Mount Bures Community Web Site

 

 

 

 

The Castle Mound and its Badgers

The Mound is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Private Property.
Metal Detecting is strictly forbidden by law.

Currently (2011) the Badgers which have set up home in The Mount, are causing a great deal of damage to its base.
A report by English Heritage, suggests that if they are not moved this
structure is likely to collapse
   

May 2011, A wire fence has been erected to encircle The Mount.
Currently there is still a small section of the fencing missing so that the badgers are still free to roam the fields.
Later in the season, the badgers will be enticed out of their sets and led to a new home further down the valley.
The fencing will then be closed off, the prevent them returning.
Work will then begin to stabilise the crumbling Mount

 

June 2011;- A new artificial "set" has been established away from the Mount and the badgers are being enticed daily on a diet of
peanuts to their new home.
They are still able to travel to either set, but in the hope that the majority of badgers will move on their own accord.

August 2011. The sections of fence that were left open to allow the badgers free roam has now been closed.
To allow restricted access, sections of the fence contain a type of "cat flap"
The "flap" currently opens in both directions, but once the badgers have become accustomed to this obstacle the flap will be operational in one direction only. ie, no access back into the Mount

The Badgers obviously do not take kindly to the idea of being relocated. From the photographs below (taken outside the Mount) they are intent of burrowing under the wire in order to get back to their previous home.
   
   
Photographs by Alan Beales