Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd February

 The main thing to note is that we think that one of the sheep needs to be seen by a professional, due to potential lameness (please see notes below).

 

1)All 17 sheep were counted and present, and all of them are in the central enclosure.

However, one of the sheep (a particularly small one) was a long way behind the others in terms of time and distance when coming for some food (from the tin of nuts in the tree near the water troughs).

There was possibly a bit of lameness in that particular sheep, when observed from a distance (less visible when nearby).

We would recommend that a good look is done by a professional - as soon as practical.

 

2)The salt lick (in the orange bucket) looks like it will need replenishing – there isn’t much left in the bucket, just a smallish lump

 

3)The water troughs are all ok and are filling properly.

 

4)Some paper litter has been picked up from the top path.

 

5)No one was seen in the central enclosure on Saturday, four people were seen on Sunday – but all without dogs.  

 

6)Gate No 8 (the lower-level gate between the eastern and central enclosures) looks ok and secure.

So does gate 7 (the lower-level gate between the central and western enclosures).

So does gate 6 (the higher-level gate between the central and western enclosures).

 

7)At the top of the Down, the five barred gate which has a “Welcome to Broughton Down” notice swings shut under its own weight but the gate catch goes nowhere near the post – so it’s secure only under its own weight. From the map of gates you sent us Pippa we aren’t actually sure what number this gate is.

 

8)The swing gate approximately 50ft further east has no functioning gate catch mechanism – so a determined sheep might find a way through. (We are not sure what number this gate is).

 

We think it would be sensible to suggest to the Trust that all of the gates are numbered.

This could be done with a screw on number on each gate (like a house number).

That would make it easier to properly identify all of the gates that need to be catch secure, and also easier for anyone sorting out the gates to fix the right ones if a problem is spotted.

Pippa     pp Paul Pethica & Will Hacking