Owlthorpe Fields Conservation Group
News & Events
Over the next three years a series of events will be scheduled which may included such things as volunteering opportunities hedgelaying workshop, fruit tree pruning workshop, bioblitz, macro photography workshop, apple day and more.
Keep your eye on this page for upcoming events and on our Facebook page.
We are always looking for volunteers to help with the ongoing orchard work so it you would like to volunteer with Sheffield Countryside Conservation Trust here at Owlthorpe, please use our contact page to get in touch.
Checkout what we've been up to below
26th November 2025 - Notification of Cattle Grazing
We have received notification that the fields opposite the orchard are once again to be grazed with highland cattle. This means that the access gates to the fields will be locked. It will be lovely to see the cattle in the area once again. Please respect the farmer and enjoy looking at these magnificent cattle from outside the enclosed field.
Thank you for your consideration,
OCG
Saturday 25th October - Lantern making and Lantern Parade
In October we held held three autumn lantern making sessions, hosted by Birley Moor Garden Centre and led by Angie Hardwick. The sessions were well attended and everyone thoroughly enjoyed getting stuck in and creating some lovely lanterns. The sessions culminated on Saturday 25th October with a lantern a parade from the Garden Centre down to the orchard where the lanterns were hung on the trees and guests were treated to warm mulled apple juice, with homemade apple and plum jam and bread.
Saturday 6th September - Apple Pressing
This year we had been planning to hold our first ever Apple Day, but unfortunately the drought resulted in early ripening of the apples and many had started falling already. So, we brought the day forward and had a community apple picking and pressing day instead. We were so pleased to welcome all of you to the orchard and let you all have a go at picking and pressing the apples. Everyone then got to taste the fresh juice straight from the press. It was agreed by all that the apple juice was fantastic and tasted so much better knowing the apples had been picked and squeezed by our local community straight from the tree.
Saturday 6th September - Bat walk
This was the second activity of the day and we were amazed but delighted in the attendance at this. Led by Louisa from the South Yorkshire Bat Group we walked around Owlthorpe with bat detectors and learned about the local bats in the area from the very knowledgeable Louisa . It was lovely to here the excitement when the bat detectors went crazy, particularly over the pond where there were so may bats! As it was so popular we look forward to doing this again next year.
Will Warhurst - Raptor Project Lead, Bio
With all of the raptor boxes and small nest boxes now checked and logged for the 2025 breeding season, now is a good time to introduce you to Will Warhurst, the man behind the raptor project.
Will has been interested in bird breeding habits from an early age, inspired by his Grandad. He holds a category C bird ringing permit from the BTO and a schedule 1 license for ringing and nest recording of Schedule 1 species.
Over the years he has amassed a vast amount of knowledge on our native bird species and their nesting habits, and played a big part in successfully increasing the population of pied flycatchers on the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District through the nest monitoring scheme introduced by the team.
In his spare time (in between playing football and match fishing) Will can be found in his garage constructing nest boxes, hedgehog boxes and bat boxes. He constructed all the boxes for the S20 raptor project, all of the small nesting bird boxes that we have installed within the S20 corridor and hedgehog boxes funded by Sheffield Council's Shire Brook Valley Species Survival Project.
Pursuing further his dual passion for monitoring of bird breeding habits and carpentry (making all his own boxes), Will is currently in the process of setting up his own website. You can take a look at it here: Nests & Burrows.
10th July 2025 - Meadow Mowing
This was a hot one! We spent a sweltering morning with Nick Blood. our local Sheffield Counil Ranger, doing some meadow mowing and raking - the aim being to improve the health and biodiversity of the grasslands of Owlthorpe Fields. Theres a lot to do but we made a good start and the ducklings put in an appearance for us, which always brings a smile to our face. The mowing of the path around the pond has made it more accessible to people with reduced mobility. We'll be doing more work on the fields over the coming months.
5th July 2025 - Plant Walk on Owlthorpe Fields
On the 5th of July 16 of our local community and a very well behaved four-legged friend attended a very enjoyable plant walk led by the very knowledgeable local botanist Gerry Firkins. We had a fantastic morning and leaned a lot about species that we didn't even know we had!
Grasses that we've just walked past (and probably on) turned out to be ancient woodland indicators; we found another species of orchid to add to our other four - a broad-leaved helleborine; discovered an uncommon (for Sheffield) Cyperus sedge.
Thank you to eveyone that came along - we had some excellent feedback. A thoroughly entertaining morning.
5th June 2025 - Raptor Project Update
Over the winter and early spring months Will Warhurst has been busy monitoring the many raptor (bird of prey) boxes that have been located in the area. The grey squirrel have proved something of a problem, occupying many of the boxes, and they have had to be removed to give the raptors the opportunity to find and use the nest boxes. Some have been in place several years, others are new for this year.
With the bird breeding season now in full swing the pleasurable job of checking for chicks is underway. Here are some of the tawny owl and kestrel chicks seen in the boxes so far. The chicks will be ringed and data supplied to the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) and form the basis of an annual report on the local area raptor population. All the boxes will be monitored for at least the next 3 years, which hopefully will give some indication of how the raptor population is faring locally.
W/C 31st March 2025 - Orchard site work
Next week (w/c 31st March 2025) Adrian and Tony will be starting to remove top soil from the orchard in preparation for seeding with a native wildflower mix to start the process of turning the orchard into a beautiful wildflower meadow.
Please be aware that there may be machinery working in and around the orchard.
Feel free to have a chat with Adrian & Tony when it's safe, and they will be happy to tell you more about what they’re doing.
It might look a bit brutal at first, but please be assured that in the long-run, the orchard will look splendid and be beneficial for both people and wildlife.
22nd February 2025 Hedge Planting Hawthorn Whips
The group have been very busy planting over 200 hawthorn whips, with the landowners permission, to fill in the gaps in the local ancient hedgerows, which have become depleted over the years. Hedgerows are very important ecological habitats as they provide homes, shelter, food and corridors for wildlife. We know we have a population of yellowhammers locally but sightings have been declining in recent years. These hedgerows are their favourite location in the area and we wanted to do our bit to help increase their numbers. It was hard work but a beautiful day and enjoyed by all of us.
6th February 2025 Visit by Councillor Kurtis Crossland
On the 6th February Beighton ward Councillor Kurtis Crossland visited the orchard to find out a bit more about the National Lottery Heritage Funded project. Whilst there he met a few members of OCG and Adrian and Tony from Sheffield Countryside Conservation Trust, who showed him what they have done so far in the orchard and explained to him the future plans.
January 2025 S20 Raptor Monitoring Project
You may have seen the articles announcing our raptor project. Led by Will Warhurst, a licensed bird ringer and holder of a schedule 1 license and member of Sorby Breck Bird Ringing Group, the project will provide additional raptor boxes down the S20 green corridor, with the aim of monitoring and encouraging breeding of different raptor species within the area.
The boxes will be monitored and the chicks ringed over a 3 year period. We’ll keep you updated of progress.
Will Warhurst said: “It’s very exciting to be leading the raptor project. I grew up and still live in the S20 area, and have been passionate about bird monitoring from a very early age. With the BTO looking to increase raptor monitoring, it is a timely opportunity to get this project underway and provide essential data on breeding numbers, productivity and nest locations, which are highly valued by the organisations that work to conserve raptors across the UK.”
