Sir John's Field

The late Sir John Miller, whose family have owned Shotover Estate since 1871, had a long association with Shotover Preservation Society. The Estate land borders the north side of Shotover Plain and Sir John generously gave the Society the use of a field at the eastern edge of the estate, for nature conservation purposes.

The field is on the steepest section of the north slope of Shotover Hill, alongside, and just to the east of, the permissive footpath between the Thornhill Park-and-Ride car park and Shotover Plain.

The aerial photograph (copyright © Martin Harris) shown above, is a view of the northern slope of the hill, looking towards Shotover Plain, which is visible at the top right hand corner of the picture. "Sir John's Field", as it is to be known, is towards the bottom right of the picture and includes the grassy valley and the spinney above it.

Sir John's Field is separated from the Shotover Plain by farmland and is to be preserved as a haven of peace for undisturbed wildlife. The intention is to do the minimum of 'management' necessary to ensure that the field retains a varied habitat.

Volunteers from the Society started conservation work in the field in 2001, on two winter weekends before the Foot and Mouth crisis struck. This effort was aimed at the removal of some of the smaller patches of brambles and bushes which were encroaching into the grassy centre of the field, so that with some modest cutting-back, a reasonably uninterrupted stretch of potential grazing could be maintained. The long-term aim is to borrow some grazing animals for several weeks each year and let them eat down some of the long grass in the centre of the field.

There is a report on the first of these Work Parties elsewhere on this web site, and this includes more pictures taken in the field.

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