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The village of Langford Budville becomes greener

The community at Langford Budville as well as the wider Wellington to Wiveliscombe green corridor have made great things happen through community organising and a will to take action for nature and wildlife. Ian Louden tell us more...

In 2021, Langford Budville was awarded £11,305 from the Climate Emergency Community Fund, to enable the Greener Langford Budville project to promote a culture of sustainable living.  

One outcome of the Covid epidemic was the increased use of WhatsApp groups. In Langford Budville, this helped us to promote the project and to establish several new groups in the village: a greener gardening group; a conservation group to deal with footpaths and tasks on Langford Heathfield reserve; a Trash to Treasure sharing group; a new wildflower area and wildlife & wildflower groups. 

In January 2023, 80 people from the village and every child in the village school helped to plant 1000 trees and shrubs in a Jubilee Wood - which neatly abuts on the Langford Heathfield reserve - on land which was offered to us by Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm.

Party for Jubilee Wood

Image: Ian Loudon (volunteer warden Langford Heathfield)

In conjunction with Transition Town Wellington, we proposed the concept of a wildlife corridor from Wellington to Wiveliscombe for which Josh Wedderkopp set up a great website and a whatsapp, to encourage people to feel proud of being part of such a corridor and to share their green activities. This will also extend the Wellington Green Corridor and might eventually run from the Blackdown Hills to the Brendon Hills, taking in the Tone valley.

We had a Bee Alert walk from Wiveliscombe to Wellington, sponsored by Somerset Wildlife Trust,  we drew 100 people to a Wildlife Activity morning in the village hall and held another meeting about the corridor addressed by Adam Lockyear of the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG).

Three swift boxes being installed

Image: Ian Loudon (volunteer warden Langford Heathfield)

We knew there had been swifts coming to a house in the village for several years but it was when the government refused to make swift bricks compulsory in every new build that local action seemed necessary. A request to the village hall committee allowed three swift boxes to be installed there. Local carpenter Tim Eland then crafted 16 boxes some of which were on display at the People’s Emergency Briefing in May, where Ken Young hosted a colourful and informative stall displaying examples to encourage people to sign up to install these on their houses.

The Martlet pub was among the first to sign up for three boxes which meets the swifts’ preference for nesting in colonies and Steve Care manned the ladders to install these. The pub is neatly appropriate, given that martlet is an old word for a legless swift, as seen on the pub sign.

Installing swift boxes

The Martlet pub was among the first to sign up for three boxes which meets the swifts’ preference for nesting in colonies and Steve Care manned the ladders to install these. The pub is neatly appropriate, given that martlet is an old word for a legless swift, as seen on the pub sign.

Soon there were enough orders to allow Tim to make another 32 boxes. Now, more than forty are installed or ordered throughout the parish and beyond, with the school and the church signed up. 

The boxes need to be at least 4.5m high and ideally facing between north and east. The birds’ return journey begins in August but before then, the young will be prospecting for suitable sites for next year so the more boxes we have installed the better. It’s wonderful that so many people are interested. 

Somerset Wildlife Trust have been very important in supporting our aims, publicising our activities, advising on the wood, encouraging the conservation group and keeping the village informed on management of the reserve.

Ian Loudon (volunteer warden Langford Heathfield)

If you and your community are just starting something similar or are wondering how to get started; then Somerset Wilder Trusts Wilder Communities scheme is their to offer guidance and tools to support you – contact us to get started.

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