Bateman’s Trust in Tracmaster’s BCS Commander

Tracmaster is delighted to announce that the National Trust's world-famous property, Bateman's, has recently purchased a BCS Commander professional mower, complete with scythe cutter bar, flail mower, hay rake, and baler.

Bateman's is a 17th century house set in 33 acres of woodland, gardens and meadows. Kevan Gibbons, the Estate Warden at Bateman's, required a machine which was capable of not only managing their wildflower meadow, but that could also be used for clearing footpaths. As many National Trust sites use BCS machines Kevan was aware of the capabilities of the BCS Commander, so he contacted Tracmaster.

The team at Bateman's will be using the BCS Commander with the scythe for cutting the wildflowers and long grass in the meadow. The cut vegetation will then be raked into rows with the hay rake, and the mini baler will bundle it into easy manageable mini bales. Baling the cut vegetation allows it to be
removed from the area quickly ensuring that damaging nutrients are prevented from penetrating the ground and thus encouraging future growth of wildflowers.

The flail will be used to keep the edges of the many footpaths around the site clear. The flail is the ideal tool for use on footpaths and areas where there may be hidden objects. The heavy-duty free-swinging flails will cut and shred the toughest vegetation with ease and if they do hit a solid object they simply bounce off it.

Kevan Gibbons, Estate Warden, said "I chose the BCS commander because I've seen it work brilliantly at other sites and Tracmaster were able to supply all the accessories I will need to carry out hay meadow management for nature conservation. The guys at Tracmaster provided an excellent, professional service including a really comprehensive induction and training session.

Teknol House Victoria Road Burgess Hill RH15 9LH UK Tel: +44 (0)1444 247689 Fax: +44 (0)1444 871612 www.tracmaster.co.uk