Pupils from two Godmanchester schools visited Brampton Wood to learn about the importance of woodland and wood products in the olden days thanks to funding from the Local Network Fund, a national fund for children and young people.

The children, from Godmanchester Community Primary School and St Anne’s Church of England Primary School were taken around the woods by education staff from the Wildlife Trust.  To help the pupils look the part they dressed up and acted as woodmen and the highlight of the trip was the making of a besom, a leaf brush used for sweeping.

During the visit tree seeds were collected in the woods to be planted at a later date and grown at the Godmanchester Community Nursery, run by Huntingdonshire District Council.

Lizzy Bennett a teacher from St Anne’s Church of England Primary School said; “It was wonderful to see the pupils encouraged to learn about the woodlands and touch the materials in the local environment. Brampton Wood was a superb location for the activities and the pupils thoroughly enjoyed their sessions. They were very pleased to take the besom away and talked about them enthusiastically to other pupils and their parents”.
 
Mary Radford from Godmanchester Community Primary added; “The visit was both educational and great fun. The children have already asked to do more of these kinds of activities such as whittling in the future.”

Staff from the community nursery in Godmanchester, run by the Huntingdonshire District Council organised the trip.