It’s the time of the year to look back over the year – or at least for the Friends of Glen Goyle, it’s a good time to look back over the last months since the August 2025 newsletter and indeed the Spring 2025 newsletter.
As for the last few months, as we draw to the end of the year, a fair few things have happened along the Glen.
One highlight has been the installation of an owl box, stressing the importance of attracting barn owls along the Glen which should be an ideal habitat for this wonderful creature – with a fine photo (not from Glen Goyle, but in hope!) of a barn owl, very much associated with this dusky time of year.
More news: at last! We have had installed the much-anticipated memorial bench at the top of the ‘lawn’, a perfect spot to remember the last residents of Asherton House and gardens, with thanks to the Bassett family and to officers at the district council. It is a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the Glen.
As ever, the autumn plumage along the Glen has been wonderful – especially the maples – and which looks so even in the rain…
The damp of autumn brings out the fungi which have provided quite a show along the Glen these last couple of months, again photographed by members of the FOGG working party of a Thursday morning…
Some fabulous photos and even a video have been shot of more damp spots, by FOGG patron and local naturalist Ed Dolphin, of decaying wood and lively invertebrates along the Glen. He has sent in further marvels, which, as he says, came out of the rotten trunk, a Polydesmus millipede.
This rotten trunk lies to the side of where the FOGG project has been looking to reinstate the path which used to run from the very top side gate – and any such important habitats will remain on site if and when the path happens.
Looking at the Friends of Glen Goyle Annual Report 2025, further details are given about the professionals the FOGG steering group have been working with; and looking at the FOGG report to the town council’s Environment Committee, the project “will be asking STC to provide the funds to enable completion of the path; FOGG will be able to bring plans along to the March meeting for the Cttee to then recommend if and how much they would be able to contribute from the 26/7 budget towards this work”.
In the meantime, the FOGG working party keep on with their ‘gardening’ – and, indeed, it has been a good time of year to go planting along the Glen. Now the team have been given a long lists of jobs, jobs and more jobs to be done down at the Glen, they should be well occupied well into the new year.
Finally, we can congratulate the volunteers for what they’ve been doing all year, with their recent receipt of an RHS “It’s Your Neighbourhood” Outstanding Award 2025 for the Friends of Glen Goyle.
Their work has certainly been appreciated, with a lovely message from the chair of the town council in a Christmas card sent out to all on the FOGG working party: “Thank you for all your hard work restoring the Goyle and making it a place for all to enjoy, now and in the future.”
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
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