Materials Scattered and Trees Snapped
Posted: 26 September 2020
Updated: 16 June 2022
After the high winds of the day before it was time to see what damage Storm Odette had done. While I normally avoid showing pictures of the garden area in the grounds section of the site, the scattered paving grids are worth showing as they show that there was still a lot to do in extending the reinforcement of the path. Work that started on 12 September and was continuing on the day construction of The Manna was completed.
Taking a few steps along the newly reinforced path the first damage could be seen. One of three main trunks of a Crack Willow had been snapped and blow over the dyke onto Peter's Field.
Beyond the bridge where the path turns in the south western corner of the site two more Crack Willows also had various branches snapped off, but on these trees the breaks were some eight or nine feet off the ground, but again indicating that the wind came from the north.
Further round the site by our "retaining wall" another tree had fallen towards the east.
Turning back from The Manna along the path that runs along the western boundary dyke, an oak had been blown over, lifting the edging plank on the path. This was blown on a somewhat more south westerly direction.
Reaching the bridge one of the trees on the Poor's Allotment side of the dyke was also leaning at a precarious angle and would need to come down.
Walking back all the way to the large oak tree on the south western corner of the site you can see how much water is lying on Peter's Field. I don't recall seeing it as flooded as this since March 2013, after we had purchased the house but before we had moved in.
On crossing to the island and looking west towards the main peninsula that forms part of the ground leased to the cottage owners at Ruston Reaches it would be seen that two birch trees had also had main branches snapped well above ground level.
All in all that is probably the most tree damage ever inflicted on the grounds by a single storm since we have been in residence and will take quite a bit of clearing up.
