On 13th April Guy Parker from the Environment Agency joined us for another excellent lunch at the Stapleton Arms. We were offered Fish Pie or Shepherd’s Pie followed by passion fruit posset or cheese and biscuits. Lovely food and generous helpings as always.
This was our second visit from Guy – he came in 2021 and spoke to us on “Staying High and Dry”. We were delighted to welcome him back to speak to us on the topic of “Movements and Settlements on Chalk”. What he told us was, again, fascinating.
In this area we live in a unique landscape – hilly chalk. The band that runs through our area runs across to Dover, including the Needles and over to Cap Gris Nez. Our chalk band originally connected us to France and the Channel was created when the sea broke through the chalk from the north. The Channel tunnel is dug through Melbury – our Melbury – chalk. The other crucial feature of our area is of course flint – which only occurs in chalk areas and was central to mankind’s ability to control fire.
Guy took us on a quick and fascinating journey through the aeons following the development of this geological feature and its impact on local lives, economies and social change. We covered 350 million years in the first two slides – not bad going.
We covered a huge range of topics – including dinosaurs and royal hunting parks, rich valley dwellers and impoverished hill farmers, the impact of the Industrial Revolution on our agriculture, and the development of the water-meadows. Our Dorset water-meadows, and the constant temperature at which water flows from chalk means that our local sheep can lamb in December – a unique advantage for Dorset sheep farmers.
Guy again delivered a really absorbing talk, enriching our understanding of the lovely and unique area in which we live.
Julia Holman
Joint speaker secretary