Sometimes you have to go in sideways @NormandyLiz. Have you tried getting the local mayor and the tourism office onside with your efforts? They may have ways of getting cooperation that you don't.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I'll suggest someone looks into spot burning, it may be a way of dealing with the saplings. I don't know if DRAC would allow it or not. And the black plastic stuff is still on the cards. As a side comment, the ONF (state forestry service) is trialling a patch of knotweed nearby using a dig deep then cover with membrane method. It's poking up round the sides...
@SalixGold, either they don't or they face the same challenges. There are several castles nearby, not surprising given the location near Dieppe. Arques la Bataille is bigger and in a better state and because of that gets some state support. Longueville is covered in knotweed that is getting worse and worse, Torcy le Grand were forced to stop because someone started digging. They just don't value their heritage enough.
Sometimes you have to go in sideways @NormandyLiz. Have you tried getting the local mayor and the tourism office onside with your efforts? They may have ways of getting cooperation that you don't.
Indeed. The maire isn't a huge fan at the moment, can't quite see the point of it, but the hope is that having an 'animation' next year might get him on side more. Arques has a weekend of battles and stalls that draws in thousands, we're not expecting that but hopefully enough to put Bellencombre on the map a bit more and yes, get a bit more support.
If protecting the historic fabric is important, systemic herbicide would be my first port of call. The only other option would be to strim continuously I suppose.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
@NormandyLiz I realise that methods vary from country to country, but find attached details on Wigmore Castle in England, which had to go through probably a similar process, some years ago. The cost was £1mil to basically keep it as it is, to the untrained eye, but a lot of work went on underneath.
Removing the larger issues, possibly by cutting back by hand, but continuing to string regularly, as suggested by @Skandi would appear to be the best way forward.
Also, encouraging visitors to keep to already strimmed pathways, is an extremely good way of keeping scrub repressed.
The fact that the castle is on a hillside, means visitor numbers will be limited, but since you are not expected to keep the site absolutely pristine, works to your advantage. It just means continual hard work, and there's no way around that. Good luck to your OH, and colleagues. It will be a lifes work.
@NormandyLiz your mayor needs a bit of imagination.
Not far from here atTalmond St Hilaire is one of Richard Lionheart's favourite castles. It is in ruins with little left standing as a result of the 100 years war, wars of religion and the revolution (Napoleon was particularly nasty subduing the Vendée) and yet is promoted as a tourist destination and used for jousting and falconry displays in summer and an Xmas market in winter.
It's on a hill and there's a long walk up and around before you get to a flat part where the action is held but it draws in loads of visitors which then spend time at local eateries, bars, cafés and shops.
I don't know who does the maintenance but expect it's official as much as voluntary with a Mairie that has an eye to the local economy. Maybe worth checking to see what government or regional financial support is available for preserving and promoting local "patrimoine".
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Thanks for all your input, everyone. You've been very kind and thoughtful in your responses. I've filled my husband in and he's going to have a chat with Sébastian who leads the working parties. The first step is to check it's DRAC that is not allowing the pulling of weeds, that might be a crossed wire.
I'll update at some point, possibly not in the imminent future as these things take time.
Posts
@SalixGold, either they don't or they face the same challenges. There are several castles nearby, not surprising given the location near Dieppe. Arques la Bataille is bigger and in a better state and because of that gets some state support. Longueville is covered in knotweed that is getting worse and worse, Torcy le Grand were forced to stop because someone started digging. They just don't value their heritage enough.
@rowlandscastle444, this castle might interest you. It belonged to Guillaume de Varenne (William de Warrenne) who was one of William the Conqueror's side kicks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_de_Warenne,_1st_Earl_of_Surrey, and had a great influence on English castles. Lewes castle is a good example.
I realise that methods vary from country to country, but find attached details on Wigmore Castle in England, which had to go through probably a similar process, some years ago.
The cost was £1mil to basically keep it as it is, to the untrained eye, but a lot of work went on underneath.
http://www.castlewales.com/wig_rest.html
Removing the larger issues, possibly by cutting back by hand, but continuing to string regularly, as suggested by @Skandi would appear to be the best way forward.
Also, encouraging visitors to keep to already strimmed pathways, is an extremely good way of keeping scrub repressed.
The fact that the castle is on a hillside, means visitor numbers will be limited, but since you are not expected to keep the site absolutely pristine, works to your advantage. It just means continual hard work, and there's no way around that.
Good luck to your OH, and colleagues. It will be a lifes work.
Not far from here atTalmond St Hilaire is one of Richard Lionheart's favourite castles. It is in ruins with little left standing as a result of the 100 years war, wars of religion and the revolution (Napoleon was particularly nasty subduing the Vendée) and yet is promoted as a tourist destination and used for jousting and falconry displays in summer and an Xmas market in winter.
It's on a hill and there's a long walk up and around before you get to a flat part where the action is held but it draws in loads of visitors which then spend time at local eateries, bars, cafés and shops.
I don't know who does the maintenance but expect it's official as much as voluntary with a Mairie that has an eye to the local economy. Maybe worth checking to see what government or regional financial support is available for preserving and promoting local "patrimoine".
I'll update at some point, possibly not in the imminent future as these things take time.
Thank you all