The NCV Barn: 08:09-2026

Who's that knocking 

at the door?

It's autumn!

This Tuesday was the NCVs' first task day in September and it was decided to spend it doing a job close to home. The workshop needed a good old autumn clean, inside and out, new tools needed marking up and storing, the trailers needed cleaning out and most excitingly, their new PPE kit bags were to be distributed. Lots to do then - and not all of it was going to be clean work!! Let's see what happened shall we?

Well yes. That really does need attention.

So - what are these 

NCVs doing? Putting their 

fishing rods together?

That's not going to get 

the barn tidy!

No - of course not!

They were erecting three gazebos 

to keep things dry

throughout a showery day!

Doling out the long awaited kit bags

 and PPE was the first thing to be

 ticked off the job list. Exciting times!!!

Now - this lot look a bit shifty.

What are they up to?

Ahh. Unpacking the new tools.

Nice. Mind you - that is 

a lot of handles to mark

with a band of red paint!

Many of the contents of 

the barn were carried outside...

...which allowed floors to be swept.

Spades were washed.

Tools were sorted and 

shelves  tidied.

Even the gullies along

the front of the barn were

all scraped out and rinsed through.

Everyone could enjoy

some inter-shower sunshine

during break times.

They also enjoyed the

Victoria sponges that

Friedy brought for her birthday.

Thanks Friedy - Happy birthday!

Even the old pizza oven 

shelter got a much needed tidy.

By close of play everywhere 

looked much better.

Let's try and keep it this way shall we? 

Just one last job before you go

home. Careful now - it's a tight fit!!

By the way - if you were wondering what happened to all the rows of mown grass on the Glasshouses verge then wonder no longer. The following day it was baled up by a man with a baler and looked like this....

(Quiz question for those NCVs who were not out to play this week and already know the answer.... How many bales of hay can you harvest from the Glasshouses verge? 

The answer can be found at the bottom of this blog entry.)

Then, last Tuesday, whilst all the NCVs were having a day off, Liz and honorary NCV Harry collected them all up and transported them to be used as fodder up at nearby Tiplady Farm. All of the bales have now already been eaten by Kim's cows!!

Is that a smile or a grimace Harry?

Now that definitely IS a smile!

Well done to both of you - it was 

an extremely tiring job.

On Thursday 27th August a small Rights of Way team also met in order to check out a footpath and bridge near Fearby, Not many photos to show here ....

Liz made sure they 

went the right way...

...in order to find the all

 important bridge.

Trimming of vegetation 

and cleaning the surface was required.

Answer to the hay bale quiz question:

57 bales!!!

Wallers' Update:30-08-2026

WALLERS' UPDATE

Although the next NCV blog won't be published until 8th September, the walling group have news to share. Let's see what they have been getting up to these last two Wednesdays.

First of all Barry reports on work done at St Cuthbert's Primary school last week (19th August):

 A split team this week to knock off two outstanding jobs. Three went to Pateley to repair a gap in the school playing field wall, probably pushed through by grazing cattle on the other side.

The start of the job

Some preliminary work with shears and a sickle exposed the fallen stone and we were pleased to find fairly secure ends to which we could rebuild, and the foundations appeared sufficiently strong without the need to take down to that level. A very convenient pile of surplus stone nearby supplemented the provision and steady progress was made in warm sunshine during the morning. The forecast showers held off until grey clouds loomed over Greenhow and an early lunch was taken under the shelter of an oak tree while the rain passed through. The wall was completed with a satisfying run of top stones, and a finish at 2.30pm.

End of play - Vegetation all gone,

 just a nice wall

And from the other side.

Whilst all this was going on Duncan explains what was happening at the Timble Bio Hub:

There were three in our team  and a kind lady along the lane allowed us to park our cars in front of her house. We started by removing the foundation stones ready for use later.  

Before we started

We missed having the mattock and big bar available but we managed eventually.  Having laid the first three courses all the decent stone had been used.  

By morning break, foundations were 

laid and two courses added

We managed to uncover some that had disappeared under the grass but decided to lower the height of the wall to match the other side of the gatepost.  Toppers were non existent so we used the largest stones we could find from the reject pile and stole a couple from further down the wall.

Close of play

As for this Wednesday just gone (26th August), Graham reports on work done back at Breaksfold Farm......

We've had a good summer for walling, despite the heat, and this week was one of the best.  The threatened rain didn't materialise and instead we had a warm and pleasant day.  The six  of us worked on some 30 yards of wall.  

Andy and Graham, and Simon and Duncan continued on the first fifteen yards, bringing it nearly to coverband level.

Meanwhile Rod and Barry worked on twelve yards of retained wall lowering it in places and generally fixing it ready for toppers. 

Barry's and Rod's sections

Barry was at the far end, working all alone, adding four courses to both sides of a two yard gap. 

Barry's job for the day

Good progress was made, but we're currently going through a phase where finding the right stone is really hard work.  This was made up for by a  visit from Liz and, even more so, when Paul and Amanda, who live nearby, walked past and told us what a magnificent wall it was; it's nice to get such praise every now and again.

Amanda and Paul offer congratulations 

on a wall well built.

Near to lunchtime

This was our tenth week on site this year, and by next week we will have completed 45 yards of wall, 70% of which has been a total rebuild. We're quite pleased with ourselves!

What you see is all our own work

Two weeks of hard work: 18th and 25th August 2026

What's been going on? 

The NCVs have been working hard for the last two Tuesdays. The lack of a blog last week was definitely NOT due to them having a week off!! "So what" - I can hear you saying - "were they up to whilst the editor was away?" Read on to find out!

On Tuesday 18th August the gang met at Mayfield Farm - a firm favourite of a venue due to thee wonderful catering experiences that they are treated to. This week they were removing the remainder of the tree tubes from the plantation they planted up seven and a half years ago and refurbishing a fence that had collapsed between the plantation and the embankment.

Everyone gathered in the 

plantation (to the right)

 for instructions.

A couple of bags of

tubes were removed in no

 time by one team...

...and countless tree

staked rescued.

Meanwhile a second team

turned their attention to 

the fence which was

in a sorry state - himalayan

balsam, nettles, goose grass abounded.

Then 22 posts were knocked in

- either by strong lads ....

...or by Wonder Woman!

Now all that was required

was a man with a hammer and 

staples, a teapot with a straight 

spout and a spare to act as a brace...

...and 'Voila!'

An excellent fence

rescued from obscurity.

Tony transported surplus

 tools away, hotly pursed 

by lunchtime NCVs.

The gastronomic spread 

made the morning's 

hard work worthwhile!

 

Thanks Alwin and Tony.

You are stars!!!

Just a bit of yellow rattle seed 

harvesting to do before 

hitting the road home.

Additionally, on Thursday the 13th August (an extremely hot day at the height of the 5th heat wave), three intrepid members of the rights of way team turned out to finish clearing the steps on the footpath near Watson's Lane - a job they started two weeks before. They made an early start to beat the heat but still ended up very hot and dusty. 

Steps before and after.

Top of the path before...

...and after.

The wall was collapsing...

...so Tim cleared the fallen stones.

Within an hour it was 'job done' 

- phew!

Time to go home for coffee 

and a shower.

"OK. That's last week made clear. What about this week?"

Well - this week the gang were back on scything duty - this time on Glasshouses verge which has been spectacularly floriferous this year. The photos below are all you really need to see their progress.....

OK folks. Time to insert handle A

into hole B and tighten nut C with tool D.

Before you go to the verge

can you just pack these tree

tubes into these bags so they 

remain upright?

That's better.

Now - to the verge!

There you go.

One verge - definitely 

ready for its annual haircut.

Scythes and rakes were deployed...

...and the NCVs' new secret 

weapon unleashed.

(Here Osian can be seen 

on his maiden voyage.)

With a helping of Julia's scrummy 

chocolate corgette cake ...

...the WHOLE verge  

(yes - both halves)

was cut and rowed up

ready for a man with a baler

 by 2:45pm.

HURRAY!!!!

So there you have it. All up to date. 

Oh - apart from the news that there were over 30 butterflies sheltering in the NCVs' toilet cubicle at the back of the barn. Goodness knows why. There are no flowers around there to tempt them into the area!!

The NCVs are having a week off next week so the next blog entry will be published on 8th September.