Had a great morning with the National Trust in Purbeck.  With Borwnsea Island, Studland Beach, Worth Matravers and Corfe Castle they manage a large chunk of the constituency and it is always helpful to catch up with them.

We started at Corfe Castle where I was able to get a full briefing on the renovation work of the castle.  The ruins include large lumps of building - "tumbles" - that have fallen off and exposed fabric of the building to the elements that have been suffering erosion.  The Trust is in the middle of a massive project to renovate it and going about it in a way that tries to engage the visitors with understanding the work.  It was fascinating.

Then on to meet with staff who have been working on the many trees on the estate.  Constituents have expressed concerns that trees were being removed on a huge scale.  It was helpful to better understand the risk assessment and conservation considerations that is ongoing across the srea, especially as recent deaths elsewhere caused by falling branches have raised the profile of the issue.

I also went back to Studland to get an update on the coastal erosion.  In recent years the sea has been agressively removing the beach but the weather this winter appears to have been kinder.  I don't think this means the problem isn't going to go away however as the increased prevalence of easterlies, perhaps due to climate change, makes this wonderful spot increasingly vulnerable.