Welcome to Harding's Pits Doorstep Green

News & Events

Our Annual HPCA 'do

It's that time of the year again for our social/party/get-together. It will be on Friday 17th February from 7pm at the Hillington Square hall. All Hardings Pits Doorstep Green supporters and users, families, partners welcome. No speeches, this is a social event. Drinks will be provided but if you would like to bring some food/nibbles then that would be helpful.

It would also be hepful if you could let Roger 764422 or enquiries@hardings-pits.org.uk know so that we have some idea of numbers so as not to run out of drinks.

A Flora of King's Lynn — 800 different plant species in Lynn

A Flora of King's Lynn. Cover photo: A view of King's Lynn from the west, with Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum and Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris in the foreground. Photographer: Frances Schumann & Robin Stevenson

Gallant Soldiers from South America are to be found all over King's Lynn. There's also fleabane from Mexico, comfrey from Russia, and maple from Norway — along with a host of native British plants.

They are among the 800 or so plants listed in A Flora of King's Lynn, a new reference book which lists and illustrates wild plant species found in the town over a recent five year period. This is the work of local botanists Robin Stevenson and Frances Schumann and has left them wondering at the range of wild plant species to which the town is home.

"When we began we expected to find 400 or so species and we've been surprised by the sheer quantity and variety of the plants we have identified.

"There are very few particularly rare plants, even those with rather outlandish names from far-away places will be familiar to many but our work illustrates the degree of biodiversity and how much there is in an urban area such as King's Lynn.

"We have not confined our searches to obvious 'green' areas such as The Walks or Harding's Pits; most of what we have found has been on little patches of waste ground, un-regarded corners and roadside verges."

Unusual locations include a road grating, from which Pellitory-of-the-Wall was emerging, and a substantial Rowan tree growing on the top of a high brick wall.

Frances and Robin embarked upon their study because a 1995 survey of the flowering plants of Lynn covered a rather small area. They decided to record over a substantially larger area, one which had already been covered by Robin in a separate study of the local mosses.

Frances volunteered to help in this second project and the book has been produced in partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society. Additional financial sponsorship has come from the Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service, the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership, and the Gaywood Valley Project,

An introductory section describes the setting, scope and habitats of the town, all fully illustrated in colour by the authors. There is an alphabetical listing of all the plants found with all except the commonest species accompanied by a distribution map and text, commenting either on the biology, history or uses of the plant — a mixture of facts designed to make the Flora appeal to a wide public.

The scope includes some of the rural margins of the town, such as the arable areas to the north and east, in the belief that these are liable to be developed in future years. This will give the Flora an historical value as and when such changes occur. It will also act as a baseline database against which changes associated with global warming, or other environmental alterations, may be measured.

"Habitats are not only to be found in the countryside." say the authors "Urban areas made a significant contribution to our wealth of flora, and they are often overlooked. This publication shows what a resource there is in even the densest built-up parts of our towns. We cannot ignore them."

A Flora of King's Lynn is available via the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society website (www.nnns.org.uk), Waterstones in King's Lynn and selected booksellers, price £8.00.

More information on the book can be read at King's Lynn Online website.

Award for Harding's Pits group

The King's Lynn local group which runs the Harding's Pits Doorstep Green close to the town centre has been highly commended in the annual Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership Community Biodiversity Awards.

Presenting the award to the Harding's Pits Community Association chairman, Jane Dearling, at a Norfolk County Hall ceremony, Partnership chairman Gerry Barnes, environment manager for Norfolk County Council, congratulated the HPCA management team on the creation of a much valued open space.

"Harding's Pits is a site which has been many things in the past — the centre of the town's whaling fleet many years ago, then industry such as timber yards and brick yards and, most recently, for disposal of the town's refuse," he said. Determined community action had brought about a considerable environmental improvement to the area.

Mrs Dearling confirmed that, saying that over 70 species of bird and 170 species of plant have now been recorded at Harding's Pits.

"Now we are surveying the insect fauna. We have regularly run wildlife ID workshops on the site and are planning a new botany course" she said "Anyone interested should watch our website at www.hardings-pits.org.uk for details."

Mrs Dearling said that while running an urban open space accessible at all times to the public posed particular problems of litter and vandalism it also brought much satisfaction to members of the volunteer group which has taken on its maintenance.

"Local people love it and the exercise and the fresh air are good for all of us, too," she said.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Doorstep Green operation at Harding's Pits

Without their efforts to keep the green free from rubbish and Mother Nature within bounds we would be back to the dereliction of the years before 2004 when HPCA took it over. Work days are held at regular intervals between May and October, always on Saturdays beginning around 10am and usually finished by 4pm with a light lunch supplied (Sally's pea soup is famous)… Litter collection takes place weekly throughout the year.

Additional hands are always welcome — ring Mike Nobbs, HPCA secretary on KL765173 or e-mail at enquiries@hardings-pits.org.uk or Jane Dearling, Queen of the Litter Pickers, KL760513, e-mail: janedearling@googlemail.com

The pictures are from a recent work day.

Denise gets down to work on the ever encroaching blackberries…

…while Mike takes even sterner action

Meantime, Robert, Rick and John clear up after a fire among the blackberries

River Nar Restoration Project

We recently attended an information day at Narborough describing plans to enhance the 42 km River Nar — from its source at Mileham near Litcham down to King's Lynn. The plans have been developed by the Environment Agency in conjunction with Natural England, Drainage Boards and local landowners.

The River Nar is considered an important conservation asset and much of it is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Otter, Kingfishers, Trout and many other rare species live along the river.

The proposals include replacing sections of channelised river and replacing them with more natural banks, with woodland and meadow fringes. The proposals would have benefits for wildlife and sustainable river management. Many farmers and landowners are supporting the scheme — which might take 10 years or more to implement.

HPCA strongly support the scheme and expect that a healthier River Nar will have benefits for wildlife in King's Lynn and at Harding's Pits. However we were disappointed to note that the proposals stopped at the southern edge of the town and did not continue to the River Ouse. We hope that the NORA development team will ensure that their future development safeguards and enhances the Nar River corridor and that the Borough will be persuaded to drop their prohibitively expensive proposal to move the river and instead will work to enhance the existing corridor.

Bringing the local franchise to King's Lynn

It is a sore point that while Hunstanton and Downham Market both have town councils, and the villages all around north-west Norfolk have their parish councils, there is no such body for the main town — King's Lynn. Various unsuccessful attempts have been made over the years to get such a forum for Lynn.

Now David Collis, a borough councillor who represents one of the inner wards of the town, is having another try. He gives his reasons in the following statement.

Why should HPCA bother about this?

Councillor Collis's point that Lynn people deserve proper representation to the borough council over such matters as development and planning is well made. They should have no less opportunity to make their views known to the central authority than the residents of the smaller towns and villages through their councils. Members of a Lynn town council, for example, would be able to formally reflect the widespread dissatisfaction within the town at the borough's determination to steamroller the marina development into being.

HPCA never misses the opportunity to remind everyone that the marina plan has not gone away; it is merely on the back burner for the time being and its promoters and supporters within the borough council (there seem to be none elsewhere) continue to mutter that it will go ahead as soon as the financial situation permits.

A Lynn town council might not be able to prevent such a development. But it could ensure, through debate and associated publicity, that the views of the townspeople would be fully and properly represented when the matter is brought back into the frame.

There has been no public consultation over the principle of establishing a marina. Such as there has been has been limited to cosmetic matters such as tree planting and path routes, with the need for such a facility and the practicality of establishing it, let alone the real economic consequences of doing so, specifically banned from discussion.

So Councillor Collis's intervention is timely.