Annual Reviews

Each year we now produce an 'Annual Review' for Friends and Members, which incorporates a summary of our formal Year-end Report, plus what we hope are some interesting highlights of the year in question.

Previous Annual Reviews can be downloaded here:

2020 Annual Review

2019 Annual Review

Members and Friends are sent these annual reviews as soon as they are produced each summer, and have an opportunity to attend our AGM each October and raise any issues.

If you would like to become a Friend, you can read more on our Join Us page, and then complete the application form.

News from the Down prev : next

Singing Trees

The excellent growing conditions this year have encouraged vigorous growth of the two lengths of the Feoffee Field hedges coppiced and gapped up in autumn 2011. These will be trimmed on a three year cycle whereby only one side or the top is cut in each year.

A recent visit by the Trustees to the RSPB Hope Farm at Knapwell showed the benefits of what are known as ‘Singing Trees’. These are tall standard trees with the crown, even of young trees well above the top of the hedge (as in the picture, below). These offer perches for bird species such as yellowhammer and corn bunting.

Trees such as Hawthorn and Crab Apple are used as these provide fruit for birds in autumn and winter whilst the spring flowers provide nectar and pollen for insects. Small mammals such as voles and field mice quickly devour fallen fruit.

15 October 2013

Update, November 2014

At our 25th Anniversary celebration event on 28th September 2014, we launched our new "Singing Trees Appeal", to raise money for the purchase, planting, and ongoing upkeep of Singing Trees along the western hedge beside our arable field. We will be planting the first of these trees in December 2014.

We are very grateful to several generous Friends and Members who have already donated to the appeal. Further donations from anyone interested in supporting this project can be made using this specific donation form.

Old Newsletters

Up until 2011 we produced a twice-yearly Newsletter, and you can still download copies of some of these here:

In 2011 the re-designed website was launched, and so the decision was taken to stop producing these Newsletters, and instead to use this website as the main means of communication for news and articles of interest.

This move away from a regular Newsletter meant that more of the Members' and Friends' subscriptions could be spent directly on the costs of upkeep and husbandry on the Down.

We would love every regular visitor to Magog Down to help support its upkeep by becoming a Friend. Read more on our Join Us page, and then complete the application form.