The Argory Mosses

National Trust colleagues gathered from Murlough, Strangford Lough, Castle Ward, Springhill and The Argory today, our task being to remove birch and Scots pine saplings from the indigenous Argory moss bogland.

The Argory Mosses comprise a bog of about twenty acres in extent.

I drove to Sprucefield and we shared vehicles thereafter to The Argory in County Armagh. We numbered about three dozen.

Although I'd brought a packed lunch with me, the staff at The Argory most generously provided us with refreshments, including a sausage barbecue, complete with gazebo.

At lunch-time, I had a great chin-wag with the House Steward of Springhill, another National Trust property in County Londonderry.

Despite our task of uprooting the birch and Scots pine saplings from the bog, these were not wasted, since we placed them in plastic sacks for re-planting elsewhere.

These little trees will be planted in County Down, at the Portavo plantation, within the next few weeks.