The Start of Munday’s Close woodland by Marian Markham, March 2026
A Special Parish council meeting was held on 27th February 1997. Laurence Martyn detailed the idea of a wildflower meadow, shrubs and fruit trees to be accessed by villagers. Bob Sheridan proposed and Lorna Burger seconded that the Parish Council be asked to follow Mr Martyn’s idea.
Permission was granted by the Department of the Environment for change of use from allotments to use for recreational purposes.
The Langham Parish Council Wildlife Group was formed in April 1996. Advice was given by Leicestershire Ecology Centre and Rutland Water Nature Reserve (Tim Appleton designed lay-out). A wildlife survey was completed by the Parish Community in 1996 of the area.
In April 1997 the Group applied to Rural Action for the Environment for a grant of £1341 towards the costs of site preparation, fencing, wildflower seeds, trees, shrubs. Langham Parish Council provided £520 and Friends of the Earth provided £150.
Plant purchases
September 1997, Suffolk Herbs, Monks Farm, Essex
50 wild daffodils [still present under old apple tree. Wood anemones planted there too but no sign now]
1997 wildflowers
Mixture F5 with G1 [assume from Naturescape. Plants in bold still present, rest not]:
Scabious, agrimony, larkspur, cornflower, horseshoe vetch, kidney vetch, wild tulip, wild daffodil, wood anemone, sorrel, birdsfoot trefoil, cuckoo flower, garlic mustard
February 1998 from Lord King, Wartnaby, Melton Mowbray
Hawthorn x 10. [still good hedge plants doing well]
December 1999 from Lord King, Wartnaby, Melton Mowbray [bulk of saplings for woodland area] £132.96
Hawthorn x 220 [hedges]
Dog Rose x 5
Sweet Briar x 4
Spindle x 5 [group by benches]
Buckthorn x 5 [group at west end by Butterfly noticeboard]
Wayfaring Tree x 4 [only two present now]
Hazel x 4 [still doing well, several]
Guelder Rose x 5 [group near Butterfly notice board, , doing well]
Privet x 5 [west end hedge]
?1998 Langham Women’s Institude planted silver birches
November 2000 from Naturescape £27
Wild honeysuckle x 1 [no sign now]
Primrose x 4 [large number of plants now self-seeded]
Wild rose (Arvensis) x 1 [Field rose, not sure we have this now]
Dark Mullein x 4 [no sign now]
Harebell x 4 [no sign now, possible wrong habitat of damp clay soil rather than sand]
Meadowsweet x 3 [good number in meadow, likes damp clay]
Agrimony x 4 [no sign now]
May 2002 from The Herb Nursery, Thistleton
26 wild flowers £26.95
March 2009 from Lord King of Wartnaby, Melton Mowbray
Sorbus Aria magnifica (Whitebeam) x 3
Hazel x 3 – [still doing well]
Sloe x 3 – [doing well, self-seeding]
Quercus Rubra x3 – (English Oak) x3 – [several specimens doing well]
Guelder Rose x3 [getting over grown now, due to prune]
Wild Cherry x 2 [self sown now]
Field Maple x 3 [a number of good specimen trees now]
Gorse x 3 [no sign now, assume wrong habitat, too damp]