A parish newsletter brought to you by Gittisham Parish Council and St Michael’s Church
Grain to Cream – Ed Hayman
I’m sure you will have noticed the new shed being built at Gittisham Farm on the site of the old farmhouse. It’s now been 14 years since the fire, and a lot has changed both on and off the farm; time does fly. With our calf-rearing facilities upgraded, this shed is the next step in improving animal health and performance, with weaned calves (3 months old) entering the shed and moving on again a few months later. The main benefits will be improved ventilation for the youngstock, labour savings, and a lower stocking rate across all sheds in winter. The weather has been on our side this spring, allowing us to take the 1 st cut of grass silage at the end of April before it went to seed. This means the crop is higher in energy with greater digestibility compared to grass cut at a later growth stage. Allowing the dairy cows to produce more milk from forage, and reduce the proportion of concentrates (Wheat, Rapemeal, etc) in the milking ration. It’s a sharp contrast from last spring, where I think if we had tried to take silage in April, it would have looked like a reenactment of the Somme! I’m sure we’ll soon be complaining that it’s too dry, although the clay-based soils on the farm are very good at retaining moisture. For the third time now, we have planted an acre or so of pumpkins, or a ‘hectare’ to the metrically minded. The first true leaves are showing, along with a flush of weeds, unfortunately. Luckily, I have a tractor-mounted inter-row weeder for the bulk of the work, and a begrudging workforce for the rest! Hopefully, come October, the field will be covered in every variety of pumpkin under the sun.
Cream Tea and Raffle on Saturday 14th June 2-5pm At 5 Bracken Close, Gittisham Vale EX14 2XA All welcome, with donations towards the fabric fund of our parish church. Any donations for the raffle gratefully received. No booking needed, just turn up. St Michael’s Church Julia Barratt
We are blessed here in Gittisham, to enjoy not just on Asencion Day but all year round, the glorious stained-glass window above the altar, showing Christ ascending to heaven with the disciples looking on in awe and wonder. As Thomas Traherne, the C17th priest-poet and mystic wrote: .. our enjoyment of the world is never right till until every morning we awake in Heaven; see ourselves in our Father’s Palace; and look upon the skies, the earth, and the air as Celestial Joys’.
There is definitely a lot to enjoy this summer in and around the Church! As I write, the Church is looking wonderful with the amazing displays of flowers for Bill and Sara’s wedding. And so a very big ‘Thank You’ to the fantastic team of flower arrangers and to all those who helped with preparing the Church and also to the Churchyard Brimble’s for their work in the Churchyard!
Well Done Everyone!
With congratulations to the newlywed couple Bill and Sara
| Snapshots of Rural Life – Adam Powell I strongly urge you to sneak off for an hour or less and take a trip back in time at the Thelma Hubert Art Gallery, round the back of Dowell Street Car Park in Honiton. Until the June 28 there is an exhibition of photos by James Ravilious, he was commissioned, in the late 1970s and 1980s, to make a photographic record of rural life around Beaford in Mid- Devon. Living in the Parish of Dolton, he was well known and well liked. He had a habit of chatting to people, sometimes for hours, as they went about their daily tasks, then returning a few days later with a photo he had taken of them, they were often completely unaware of the camera. He used small Leica 35mm cameras, that he probably slipped in a pocket. James adapted his many cameras to reduce glare, as he often shot into the light. As a result, the large prints have detail right to the edges, they are endlessly fascinating. The photos capture intimately the events of the everyday, the people, the animals, and the landscape, in all weathers. There is the teenager running late for school, unaware he is being photographed from the top of the church tower. Three women assist an ewe lambing in a field. I was drawn to a formal photo of men well turned out, taken on Remembrance Day. Another shot captures a young hedge layer, sat back against the hedge he has just laid, he eats his lunch alone in the field. Then there is one of the milk cart half loaded with full churns, very soon to be replaced by the milk lorry from the Milk Marketing Board. And there are many more besides, I would choose any of these photos to hang in my kitchen, where I could look at its detail and composition endlessly. In all James Ravilious took over 80000 photos of rural life in Mid-Devon. This life was a harsh almost a subsistence one, where folk lived by seasonal rhythms; a life that has now been displaced by modern agricultural and desirable rural life.  I moved from London to a small Mid-Devon farm in the late 1970s, to say it was a culture shock is an understatement. We milked the cows by hand, making a soft cheese in the kitchen in the evening, to be sold in South Moulton Market the next morning. One of the farm cottages housed the post office, we killed, gutted, and plucked chickens behind the counter, between customers. That post office is of course gone, as is the farm, and village pub, a way of life almost past. But I expect the morning mist still hangs over the River Mole near that village, beautiful as ever. I have talked myself into having another look at those photos…. before June 28. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am—5pm entry free, well worth a donation. | |||||
| Pierre’s pop-up café will be in Gittisham Village Hall on Sunday 8th June. On the menu is slow-cooked Provençal beef with gratin dauphinois – thinly sliced potatoes baked in the oven with cream and garlic. There will be a vegan version of the potatoes, along with a mushroom and lentil terrine. As usual there will be a selection of home-made cakes and pastries, coffees, teas and soft drinks including Gittisham-grown elderflower cordial served from 10am-4pm. Vegans and coeliacs catered for. If the weather is fine you’ll be able to sit and enjoy your food outside. Please book for lunch if you can, as it helps us with numbers. Call or text Pierre on 07545 214940. Cash and cards accepted. | |||||
Gittisham Parish Council JUNE 2025 Report
Six councillors met for the June meeting along with Alasdair Bruce (EDDC) and three members of the public.
Village play area. Councillors discussed the appropriate management of wildness for the wild area, following a comment from a resident about the height of grass and brambles around the tower slide before they were cut. Adam Powell suggested cutting the grass right back and see what flowers next spring. He added that Devon Wildlife Trust had approached him to offer a mini tree nursery, which could be planted in a corner of the play area.
Finance. Councillors agreed the finances, as well as the annual accounts and governance statement for 2024/25.
Crimes. March 2025: Nags Head Road: 1 x violence & sexual offences, 1 x other crime. Nether Close: 1 x violence & sexual offences. Hamlett Close: 1 x violence & sexual offences. Meadow Acre: 1 x vehicle crime
Planning applications.
a) 24/0514/FUL – Land adjacent to Town House Gittisham EX14 3AJ – Demolition of existing agricultural buildings; proposed housing scheme for 6x. CLT-owned affordable homes for rent, and 3x estate-owned open market houses (amended plans)
b) 25/0885/FUL – Unit 3 Iron Bridge Industrial Estate EX14 3AN – Proposed enlargement of existing commercial building to provide additional warehouse space
c) 25/0369/FUL – Roebuck Farm Weston EX14 3PB – Proposed MOT station, hard-standing and widened access track (retrospective application).
Councillors resolved to have no objection to a) or b). Regarding c), members objected to this application which potentially risks increasing vehicle movements in the surrounding area. Alasdair Bruce said many would be aware of the action taken on 23rd May to remove a number of mature trees relating to the widening of the entrance to Roebuck Farm. Councillors expressed their concern that this didn’t appear to be part of the planning application and it was undertaken within the bird nesting season. Alasdair Bruce said he had shared the information at EDDC’s cabinet meeting, and has asked if there is anything that can be done to stop this type of destructive act being perpetrated in the future. The track entrance is in Gittisham parish.
Honiton sports provision. Peter Orchard reported that EDDC have released £200k of S106 money via Honiton Town Council to Honiton Rugby Club for improvements to floodlights and drainage. Work should start this month for completion by the forthcoming season. Part of this sum was a contribution from Baker Estates to Gittisham Parish, which councillors had decided previously was better spent on facilities in Honiton that could benefit Gittisham parishioners. Peter Orchard said that Honiton TC also has access to another pot of money for sports provision. HTC will write to all Honiton-based sports facilities and clubs asking for ideas. The next meeting will take place in September 2025, when decisions will be made on which ideas to fund.
Road closures. 4–6 August road through Alfington closed for Wales and West Utilities work. 7 August 0700–1900 temporary one-way along old A30 adjacent to Honiton Agricultural Show.
Next meeting. Thursday 3rd July at 7.30pm in the parish room.