Nought Moor and Laver Banks: 15th and 21nd September

Liz cracks the whip

The blog editor may have been otherwise engaged for two Tuesdays on the run, but Liz cracked the whip nevertheless and the NCVs were put to work in two locations doing two similar jobs.

On Tuesday 15th September they were high up above Pateley Bridge  on Nought moor, back on the job of removing encroaching birch from the SSI moorland. As you can see - they made a difference to the area.

The lake in the car park

was an indication that the heat 

waves were long gone.

Yes - definitely a hair cut needed!

At lunchtime Liz found that her 

sandwich filling had been pinched.

Where have all those 

birch trees gone?

Into this high quality brash pile!

Yesterday (21st September) ... (From Osian)

On a very warm and sweaty day 9 intrepid NCVs ventured deep down into the woods at Laver Banks for a day's coppicing. 

The goal for the day was to remove mainly new hazel growth so that walkers and horse riders could enjoy the views of the historic Fountains Abbey estate stone bridge. 

Trust me - it's there!

By coffeetime the first hint of the bridge view started to appear above a habitat pile that was taller than Dawn.

The break was enjoyed in the sun for some, or in the shade for those already too hot from their labours. Veteran NCV Graham made an appearance on his 85th birthday and brought cake to celebrate.

Thank you Graham - and a VERY HAPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

By lunchtime the team had coppiced away a great view of the bridge. All that was then needed was a short stint to clear the river of some trees that had been felled by the landowner's woodman.

Hot and bothered the NCVs called it a day and set off home. They will return in the near future for more coppicing in this area. The birthday boy and a couple of others enjoyed a chauffeured return to their cars, Graham giving a royal wave to the camera as they drove past!!

And finally.....

A Wallers' Update 

- by Graham

Another nearly excellent day at Breaks Fold Farm with just a couple of light showers. With only another week to go before we go to pastures new, another gap was tackled. This took us to a dilapidated wall on the right, a marker which at the start of this year's programme seemed a long way away. By the end of next week, we will have completed  a rebuild of some 65 yards of wall over a period of twelve visits. 

This week we had five of us. Barry and Rob were continuing on "Barry's extended gap.

 Rob tackles Barry's extended gap...

...and Barry helped from the other side.

Ready for completion next week

Meanwhile Rod, Dave and Graham set about dismantling another six or seven yards of wall.  Fortunately over the last couple of weeks , some of the existing wall has been retained to varying degrees and Graham was able to rebuild on a decent base. Rod and Dave, however, were down in the mud undertaking a complete rebuild from foundations up. 

Rod and Dave getting dirty in the foundations.

And some very sound foundations they were.

By going home time, 

Rod and Dave half rebuilt 

a half decent wall

With his section of wall rebuilt as far as possible, Graham spent the afternoon tidying the stone on his side of the wall, ready for moving on next week. 

Glasshouses verge and Breaks Fold Farm update : 13-09-2026

Due to the blog editor being otherwise engaged for the coming two Tuesdays there will be no NCV blog now until 23rd September. 

However - to make sure we don't have too many things to report on then, I am publishing a short entry to update you on what has gone on during the last few days in the world of Nidderdale volunteering.

First up - Wednesday 9th September.....

A Wallers' Update 

by Graham 

Lovely weather for most of the day; very pleasant walling conditions for the team at Breaks Fold Farm.  While Barry continued to work on "his gap"  adding another couple of courses,  Rod and Graham had spotted a slight imperfection/dip in last time's walling so removed some ten yards of toppers before adding improvements and retopping.  

Barry's job for the day (again)

Last time's wall slightly reengineered

They then joined the remainder of the team, levelling the rest of the wall and topping out. 

Nearly finished 

By 2pm,  the wall, up to Barry's gap, was complete.  The photos don't show the amount of effort that had gone into getting to that stage. At this point Graham, Barry and Rod went to meet Liz to look at a couple of likely walling locations and everyone else tidied up the site. We like to feel we are a neat and tidy group!

Then, on Thursday 9th September.....

...a very small group from the Rights of Way team joined Liz in order to finish cutting down a swathe of thistles and nettles that had been left alongside the bridleway, on the Glasshouses verge. 

This is what still remained to be 

cut after the verge was visited 

two weeks ago.

Liz got busy with the strimmer...

...and Amy and Ros got to work

with the rake and pitch fork.

The cut vegetation was

loaded into the trailer...

...and dumped onto the 

'sacrificial pile'.

And now, after some seed sowing,

the verge is pristine.

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!!!