James has trimmed the ground cover away from the base of the hedges, where the blackthorn was encroaching onto the rides and cut back the new growth on the section of hedge that has been layed. Since then, the other side of this section has been cut by Robert Fison's contractor.
The Spindle bushes really stand out now, with branches full of fruits and seeds, which are poisonous. The wood from these shrubs were once used for spindles, knitting needles and skewers.
While I was taking these photos, a few starlings were enjoying the last of the sloe and blackberries in the hedgerow.