Progress so far .......

Projects to date:-

Tidy village - the footpaths have been cleared; in some places of several years leaf litter. Cutting back overgrown vegetation has meant you can stand on the cycle path bridge and watch the sticklebacks dart around Crick Brook. The bus shelter was tidied up with help initially from Caerwent Community Council. A grant from Tidy Towns enabled us to purchase tools and protective clothing, Keep Wales Tidy supply our insurance cover for the work parties Some before and after shots:

Insect friendly planting - Monmouthshire County Council allowed us to use an area of grass near the road junction to create a flower bed. We have used a mix of local wild flower species, but with some ornamental plants and bulbs to add structure and colour through the seasons. We wanted to create a space with visual impact for the village centre, but by using largely insect friendly plants the primary aim is to support the local bee, butterfly and hoverfly populations. In addition flowering plants and spring bulbs have been planted on the 'cycle bank' and near the Brook footpath to the south of the A48. It's amazing how fast it has grown.

Barratt Homes provided topsoil, Wilkinsons gave us spring bulbs, Chepstow Garden Centre, Caerwent Community Council and Tidy Towns funded some plants and the children from Shirenewton Playgroup potted up some bulbs to overwinter while we were waiting to create the flowerbed.

Nest boxes - we made some nest boxes from spare wood. The Shirenewton girl guides donated more that they had made. Bell Homes gave us permission to put them up in a local woodland they own. In the first year we had at least 3 blue tit and 2 great tit nests.

Yellow fish - we marked our drains with the Yellow Fish signs of the Environment Agency scheme to remind residents that the water flows into Crick Brook and then the Nedern Wetlands, so needs to be protected from pollutants.

The meadow - an early ambition was to create a wildflower meadow, inspired by the one created at nearby Leechpool by Rich Cornock and Nic. We hit a problem when we soon discovered that you don't really get 'spare' fields, and were starting to lose hope until the tenant of Bradbury Farm decided to retire. The farmhouse is actually within the village curtilage and a couple of adjacent fields looked ideal locations. In October 2012 we finally got confirmation that a 1.5 acre triangular field bordered on one side by the Brook is ours to use - with thanks to Monmouthshire County Council for their faith in the project and to Caerwent Community Council who helped secure a lease. Thanks too to Steph Tyler from Monmouthshire Meadows for her advice and guidance on future management. It's not in a great state at present, but hasn't been used for arable so there is good scope for a hidden wildflower show when the thatch is removed. Now the fun (and fundraising) really begins .............