Farming issues barely touch directly the lives of most people, yet foot and mouth and bluetongue are creating serious concerns and management difficulties for livestock owners and the whole farming community.

Livestock movement restriction orders seem to change frequently and at present, both diseases remain unchecked and the situation could go either way.

Hopefully, by next month's update in the Free Press, the news will be very much more optimistic on this issue and the cattle will be moved off the riverside to their winter quarters.

Last month I advised of the impending heavy engineering work to the Croft sluice gates which are required in order for normal operation of the gates to resume. Perhaps inevitably, there has been a delay in the contractual process and work is now rescheduled for November 5, providing ground conditions are reasonable and all other requirements have been met.

During that week there will be severe pedestrian access along the mill race footpath and those who walk children to school along that path would be well advised to avoid it altogether that week. The path will have to be closed at times when a heavy crane lifts out the old gates and drops in the new ones. The whole area will resemble a building site, with a storage pound for materials and heavy plant and a new ramp access route to get equipment to the structure. All this work is necessary to comply with current health and safety demands.


During the summer work started to ramp the north side of the Old Bathing Place, carried out by a marvellously enthusiastic team of volunteer students from Great Cornard Upper School.

As a result of very wet ground conditions the project could not be completed. Hardcore and hoggin required for the ramp could not be transported across North Meadow Common without serious damage to what is becoming an increasingly important wetland habitat.

Further work was carried out last month but it is likely that, in due course, more materials will be required. This, however, will now be included in the schedule for alterations south of the bridge when, hopefully, ground conditions will permit the whole project to be completed without delay and the minimum inconvenience to all those who enjoy the Sudbury Common Lands.

The ramp work continues the theme of "access for all" for the benefit of as many sectors of society as is practicably possible on what is grazed farmland and not a park. The trustees have been quietly carrying out this policy for many years now, with the replacement of awkward stiles, prototype steel chamber gates and rotting timber squeeze gates, to provide an area with unparalleled access within the constraints of the farmed landscape.

These changes may not be acceptable to all site users but it is worth noting that if anyone has any concerns about any aspect of management on the common lands, a handy contact number is provided at each and every access point to the 115-acre reserve.

Indeed, the trustees of the Sudbury Common Lands Charity have been managing the area for the past 110 years, so it is probably a reasonable bet that most queries can be answered either by asking the rangers that are regularly somewhere on the riverside or via the phone number provided. In addition, groups are always very welcome to arrange a guided walk to learn more about their rich and unique riverside heritage and its historic association with the Freemen of Sudbury.

The book An Appreciation of Sudbury Ancient Common Lands provides further details about an area that Babergh's long-serving countryside officer describes as the "jewel in Babergh's crown".

Autumn sees the outdoor education programme draw to a close as the weather becomes less suitable for outdoor classroom activities. During the last week of September, 208 middle school youngsters braved cold and wet conditions to learn something about the history, geography and conservation of the area.