparrowhawk Robin              Jackdaw          
Pheasant         Wood Pigeon  Stock Dove    Collared Dove
Carrion Crow  Mallard            Long-tailed Tit

MAY 2010
Spring has now arrived at Burrfeld Park and new growth is taking hold. The apple trees are already in blossom and a range of flowering plants are adding colour to the site. Improvements will continue to be caried out over coming years. In the meantime enjoy the area as a place for a gentle stroll, or brisk walk, or apple scrumping! None of this would have been possible without the support of our hardy group of volunteers, so here's a big thank you to all!

APRIL 2010
Since the winter a lot has happened! The volunteer day planned for 10th January had to be cancelled - we didn't think we would be able to make much impact in the snow, but we had two very useful days on 7th Feburary and 13th March.

On Sunday 7th March about 20 people gathered together to clear the site some more and plant about 80 native trees. These trees were obtained free from an organisation called e-Forests, who organise carbon off-setting for companies. Companies pay money to e-Forests who buy the trees and give them to organisations like ours, who do the work of planting them, in public places. Everybody's happy!
 
We have planted an area of thirty hazel trees. Over the coming years these will be coppiced say every six years to keep the trees to a manageable size and allow wildlife to thrive.
A range of other native trees were also planted including hawthorn, blackthorn, spindle, guelder rose and alder buckthorn.
Another volunteer day was held on 13th March when 6 native apple trees were planted to form the orchard close to the centre of the site. The apple trees are all Norfolk varieties -
 
Norfolk Beauty -
Fruit is large and pale yellow with a slight red flush.
It cooks to a creamy puree with a sweet flavour.
Ripens in October.

Norfolk Beefing -
Large fruit with a dark green skin with a purple/red flush.
Used as a cooker in early season or kept to eat in spring. Famous for making "Biffins" where they are slow cooked in a bread oven.
Ripens in October but will keep until April.

Norfolk Royal Russet -
Attractive fruit with a mottled red and russet effect, really good flavour.
Ripens in September
 
Red Flastaff -
One of the best garden apples, self fertile and a good pollinator.
The fruit is aromatic and juicy.
Picked in early October the fruit will keep until March.

St. Magdelen -
Pale yellow with a reddish flush.
Flesh cream, firm and sweet.
Ripens in November.

Adams Permain -
A yellow flushed variety with red stripes; aromatic with a nutty flavour; firm.
Ripens October to November.

Planting the apple trees turned out to be rather difficult since every hole we dug involved a battle with the gravel and flints in the ground and then the holes quickly filled up with water! However w e eventually found sites for six holes and each tree carefully protected from rabbits and deer. The fruit will be available for all of us to enjoy! Some areas of wildflowers have also been planted and these are surrounded by fencing to allow them to become established before the rabbits devour them as an interesting variation to their usual diet.

While rabbits keep the grass short to some extent, the Parish Council has arranged for the regular mowing of parts of the site for the summer months. In addition, small amounts of spraying will be carried out to keep the weed grouwth under control. Spraying will be with glyphosate which is absorbed through the leaves of the weeds it makes contact with and will not affect the trees we have planted. The spraying will be carried out by a licensed contactor to allow a diversity of plants to flourish rather than allowing the site to be dominated by nettles and weeds.

NOVEMBER 2009
Volunteer Day
We held the first Burrfeld Volunteer Day on 1st November. Previously, there has been a lot of important volunteer work done by individuals, but this was our first big group day.
Following a period of unseasonably warm and dry weather, on the day we chose there was more rain than in the previous six months! Nevertheless, a fearless group joined together and started to clear areas for planting, clear the wildflower area of brambles, and planted a number of native wild flowers. It was a wet day, but we enjoyed ourselves, and could see real progress being made. The effects of the weather were very slightly alleviated by hot tea and a biscuit.

Some people have asked where all the money came from for the boardwalk. Approximately £20,000 was successfully applied for from two funds that are specifically earmarked for environmental projects; the landfill tax fund run by a waste company known as WREN and the Big Lottery fund through the BBC’s Breathing Places scheme. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/.

AUGUST 2009
As has been reported before, the main aim of the ‘park’ has been to preserve and enhance the wildlife which is to be found here. Also, it is important that visitors are able to enjoy the experience. Both the board walk and the grassy paths enable easy association with all that the area has to offer.

Bearing in mind the main aim, a local ecologist, Ms Angela Collins, having carried out a detailed survey of the site, has joined the Burrfeld Park sub committee and in future will be playing a major part in the development of this village amenity.

It is clear from Ms Collins' investigations that some changes in emphasis are required if the full biodiversity potential is to realised. It is also proposed to carry out much of the work during what might be called ‘volunteer days’.  Although we have a list of those who have said they will help, and we have been contacting them, we are anxious to hear from anybody else willing to become involved in this interesting community project. Ms Collins will be planning the work to be done at the site and hopefully bringing you this update in future additions of the  quarterly and on the website.

The Sculpture...
The more keen-eyed of you will have noticed a new addition to Burrfeld Park, in the form of a wooden sculpture situated just behind the pond.
This has been created, kindly donated and errected in position by John Mann.
We would like to invite the children of the village to give it a name, with the best suggestion being picked by the Burrfeld Park Sub-committee. Entrants must be 11 years or under and suggested names along with name, adddress and telephone number can be placed in the box in the school entrance hall.

MAY 2009
Those of you who have been past the site in Low Road recently will have seen the progress which has been made on the construction of the board walk, ramps, handrails, gates and the dipping platform.

When this work is completed and the Parish Council is sure that it is safe to do so, the ‘park’ will be opened for everyone to enjoy. Of course there will still be a great deal of work to do, and as we have said before we will contact those who have said that they are willing to help, to show them the tasks which we would like done.

Burrfeld Park is not intended to be a playground and its main aim is to enhance and protect the wildlife which is present there.However, it is intended that all who visit will enjoy the quiet walk or maybe sit awhile. In the early stages while much of the area is being cleared, reseeded or landscaped, it will be advisable to stay on the board walk for safety.

We intend eventually to have grassy walks around the wild flower beds but these will take some time to establish. We are open to offers of trees, especially fruit trees and of suitable native species of shrubs. Unfortunately, through no fault of our own, we lost the chance of a fully funded ‘open day’, but we are investigating alternative arrangements so watch this space and the new Notice Boards!

FEBRUARY 2009
Following the tendering exercise, the Parish Council has selected a  contractor to carry out the structural work.  Mr Peter Frizzell was chosen. Examples of his work had been seen by members of the Burrfeld Park Sub-committee and found to be of a very high quality. We are indebted to Mr Ben Goodfellow for his help and guidance in the preparation of the final version of the contract under which the main structural work will be carried b out.There was an important Biodiversity consideration with regard to the preliminary works and that involved the requirement to complete any removal of hedgerow plants during December and January.
Two sections needed to be taken out to accommodate the two kissing gate accesses to the park and this work was carried out on 30th January.It is planned for the main contract work to begin in March, and – weather and other conditions permitting – to take about three weeks. Once the gates, ramps, board-walk and rails are completed the landscaping can begin. Those who, some time ago, rashly volunteered to assist with this work will be hearing from us! Progress has been made regarding the tree-work mentioned in previous reports. Details of the work required have been submitted to the appropriate authority for approval and an application has been made for a grant towards the costs.

Most of the work is required for either safety or conservation considerations and also to assist the development of the area around the pond.If all goes well we hope to have an ‘official’ opening in June in conjunction with the BBC Breathing Spaces ‘spring-watch’ events.
Of course, the park will be open to be enjoyed before any ‘official’ events, indeed it will be opened as soon as the Parish Council considers that it is safe and suitable to do so.
Since all the trees on the site are either subjects of a preservation order individually or as a group, an application for permission to carry out the work had to be made to the appropriate authority. This is currently being processed together with an application for financial assistance, since grants are available for this kind of work. We have two offers of donations from sources which will remain anonymous for the time being to provide a new farm gate for the Park and for some fruit trees when the time is right. If you would like to join these donors please feel free to contact either Julie King, Clerk or Councillor John Mann. Once the structural work has been completed we will be in a better position to organise some projects for our very willing band of volunteers to assist with.

All the difficulties reported in the last Quarterly have been dealt with. Furthermore, we have considered various tender documents which have been returned from prospective contractors. Two companies were interested and we spent some time looking at examples of their work in order to try to make sure that we get the best value for this innovative village project. A small Parish Council sub-committee was formed to make the final recommendation to the Council and a contractor has been selected. The work should be completed by spring of next year. Tree surgeons have been consulted regarding some essential works to the trees on the Park and tenders for the work have been received. These have been reviewed and a contractor has been selected.

AUGUST 2008
Progress on the development of this small but important village amenity continues to be slow. However, by the time you read this we hope that planning permission for the change of use of the land will have been obtained and that queries raised by the Highways Department will have been answered satisfactorily. It is worth emphasising here that Burrfeld Park will, we envisage, be an interesting adjunct to a walk along Low Road, since there will be no car park at the site and parking in this part of Low Road is not practicable.

We can report that applications for financial assistance from The Big Lottery Fund, BBC Breathing Places Fund and a fund administered by The Waste Recycling Environmental Co Ltd (WREN) have been successful. This means that if we can meet the various and reasonable conditions of the administrators of these funds we will have about £20,000 towards the structural works we think are necessary to allow safe and convenient access to visitors to the Park.

Tenders have been invited from a number of contractors to undertake the work required and decisions regarding these should be made probably at the Parish Council meeting in August. It has also been necessary to consult a number of "tree experts" with regard to maintenance of the trees and bushes on the site, since all are subjects of long-standing Preservation Orders.
These problems should also be overcome in the not-too-distant future.
It has not been practicable to organise the willing team of volunteers yet, but once the structural work is completed there will much finishing to be completed such as tree planting, wild flower bed preparation, bird feeding stations and bat box construction etc, etc… Finally, we should thank Ms Sonja Seaton for her ecological report and Mr Steve Hammond for his advice and his assistance with the provision of a skip for the removal of a quantity of fencing which is no longer required.
 
MAY 2008
Many Local Authority matters seldom proceed as fast as one would like. However some progress has been made with the Park. Much of the rubbish, left on the site by previous tenants, has been cleared, although there remains an unknown quantity still to be unearthed and taken away. The removal of the rubbish to recycling or to landfill was carried out by the South Norfolk Emergency Environmental Team, for which we were very grateful. We also thank Mrs Michelle Monck, District Councillor, for her help with this work.

Some of the most invasive weeds have been killed so the site should not become overgrown again too soon. We await the results of our applications for funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s Breathing Places grants scheme and also from WREN, the organisation which can award grants for projects like ours from some of the taxes raised from landfill charges.

We should know the results of both of these applications in June. In the meantime we can, hopefully, begin to engage our willing list of volunteers now that it looks as if some irritating insurance restrictions have been overcome.

Surprisingly, having worked closely with many departments of the South Norfolk Council on a number of aspects relating to our small park, we are now faced with planning permission problems arising from the change of use from agricultural to public amenity. Once these have been resolved and if we are lucky with the grants we should be able to have the main structural work completed by the autumn and it is hoped that you all then have access to this interesting village venture. Of course, it will take a number of years for parts of the project to mature and develop, but this will be part of the ongoing enjoyment.