We have been talking to the Sennowe Estate and the Norfolk Wildlife Trust about clearing and restoring an existing pond. This will be an exciting project and we will be looking for your help. See the dates below.
In conjunction with the village shop we have agreed to produce a Ryburgh wildlife calendar for 2026. The aim is to have different images of wildlife in the village that are representative of each month. We are currently looking for images and next year the committee will select the 12 images that will appear on the calendar.
Pond Restoration – scrub clearance
With the permission and support from the Sennowe estate the Group is keen to start the restoration of a local pond. Mike Rundle is planning to hold two work mornings to start removing scrub from the pond’s surrounds. We need up to six people to volunteer for these two initial work parties. Are you able to help?
The dates are Saturday 14th December and Saturday 11th January – working from 10.00am to 12.30pm. Assemble at Mike’s house at 9.30am.
Please bring your own strong gloves and tools capable of clearing scrub. The Group’s insurance does not cover the use of tools, so people attending must take all necessary care to ensure their own safety and the safety of others working nearby (from his/her work) because it will remain your personal responsibility.
If you would like to help and do your bit for local wildlife, please contact Mike either by phone 07876588823 or by email mike_rundle@ iCloud.com.
Wassailing is coming to Great Ryburgh
Wassailing is a post-Christmas tradition that has been practised in Britain for centuries. Its purpose is to drive away evil spirits and encourage good spirits into ensuring a good fruit harvest the following season. It takes place in early January and involves a visit to an orchard for singing, dancing, drinking and general merrymaking.
Historically, wassailing took many different forms. One form of the wassailing tradition involved groups of revellers going from house to house to drink toasts and wish good health for the year ahead on the dwellers within. The word ‘wassail’ is believed to be derived from the Old English ‘was hál’, meaning ‘be hale’ or ‘good health’. The response to the cry “wassail!” is “drinc hael” which means “I drink to your health”.
Nowadays a wassail involves a procession to an orchard or fruit trees (usually pear or apple) to sing songs, bang pots and pans to make a noise to scare away bad spirits and then bless the trees to encourage a good fruit crop by hanging toast soaked in cider on their branches.
In the English folk world there are two quite well-known wassailing songs: ‘The Gloucestershire Wassail Song’, ‘Wassail! Wassail, all over the town, our toast it is white and our ale it is brown…’, and ‘The Wassailer’s Carol’ (‘Here we come a-Wassailing among the leaves so green’). Both songs are widely recorded. The version of the Gloucestershire is by The Longest Johns.
On Saturday 18th January wassailing will come to Great Ryburgh to bless the fruit trees in the community woodland as part of the celebration to mark ten years of the community woodland. Holt Ridge Morris dancers from Aylsham will lead the wassail procession and proceedings, before heading back to the Memorial Hall for some morris dancing and a celebratory beer or two from the “Pop Up Pub”. Do come and join us in a centuries old tradition and to help encourage a good fruit summer crop in 2025.
The important times are:
3.00pm Holt Ridge Morris dancers will lead the procession from the Memorial Hall to the community woodland for the Wassail.
4.30pm Morris dancing at the Memorial Hall.
The community “Pop-Up-Pub” will open to support this local celebration
Pieces of toast soaked in cider tied to the branches of an apple tree after Wassailing at Saddlecombe Farm, West Sussex – National Trust, Laurence Perry
Useful links.
The National Trust website has a good page on wassailing. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/whats-on/join-in-with-the-annual-wassail
Ryburgh community pub https://www.ryburghcommunitypub.co.uk/
Holt Ridge Morris dancers https://holtridgemorris.co.uk/
For further details email . info.ryburghwildlife@gmail.com
February 2025
Wednesday 19th – AGM and quiz. Details to follow.
May 2025
Big River Watch and water quality testing. Details to follow.
Dawn chorus walk. Details to follow.
October 2025
Choosing the images for the 2026 Ryburgh wildlife calendar
Ryburgh Nature Week 2025 – date to be announced
If you would like further information or have a query please contact the group by email at: info.ryburghwildlife@gmail.com
Links to :
- Newsletters
- Nature watch week 2024 publicity
- 2024 Photo competition images
- 2026 calendar monthly images