Sham Castle stone resurected

The historic stone found in front of Sham Castle has been resurrected this week. The marker stone was uncovered after the scrub clearance lying on its side. Nicholas Coombes put the local history societies in touch with the National Trust and BathNES archeology department to decide where the stone should go. Based on maps from the early 1800s, the marker has been returned to its original position.

It was used by the Bath Corporation in the late 1700s as a marker stone for one of the many springs in the area which watered their development in Bathwick. It is thought that there are many more on Bathampton Down; the National Trust has now drawn the attention of the Bathwick History Society to another further down North Road.

Student Union reception

Thank you Bath University Students’ Union for the invite to the Annual Reception. The councillor’s never ending round of pothole maintenance is always enlivened by a good drinks and nibbles reception. Rest assured that I was hard at work between the sausage rolls and odd chicken bites, though.

The evening was very well attended, which started auspiciously when I got off the 18 bus and spotted my colleague, Cllr David Bellotti, in the Council Chair’s car. Apparently the slightly tatty BathNES flag which caught my attention is due to be replaced soon with the new logo. I have been to ‘Elements’ (the Union bar) countless times, but walking up with the Chair of the Council was the first time that I have been escorted by SU staff!

Deputy Mayor of Bath, Cllr Paul Crossley, was also in a attendance – he lives in Sham Castle Lane, so it wasn’t far to come. With the two Oldfield councillors there too it made a total of 5 Lib Dems to an event that the Conservatives had ignored. I am always reassured to be at an event that the Tories don’t care for.

Around the formal speeches the rest of the evenign was a flurry of networking with the Vice Chancellor and University management, Student Union sabbatical officers and staff and the local residents’ associations with plenty to discuss. I am getting better at working a reception after a year’s experince of drinks and nibbles but there is still much room for improvement. I have never bettered my first function, at the launch of the Bath Music Festival last year, when expert hosts passed me effortlessly from the Mayor to Vice Chancellor to Joanna MacGregor, pianist and Festival director.

Mystery marker made clear

A historic marker post, unearthed during the scub clearance at Sham Castle has now been identified and is soon to be reinstated. The National Trust moved the stone out of harm’s way to prepare the field to be sown as a native meadow. The local history society, concerned for the stone’s archeaological significance, contacted me for its preservation.

Since I put them in contact, the experts from the Bathwick and Bathampton Local History Societies and BathNES council met at the Sham Castle with the National Trust manager to relocate the stone. The marker was put up by the Bath Corporation to mark springs which watered the city in the 1700s, one of a series on the hillside. Using a map from the 1840s they were able to agree an exact location for the stone, to which the National Trust will return it and reinstate the stone upright.

Like the rest of the Sham Castle project, this is another example of local people using their own skills and knowledge to improve their environment, without relying on the local council. I am not an archaeologist (more an architectural historian!) and I didn’t need to be; we have the expertise in our comminuty, it just needs to be linked up.

Graffiti and difficult messes

Recently I seem to have been chasing unnecessarily difficult problems, graffiti, litter and potholes which have been a lot harder to fix than they ought.

The kind people at Network Rail are just as helpful on the phone as they were when I first called them in February 2007, but the graffiti still hasn’t been cleaned from their railway bridge. You probably noticed the ‘THiCK’ tag on the bridge over Pulteney Road over a year ago and I been trying to get it removed since then. In the last few months I added graffiti on the arches to my request, so I am now on my third different customer reference number. We’ve already passed a few deadlines for the contractors to do the work, so I wait with anticipation.

Unlike Network Rail, the electricity company only work to 9-5 office hours, but the one time I did get through I was assured that their substation would be scrubbed within the week. It hasn’t happened yet, I’ll have to call back Monday to Friday.

I have also experienced nothing but earnest enthusiasm from our own council helpline, but 2 months on I am still waiting for a highways inspector to visit Sydney Buildings to register the potholes for filling. An inspector did visit my street however, the complaint having been misfiled, and was able to locate some potholes which have since been filled in.

I hope that this post hasn’t spoilt the ‘magic’; I have to spend just as long on hold and re-writing emails as anyone else; the difference is that I get paid for it.

Whether it’s in the job decription is another matter.

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27-5-8 In fairness the electricity substation has now been cleaned and the potholes in Sydney Buildings have been inspected.

Lamp post replaced

I have read that a long running competition amongst national newspaper night editors for the least exciting headline stalled with no one able to better “small earthquake in peru, not many dead”. However, lamp posts, or the unexpected lack of, are of great concern to those missing illumination.

The lamp post at the end of Sydney Wharf, lighting the final six houses plus the bridge over the railway, was unexpectedly removed at the end of last month. Well meaning BathNES technicians thought that they were helping the developer, who asked for the lamp post to be removed from their land, and complying with best practice by getting the light onto the public highway. This is so that it can be repaired without needing written permission from the landowner.

Unfortunately their efforts to relocate it were more difficult than expected, runnning into cellars, parking and contested ownership. I was contacted by concerned residents worried about the delay. A flurry of emails and phonecalls followed between five different parties until consensus was reached. The developer even paid for the lamp post to be upgraded to ‘herritage’ style, befitting the fine Georgian history of electric lighting.

The lantern is now in place awaiting only the wiring before the grand switch on. There’s more to these dull headlines than you’d expect.

History help required

Do you know the origins of the marker stone found near the Sham Castle? More importantly, where should it go?

In the second stage of the Sham Castle project the National Trust have prepared the ground in front of the castle to be sown as a meadow. The scrub and brambles were cleared by a group of community volunteers led by Armand and I in March. For the ploughing, the National Trust moved a historic marker stone which had been lying amongst the vegetation. When they have finished it will be moved back to a suitable location.

The Bathwick and Bathampton local history societies both have ideas about the stone and are working with the city archaeologist to agree its correct location. If you have any thoughts or information to contribute please email me and I will put you in touch with the groups. The stone is likely a marker erected by the city water board to denote a spring on the hill.

The long term management of the land in front of the Sham Castle has now been agreed between the National Trust and the Golf Course. Both have contributed towards sowing it as a wild meadow and shall be mowing it a few times per year when the grass is established.

Success for Sham Castle Volunteers

Thank you to the volunteers who helped clear the scrub in front of Sham Castle. With local councillors Nicholas and Armand, they did an excellent
job cutting back the brambles and creating new wildlife habitats.

Young trees and scrub have grown up over the last few years blocking the view of the city from the folly. The Bathwick Lib Dems found funding for professional tree clearance and organised a community action day
to clear up the site.

The grant was from the Cotswold Conservation Board Sustainable Development Fund, the action day was managed by BTCV and the project was facilitated by the One World Society of Bath University Students’ Union. Thanks also to generous lunch donor and the BathNES Council Community Landscapes Officer who has been hugely helpful throughout.

“This was a brilliant day,” said Cllr Nicholas Coombes, “as a community we were able to do this for ourselves without simply relying on the council to fix it. The Liberal Democrats believe in empowering people to help themselves; our action day was a good example of this.”

The entire site was cleared of scrub, opening up the intended views to and from the city. A dead hedge was also laid as a habitat and wildlife corridor safe from the local buzzards.

Sham Castle scrub clearance – 13th March

A community project to clear the view at the Sham Castle has been finalised for Thursday 13th March. Cllrs Nicholas Coombes and Armand Edwards have received great support since announcing the project last month.

Sham Castle is a folly built in 1762 by Ralph Allen, Bath stone magnate, to improve the view of the hill. Over the last years however, scrub and young trees have grown up between the castle and city. This spoils the view out from the National Trust skyline walk by the castle and also obscures the floodlit folly from the city.

As no council funding was available, Nicholas Coombes has negotiated a community project grant funded by the Cotswolds Conservation Board Sustainable Development Fund. Professionals will use their machinery to cut and clear the larger trees and vegetation, preparing the site for the volunteers. Bath University students and members of the local community are invited to help tidy the site and create new wildlife habitats in the clearing with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. The National Trust will also be supervising the works.

Already many Bathwick locals have volunteered their time but everyone is welcome. The day will run from 10am until 4pm with volunteers invited to stay for the whole day, but able to drop in and leave when they chose. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided with a sandwich lunch paid for by a generous member of the public. All equipment will also be provided by BTCV. The castle is on the skyline walk and best accessible by foot; it is near the Bath Golf Course club house on Golf Course Road up North Road but please do not bring a car.

Armand and Nicholas look forward to seeing as many people as possible on the day. Please visit for as long as you can, whether the whole day or just an hour. If you don’t feel up to heavy work we’ll be pleased to see you regardless.

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Although Cllr Coombes has organised this project, many thanks are due to BathNES landscapes department, the Cotswold Conservation Board SDF, BTC, the National Trust, the One World Society and the University of Bath Students’ Union.

Our Big Energy Challenge

Our Big Energy Challenge was launched in 2006 under Lib Dem leadership to reduce the carbon footprint of BathNES. The council and their partner groups, including the hospital and universities will also save public money by cutting energy use.

Already big savings have been made, with current plans due to cut energy usage by 7.5% through relatively simple steps. Everyone can do their bit at home or at work by switching off unnecessary appliances and only using the energy they need. Already the larger institutions have saved thousands of pounds and individuals can save too.

Already Nicholas uses energy efficient light bulbs and turns off unused electrical applicances, but the progress report gave some very useful hints at persuading other people and organisations to follow suit. Please visit www.ourenergychallenge.org for practical advice on saving energy, saving money, reducing pollution and reducing global warming.

Short-sighted folly!

Liberal Democrat councillors Armand Edwards and Nicholas Coombes are leading a volunteer community project to clear the scrub at Sham Castle. Trees and vegetation have grown up obscuring the historic view between the city and the folly.

No money was available from BathNES council for this work so Nicholas and Armand have coordinated a funding application to the Cotswold AoNB Sustainable Development Fund with promises of help from Bath University’s One World environmental society. The Bathwick Hill, Copseland and Beech Avenue Residents’ Associations have all offered their support as have the City of Bath Mayor’s Guides.

An action day is planned for volunteers to cut back the scrub and clear up after the young trees have been felled in March. If you are interested in helping please post back the form overleaf, call 01225 426577 or email nicholas_coombes@bathnes.gov.uk to be kept updated; your support will be welcomed.

“The Liberal Democrats believe in empowering people and communities to help themselves,” says Cllr Edwards, “this is a brilliant example of our policies in practice and we hope you can support us.”