Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

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Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Wildlife sanctuary, Yew Tree Corner , Awbridge Hill , Awbridge, .

Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary was created by Bryan Raines at the Millennium and is a privately owned example of what one person can achieve in making a wildlife haven out of fields previously harvested for wheat and hay prior to the millennium.

Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary almost went up in smoke at 13:00hr on Saturday 5th September 2026 after a neighbouring ...
07/10/2026

Awbridge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary almost went up in smoke at 13:00hr on Saturday 5th September 2026 after a neighbouring farmer decided to ignore the risk of a wildfire and deliberately set light to farm waste a Shaffles Cottage.
Only due to the quick and immediate reaction of myself and several other persons was the fire prevented from spreading into adjacent woodland ; had it done so the damage would have been catastrophic. Instead the fire was beaten back and by the time the fire brigade arrived at 13:45 the fire had been brought under control.
With a general complacency about the risk of wild fires there have been at least four incidents in which fire raising has occurred in the vicinity of Awbridge this summer , all of which appear to have been deliberate!
Of concern is the fact that members of the community, ADVA and the Parish Council appear oblivious as to how serious the threat of wildfire actually is, especially with for instance parched fields of maize adjacent to dried out garden hedgerows and woodland trees ready to ignite like “Roman Candles” as was the case until the end of September.
With temperatures predicted to get even higher next year, now is the time for some urgent re thinking regarding the education of children / adolescents and adults ….as well as consideration as to how community members should respond so as to protect homes and property in the event of further fires being deliberately started next summer by irresponsible individuals.
As Awbridge has been recently awarded a £2000 prize for best small village in Hampshire , perhaps that money be best spent on rubber fire beaters which cost in the region of £50 each and which are ideal for tackling fires in rural and wilderness areas .

Drought is having a devastating effect on Wildlife.This summer the dry weather and extreme heat has had severe consequen...
20/09/2026

Drought is having a devastating effect on Wildlife.

This summer the dry weather and extreme heat has had severe consequences for wildlife. In particular flowers have died removing nectar sources for butterfly’s and bees, grasses have shrivelled removing food sources for caterpillars and other insects. Likewise trees and bushes have suffered equally badly , shedding leaves berries and fruit prematurely. This is bad news for birds and animals dependent on nuts ,fruits and berries to see them through the winter.
Animals such as moles are particularly susceptible to th effects of drought as well as earth worms. Ant hill colonies have collapsed removing a vital source of food for resident green woodpeckers. The premature shredding of hazel nuts is also likely to have a serious effect on woodmouse, yellow necked mouse as well the dormouse which appears to now have disappeared from this locality.

Philosophy verses Theology.There are two types of Druids, those who are religious and worship the old gods and those who...
06/07/2026

Philosophy verses Theology.

There are two types of Druids, those who are religious and worship the old gods and those who are philosophical, whom do not believe in the existence of gods, but whom like religious Druids, they strive to live in harmony with nature and in balance with the cycle of the seasons. Without belief in gods, theirs is the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge through the guiding light of philosophy.
To be guided by the light of philosophy is to consider the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence, rather than be guided by unquestioning religious belief or indoctrination. In this respect philosophical Druids are those guided by the laws of physics and science, rather than by fragile belief in deities that themselves are the figment of man’s vivid imagination.
The word theology derives from the Greek “Theos” meaning God which in this day and age means a belief in one God , however and understanding of the old gods requires an acquisitions of biological, geographical, climatical, astrological, physiological and historical equations.
Today many devout Christians subscribe to the belief in one God through Jesus Christ their saviour as well as subscribing to the view that man was made in Gods own image, whereas anthropomorphically we should be considered as having evolved from our cousins the apes.

St John’s Wort in Flower at Awbridge announcing mid summers arrival.The summer solstice or mid summers day is associated...
21/06/2026

St John’s Wort in Flower at Awbridge announcing mid summers arrival.

The summer solstice or mid summers day is associated with St John the Baptist and historically went by the name of St Johnsmass.
St John the Baptist was said to be born six months before Jesus and was regarded as the precursor of Christ, having been called by Jesus “ a bright and shining light ( john V.35).
St John’s Wort can be associated with mid summer and the botanical calendar as it comes into flower around the Summer Solstice.
Prior to Christianity ,Midsummers Eve was associated with the burning of beacons on hills to announce the arrival of mid summer after which the days grow shorter and it’s down hill to Christmas.
With growing Church influence the pagan celebration of mid summers eve was demonised and called “witches night”.
John Aubrey in “Remains of Gentilism” written in 1688, states Johnsmass fires should only be lit, the moment the sun sets.
To protect your house from fairies and evil spirits it was traditional to hang garlands of St John’s wort from doors , or burnt on the Midsummer Fire to drive off the evil spirits of the air.
Historically Mid Summer Ales were consumed in preference of water, the alcohol content protecting against dysentery and cholera, however the tradition of “well dressing” ensured wells were cleaned around St Johnsmass and chemically sterilised with acid and then lime (to neutralise the acid) to ensure the “well being” of all.
Interestingly the Knights of the Order of St John regarded St John as God , he having baptised Jesus into Christianity as Son of God. In Hebrew John translates to God and he reputedly was put to death by beheading defending the institution of marriage which traditionally occurred in May and June.
Medicinally St John’s Wort was regarded as a cure all, it having been used by crusader knights and drunk in a tea to treat depression but also used in the treatment of wounds, ulcers and skin conditions. St John’s ambulance hence is a legacy of the cure all benefits of this plant.

Pond creation.A range of wildlife such as frogs, newts, toads, water shrew , dragonfly and birds including woodcock, sni...
05/06/2026

Pond creation.
A range of wildlife such as frogs, newts, toads, water shrew , dragonfly and birds including woodcock, snipe and green sandpiper can be attracted into woodland through the digging of trenches to create mires and pools.
These wetland features are a vital life line for animals to drink from, especially in times of drought and act as a magnet for bats hunting insects.
The photos below shows a newly dug trench and the establishment of a wetland feature with yellow flag, water mint where the damp soil around the pond is being colonised by sedges and ferns.
The third photo shows a well managed pond dug at the Millennium where leaf litter and excessive plant growth is prevented from clogging up and de-oxygenating the water. This is a rich habitat supporting a range of aquatic animals ,insects and fish.

Easter is an egg festival and derives it’s name from Oestrogen.Egg laying in birds is stimulated by the production of oe...
05/04/2026

Easter is an egg festival and derives it’s name from Oestrogen.
Egg laying in birds is stimulated by the production of oestrogen triggered by the lengthening daylight hours at the Spring Equinox when there are at least twelve hours of sunlight.

Easter should fall at the Spring Equinox when the sun is directly above the Equator and on the day the Sun rises directly on the eastern horizon and sets in the evening directly to the west.

Today a date for Easter is decided by the Church whom use an ecclesiastical calendar using ecclesiastical full moons (that are not actually full moons) to calculate what is a solar event according to a lunar calendar.

Admittedly Easter relates to Ovulation and Menstruation therefore as a solar festival relating to egg production it also equates to the lunar period of 28 days and the first moon after the Spring Equinox signaling the start of a new year for those cultures based near to or on the equator.

The fact that Jesus was crucified at Easter does not justify the monopolisation of the festival as purely Christian, for arguably Christianity itself derives from the celebration of Christmas to which the tree is central; the proof is in the pudding so to speak , for it is full of nuts, fruits and berries of trees.

For those who portray themselves as Pagans, Witches or Druids , it is essential they remember their ancestors celebrated the key festivals such as Easter , Christmas , Winters Eve ( Bonfire Night) Summers Eve (5th May) by the lighting of beacons in tribute to the phases of the Sun, not in accordance to non sensical Ecclesiastical / meteorological / astrological Calendars set up to confuse and mislead simple folk.

The dilemma is how to work out the start dates , the start of the solar year at mid winter falls around the 20th December , the start of spring , summer, autumn and winter. When you can do this you will find you are liberated from the obsolete Ecclesiastical calendar , the nonsensical meteorological calendar and the astrological calendar that tells you Spring only starts on or around the 20th March and finishes at the mid summer solstice.

Anyone building a stone circle in Britain, was up to Victorian times deemed an offender, for which conviction could war...
02/04/2026

Anyone building a stone circle in Britain, was up to Victorian times deemed an offender, for which conviction could warrant deportation to the colonies or worse.
Building a stone circle and planting a Druids Grove in this day and age in a village where all good folk go to church , equally can result in a few raised eyebrows and the focus of investigation. If you are unlucky you may find yourself repeatedly inside a police cell for no good reason!
People will no doubt , think you are mad , they will ask you what you do if you can’t celebrate Christmas or Easter, they may try and requisition your land.
The stone circle below is open to the public and lies centrally in the middle of Awbridge Hill Nature Sanctuary in Hampshires Test Valley, however visitors are reminded that they should go quietly with dogs on leads….and not pick nuts ,fruit , berries nor seed.

Bluebell time is just around the corner and symbolises late spring and early summer in the botanical calendar.The botani...
19/03/2026

Bluebell time is just around the corner and symbolises late spring and early summer in the botanical calendar.
The botanical year begins at the Winter Solstice which marks the start of the solar year is symbolised by the appearance of mistletoe , holly and ivy.
The Latin name of Mistletoe is „viscum alba“ which in three bears English translates to sticky cm white. In this way the mistletoe was revered as a plant symbolising conception by the ancient Druids whom subscribed to the belief that the Earth Mother was impregnated through the coming of a Heavenly Father at mid Winter after which a battle between the powers of light and life would struggle with the forces of darkness and death at Halloween [bonfire night].
The Latin name for the Bluebell is „hyacinthoides nonscripta“ or in three bears English meaning the hyacinth not to be written about.
Hence blue is the colour of censorship and blue movies in Victorian times were filmed in the bluebell woods.

From a historical perspective , the bluebell is our national flower although few people are aware of this fact! Whilst to the Druids snowdrop time marks the start of spring, bluebell mark the start of summer, nut and fruit fall the start of autumn and leaf fall the beginning of winter. With mid winter symbolised by mistletoe and the theme of conception ,then to ancient folk snowdrop time symbolised late pregnancy and birth. Easter and the daffodil marked the egg festival related to ovulation stimulated by the production of oestrogen. Interestingly in birds oestrogen ( egg laying ) is produced by lengthening days from mid Spring ( the spring equinox ) to early Summer and in women oestrogen production peaks in May, whereas the same is for testosterone in men. May represented maturity, mid summer symbolised mid life , Lammas embraced the concept of the menopause , mid autumn old age followed by death at Halloween which should be celebrated on winters eve which is the 5th of November

Whilst Druids were lords and shepherds , as judges, teachers, healers, magicians, philosophers and religious leaders , they actually had two flocks in an age when child birth was timed to coincide with lambing.
The Druids job as Lord and Shepherd was to ensure a plentiful supply of ewes milk in spring time so that girls married at bluebell time would start having babies from snowdrop time . The origin of the word offspring and the fact that ancient Britons were all once born of spring in medieval times can be associated with the May Fair when girls coming of age would be „May‘ried“ or married.
Marriage in prehistoric times predominantly happened with the approach of summer, the goddess was „Blue du wedd“ , all girls coming of age were expected to produce children and the words „mayhem“ and „Mayday“ throw light on the consequences of a May festival where law and order broke down and could no longer be enforced !
Children conceived in May would be born nine months later under the Aquarian star sign hence. Whist the botanical year can vary the further north one travels as in southern England bluebells are blooming as much as a month earlier than in northern Scotland ,the concept of snowdrop time as the start of spring and bluebell time as the start of summer , ensured visual evidence for simple folk to tell the time of the year according to the temperature and light levels required by these species
The three photos below shows the creation of a grove of pristine woodland at Awbridge Hill Nature Sanctuary being managed for snowdrops ,daffodil and bluebells.

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Yew Tree Corner , Awbridge Hill , Awbridge

SO510HF

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