A beautifully sunny if chilly morning greeted 8 GoodGymers as they gathered on the Ham Lands with Sharon and her team.

Our task today was to clear the brambles covering a pathway to clear it for safer passage for walkers. The brambles were tenacious to say the least - some of us were chopping them with loppers while others dug out the roots - but we made good progress, rapidly filling refuse sacks which were then emptied in the undergrowth.

Meanwhile part of the team tackled the ivy spreading across the ground, pulling up great clumps and filling the bags.

It was a satisfying mission and the team retired happy to the Swiss Bakery for well-deserved coffees and treats.

Next time will be on April 11th - sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-46894cf6-7f0c-466b-b358-13b5740bca60

On a bright but cold day at Ham Lands, our GoodGym crew - welcoming first-timers Clare and Nadya - gathered for a satisfying task: liberating a cherry tree that had all but disappeared beneath a thicket of suckers.

These vigorous new growths had sprung up from the tree’s roots and were crowding out the space around it, competing for nutrients. Fuelled by enthusiasm (and a need to keep warm!), we set to work.

Using a combination of loppers for the thinner and handsaws for the thicker suckers we spread around the tree and attacked the task with gusto. The cut-down suckers soon started to form a large pile near the tree, which Friends of Ham Lands leader Sharon began moving to the undergrowth nearby.

As the cherry tree was revealed and the pile grew larger, several of the GoodGym team switched to removal duties. All the while we had been careful not to cut two of the suckers on which rare butterfly eggs had been found, so these remained standing close to the tree.

As usual for a Ham Lands task, on finishing we gathered at the Swiss Bakery for well deserved hot drinks and treats, happy with our morning’s efforts.

On a cold and fresh day on the Ham Lands, the GoodGym team joined Sharon and the rest of the Friends of Ham Lands to tackle an overgrown patch of brambles. John, Pippa, Monika, Kate, Chris, Adam, Suze, Rosie, Alex and JP were armed with loppers, gloves and plenty of enthusiasm as we chopped back and uprooted the brambles to reduce competition and open up space for violets and snowdrops to thrive.

The task involved cutting through dense, thorny growth and digging out roots to help prevent regrowth. Working steadily as a team, we cleared the area and left it ready for spring flowers to emerge. By the end of the session, the site looked noticeably more open and light-filled, giving native plants a much better chance to establish and spread.

We finished up with a well-earned cup of tea with the Friends of Ham Lands group, before making our way to the Swiss Bakery for drinks and snacks — a perfect end to a thorny but rewarding mission.

Next time will be on Valentines Day - sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-8ee7fa0c-756b-4d38-9748-7b6b725f7d2e

On a gorgeous wintry sunny Saturday morning, five GGers turned out for the last Ham Lands visit of 2025. Adam, James, Harrison Susannah and Alex were tasked with helping the Friends of Ham clear one of the beautiful paths in the Ham Lands, which were overgrown with brambles. Armed with choppers and other gardening equipment we set about this onerous mission, however, it is always surprising how much we get through in just a short period of time.
Once done, we were suitable looked after by Sharon and the Friends of Ham, supplied with festive mince pies, coffees and teas. If that is not an incentive for coming again, I don't know what is. Bramble On!

As travel plans meant I would be unable to attend the December mission helping the Friends of Ham Lands, I decided to take a bit of time out of my Monday to lend a hand on their regular weekly session.

It was a larger group than the regular Saturday morning crowd and we were working on a patch of brambles tucked away in the woods. As usual the brambles were being a real menace and needed to be uprooted rather than just chopped back.

We used mattocks and picks to turn the earth and get at the roots, some of which were long and needed to be chased along until the root bulb could be found. But it was satisfying work and we made good progress before calling time for tea.

After a cuppa it was back to work for another 45 minutes and we kept pushing back the bramble tide. We filled sack after sack, all of which were emptied in a compost area not far from where we were working.

It was lovely to see the gang and wish them all happy holidays.

A lovely morning on the Ham Lands saw 8 happy GGers join the FOHL for our monthly session of habitat management.

We were back in the same spot as the last 2 sessions, working on the patches of wild clematis where the plants had been cleared away but the roots threatened to spring back to life if not tackled.

We got to work armed with various kinds of pick and scoopy-pick-thing and soon started to make progress. The challenge was chasing the roots up from the ground - many of them ran a long way through the earth like electrical wiring - but our patience paid off as we dug channels to get them free.

With 8 of us making a big effort we got a lot of the roots out of the ground and Sharon rewarded us with a lovely cuppa and biscuits.

Next time back at the Ham Lands will be the last of the year - hope to see lots of people there!