When the email came around telling the gang that they would be working in Hackfall Woods they were unsure what to expect. It was just down as Woodland Management - which covers a whole host of possibilities. They just had to turn up and see what was needed on a normal 'Hackfall Wood Round'.
So - what was in store for the NCVs? Let's see shall we?
First job was down at
Fountains Pond, clearing
the willow trees growing om the
central island...
...and checking the fountain mechanism.
This worked perfectly at this
end, but not at the pump on the far
side of the pond.
Paul and Brenda worked
to cut the trees down and
pass the vegetation across to Ros
and Liz to brash pile on the 'mainland'.
Now that looks better.
Any tall trees you can see
are growing on the far
side of the pond.
Meanwhile the rest of the group
were clearing encroaching
vegetation around the Rustic Temple.
This took until coffeetime with
Paul's excellent apple cake.
Thanks Paul!!
Will had bench envy when everyone
took their seats.
Then it was off to Alum Springs
stopping to clear a culvert
en route.
The rate the leaves are
falling it will probably be
full again by tomorrow!
Down at Alum Springs the cascades
were full of broken branches.
These were cleared and
brash piled in short order...
...then it was onwards
to Mowbray Castle...
....for more vegetation
clearance.
Ken deployed his favourite
tool - a pair of shears -
both inside and outside
the castle.
The rest used loppers and
bow saws to clear the vista
across to Masham Church,
which was all but invisible.
That's looking better Paul.
Will preferred the
sitting down position.
Ah - NOW you can see the view!
After a lunch in the sunshine
the gang backtracked
and then carried on to the
Grewelthorpe Pond, past
this lovely veteran beech.
Working their way back to the car park,
trimming overhanging holly
as they went, they were confronted with
a mess left over by contractors
who had cleared the path of a fallen branch.
Luckily they all had just enough
energy to tidy it up before
heading off to the car park.
Update from the ROW team
Last Thursday a team of 4 joined Adam, the NY footpath officer, at Low Waite Farm, high above Pateley Bridge, to finish off installing that gate they started work on two weeks before. Here's how they got on....
This was how they left things
the last time they visited.
Below those fences there were deep
holes filled with large rocks to stop
hedgehogs falling down.
Gradually, gate posts were inserted,
the gate attached
and postcrete thrown in.
Once it was set, the holes at the
base were filled and the
gate could be tested.
Now the walling group can sort
out the wall on each side.
Two other deep holes had to be
dug to allow the insertion
of these two way markers.
Amy's tasty apple cake kept us all going.
Thanks Amy!
The original idea was for this permissive
path to continue downhill straight
through the middle of this fallen rowan.
However - once tree verifier Ros
saw it was an ancient tree...
...with spectacular aerial roots snaking
down the inside of the completely
hollow trunk to the root plate,
it was decided to take the path
above and around the ends of the fallen
crown which is still alive.
A couple of stems have rooted and
are growing vertically as phoenix trees.
