Limley Farm: 05-08-2025

HIMALAYAN BALSAM REMOVAL!!!!!

Yes. Sorry folks. HBR up the valley at Limley Farm it is.  

I know - we've been up here doing this regularly over the last few years. But there are thousands of seeds that remain, ungerminated, in the soil each year and more get brought in on people's walking boots every day. All we can do is keep bashing to keep it under some kind of control until the new balsam rust fungus treatment trial is completed and rolled out across the land.

So - here's how the day panned out.....

A VERY small team got booted and

 suited in rather damp  conditions.

First they limbered up with

a spot of HBR by the roadside.

Pull and squash or slash and squash.

Whatever takes your fancy.

A gang of sheep came to see if 

they could help.

Then it was down to the dry river bed.

At first things looked good.

Not much B to be Rd.

Uh Oh. 

More B up here.

The balsam had obviously taken

 up golf whilst waiting to be pulled.

Balsam Utopia here.

Never mind.

We have the A team.

The balsam was soon no more.

Although the weather had improved

there was a much wetter river bed here.

Osian simply waded through to reach

plants on the far side.

Ken preferred to use 

a fallen log as a bridge.

The team pulled all day and made 

some good inroads. However, 

needless to say, there is still more to do!!

Meanwhile, down in the council chamber back in Pateley Bridge, a small group of vols were being trained in the legalities of footpath way-markers. This was to prepare them for any footpath improvement work they may do in the future. They surveyed the Greenhow Geology Trail as part of the training.

A much more civilised way to spend a morning compared to HBR!!

Harewell Wood: 29-07-2025

 

Same old. Same old.

The NCVs could have been excused for deciding to opt out of this week's task as, once again, it involved removing holly. This time the halo coppicing of trees in Harewell Wood. However - in true NCV style a group of 15 gritted their teeth and sallied forth to do the deed.

Here's a few pics to show you how they got on:

Here's the deep dark wood

at the start of the day.

Andrew cautiously approaches the trees

on the far side of the stream to make a start.

Happy that there were no nasties waiting

to jump out at him, he started work.

Paul got busy sharpening and hammering

in some habitat pile stakes here...

...as did Dave L. and Ken over here.

Then it was a case of dragging 

the cut brash to the habitat piles.

HEAVE!!

Soon there were two brash

 piles under construction.

Some of the holly trees were quite thick.

But Dave A. and Osian were not put off.

Their 2 man approach soon

won through...

...and the thick stem went crashing 

to the woodland floor.

Part of the stem was used as an edging 

to the first brash pile to be closed down.

Other logs were lifted on to the top of 

the piles to help compress the holly.

Coffee time and lunch time were 

taken in a rather nice woodland clearing...

...where wood owner Helen had 

set up a refreshment area.

Thanks Helen!!

Work continued on both sides of the wood.

Here the NCVs cleared up some heaps 

of branches and added them to an already 

established dead hedge.

By close of play, as you can see, 

the wood was much clearer 

and far lighter.

Day Ash Farm: 22-07-2025

 

Grab your loppers 

and bow saws folks!

Volunteer co-ordinator Liz may be on holiday but that doesn't mean the NCVs can have a sleep in and a day off. Oh no! It was business as usual, with Liz's deputy in charge. Everyone had to meet at Day Ash Farm once more to continue opening up the footpath along the edge of the woodland. Holly was involved, so body armour was, once again, the preferred mode of dress. There was also a little matter of a gully that needed bridging.

OK. That's set the scene. Now let's see them all in action....

Now - why is Andy trailing that piece of pipe 

down to the lower end of the worksite?

Because he wants to use it to bridge the 

gully I mentioned in the same way he 

bridged one at the top of the path.

First - a large piece of rock will need shifting.

Phew. Now that's out the pipe can go in.

There you go.

Now it just needs covering.

That's it. Good job!

Higher up the path the rest of the gang were

 dealing with  halo-coppicing some birch trees.

Excellent job!

Where are you off to with that Helena?

Just off to give it to the dead hedgers.

Now. What about this monstrosity?

There is an ash tree hiding somewhere in there.

Ah yes! I see it!

That's better. Andy will use his chain 

saw on the remaining holly stems.

Not only can he use a chainsaw and build bridges.

Andy is also an excellent baker. Flapjack at coffee time

kept up our energy levels.

The lunchtime conversation is best left unreported

but led to much laughter. It started off innocently 

enough with a discussion about how 

honey bees divide up their roles in the hive.

By 2pm the gang was plum tuckered out and headed

back to the cars.

Now - what have they stopped to look at?

Just a number of young bullocks that had

raced down to the wall in the hope of getting

some extra lunchtime goodies.

They were sorely disappointed.

Day Ash Farm: 15-07-2025

Prickly Work!

 The NCVs were warned to wear long trousers this week due to the nature of the task.

Actually, armour plating may have been more appropriate as they were working in one of the woodlands at Day Ash farm, clearing back nettles, thistles, wild rose, brambles and holly from the footpath edge to ensure that walkers could see which way to go. 

And here they are. Happy in their work, despite the prickles - and, eventually, the rain....

Hey Ho! Hey Ho!

It's off to work we go....

The vegetation along the path

was long but, luckily, landowner 

and fellow NCV Andy C. had put

 in markers  to show the way.

Then he and Liz got going with 

the strimmers to clear a 2m wide path through.

That left the NCVs free to make a 

start on the trees that needed

attention. The path ran straight 

through these two (prickly) hawthorns.

And this monster holly, bramble

 and rose conglomeration was

 right in the way.

No problem - we can sort that!

Yes. And we can use the brash

to mark out the path with a dead

 hedge down one side.

That's it Brenda. Make it nice and thick.

The rose thorns were particularly evil

and made you relieved when you

only had holly to shift.

Once you got past the holly 

you walked below a veteran oak.

However - there was an old stone 

wall base in the way.

Andy H, Julia and Anita soon

shifted the offending stones and 

used them to edge the path. 

Nice one guys.

At least the stones weren't prickly!

Meanwhile Osian headed up another

 small team of stone shifters.

This time the rocks were of gigantic 

proportions.

After much iron bar action, and heaving

and sweating, they had managed to clear 

a way through  for walkers.

Definitely time for coffee

(and a lie down)!

Andy C. handed round a tin 

full of tasty, home made shortbread.

Thanks Andy!

Not long after coffee the rain started.

Luckily Liz had brought a plastic sheet

to cover the rucksacks.

Rain didn't stop play.

Work continued with that holly 

and other holly trees further down the path.

The monster holly was finally reduced 

to some beetle rich standing 

deadwood and a bird perching post.

By 12:30 everyone had to take shelter 

under the oak tree for lunch. 

Time for an early finish.

We'll come back next week

to continue the fight against the prickles.