On Christmas Day I met a hardy soul who’d spent the night in a tent high up in the Yorkshire Dales. Sub zero temperatures and deep snow combined with a strong icy wind wasn’t going to put this Pennine Wayfarer off his adventure. I also came across a farmer who had driven his sheep down from the snow-bound moors. He was worried about some missing sheep he feared might have been buried in drifts which he said were over his head. I found a very welcoming pub where the landlady had made an effort to remain open for anyone who might be passing such an isolated spot. She talked of the closure of so many pubs and wondered if she’d be here this time next year. Meanwhile, a wealthy-looking couple at the bar were complaining that Tesco hadn’t delivered their week’s shopping because of the snow. The countryside’s a strange place to live nowadays.

The countryside around home turned black and white this weekend. The horses in a neighbouring field seemed pleased to have some human company and how fantastic it was to see rosy-cheeked children sledging down the fields instead of being stuck indoors on the computer. I hope the bad weather doesn’t stop you from venturing out to the newsagent to pick up January’s edition of Countryman which is due in the shops on December 23, as some of the UK’s top countryside writers have been lined up to take you through Christmas and into the new year. I hope you all have a wonderful festive time in the country.

It’s been announced this weekend that three new species of whitebeam tree have been discovered by scientists at Cheddar Gorge in Somerset. This is the first time that the Cheddar Gorge, a rich botanical site managed by the National Trust, has been surveyed specifically for whitebeams. Surveys of the gorge are difficult because of its steep and hazardous cliffs, in places up to 120 metres high. Eight species of whitebeam were recorded including the three new species. Mark Courtiour, the trust’s Somerset countryside manager, says: “We always wondered what whitebeam rarities might be lurking in the gorge as it’s such a stunning place for wildlife.  This important survey work will help with our management of the site now we know what we have and where they can be found.”
Cheddar is a nationally important site for whitebeams along with other locations such as the Avon Gorge in Bristol, the Wye Valley, Craig-y-Cilau in the Brecon Beacons and the north Devon-Somerset coast.  Two other National Trust sites - Watersmeet in north Devon and Leigh Woods in Bristol - were also found to be whitebeam hotspots including species unique to those sites. Whitebeams belong to the Sorbus family, a relative of apples and pears, and there are now over 30 known species in the UK.  The name is derived from the old English ‘beam’ meaning tree, and the white refers to the underside of the leaves which are covered in fine white hairs.  They have small red fruits that look like miniature apples. Scientists took samples from the trees and used DNA techniques to identify them as new species. Sat nav technology was also used to record the precise locations of these rarities, helping to relocate them in the future.

I have to admit to being ‘caught short’ once or twice while out in the countryside and seeking out a concealed ‘relief zone’. But I never thought I’d receive a communication from those gentlefolk of the National Trust urging us all to join them in peeing outdoors to help UK gardens grow greener. They tell me that a three-metre long ‘pee bale’ has been installed within the walled gardens of the Trust’s Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. And head gardener Philip Whaites is encouraging his male colleagues to relieve themselves onto the straw bale when the call of nature occurs.
Apparently this helps activate the composting process on the estate’s compost heap and also cuts down on the estate’s water use. He says: “The pee bale is excellent matter to add to our compost heap to stimulate the composting process; and with over 400 acres of gardens and parkland to utilise compost, we need all the help we can get. Of course we’re very careful to make sure the pee bale is only in use out of visitor hours, as we don’t want to scare the public. And it doesn’t smell. There are obvious logistical benefits to limiting it to male members of the team, but also male pee is preferable to women’s, as the male stuff is apparently less acidic.”
Rosemary Hooper, Wimpole estate’s in-house Master Composter, provides composting advice to visitors and says: “Most people can compost in some way in their own gardens. Peeing on a compost heap activates the composting process helps to produce a ready supply of lovely organic matter to add back to the garden. It’s totally safe and a bit of fun too.”
Not convinced my neighbours will agree.