Today we will be working with Simon Melville on Burghclere Common. Our task is to prepare holly that will be pulled up by machine at a later date, trimming the side branches as high as possible up the stem and stacking them in neat piles for a bonfire, again at a later date..

Directions and parking: coming along the A339 from Newbury, take the B4640 then turn left in front of the Swan Inn. Head up the hill towards Burghclere and after about half a mile, go past the entrance to the car park at Jonathan Hill. Continue for about half a mile before turning left into Adbury Holt, go past the small triangular parking area on your right and continue along Adbury Holt until you come to a grass track at the left-hand side of the road. Follow the track, which soon bends right, drive under the power lines and park on Newtown Common, What3words:///month.invisible.tooth. We will meet at the Adbury Holt triangle What3words:///workshops.livid.behind and walk from there to the worksite on Burghclere Common What3words:///equivocal.relax.gender

Please remember to bring thick gloves, hand sanitiser and a drink.