Duck Street Quarry: 15-04-2014

What a glorious day to be up at Greenhow, working in Duck Street Quarry. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the views were wonderful. 

The view from the top of Duck Street Quarry

Seven NCVs joined Paul,and their old friend and former supervisor Colin Slator, for a variety of tasks in this special conservation area. The quarry is gradually returning to a natural state and Colin is planning to lead some guided walks up there in the near future, so that members of the public can see the flora and fauna that are starting to settle there. 

The group split into two teams, one setting off up the hill to remove all the old rope that had been used to demarcate a footpath and make a start on moving the metal rope poles into more appropriate positions, away from the edge of the cliff. This will ensure that no members of the public come to any harm during their visits. Good progress was made before lunch and the first stretch up to the top of the cliff was completed with new rope.

Gill and Angela untangle the rope for the fence.

Up and up they go.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the hill, team number two got busy digging out 5 small sycamore saplings from the slope (we don't want them taking over the place do we?) and removing some large tree branches that were overhanging the pathway. 

With one mighty slice of his spade Tony makes short work of the sycamore.

Paul had to get busy with his chainsaw and Dave B. ended up climbing the tree and using a bow saw to good effect. 

Paul's chain saw training came in useful.

 

Dave B. does his Tarzan impersonation.

The others shifted the logs and brash and gradually built two brash piles. The original plan had been to make just one log pile and then burn all the small stuff; however, total failure to keep the fire going led to a more flexible approach. 

At 10:30 Colin gets the fire started.

At 11:30 Colin still has his head in the fire, searching in vain for the flame that used to be. 
We admit defeat.

By lunchtime the fire has turned into a brash pile. It is not up to our 

usual standard, due to its unusual beginning, but probably the insects won't complain.

Lunch was a delight in the warm sunshine and set us all up for the afternoon's jobs. First we had to carry some heavy planks and fence posts to the top of the cliff and then join the rope fencing gang to continue moving rope poles and threading the new rope through. 

Lunchtime. Or was it coffee time? Or afternoon tea time? 

The NCVs toil up the steep path with various pieces of wood.

Tony and Ros try to drive the rope pole into the solid rock by sheer force of will.

During this process we became aware of a crackling sound behind the fence and realised that Colin had decided to do some 'controlled burning' of the dead vegetation in the next field. He had no difficulty keeping this particular fire going. No difficulty at all thanks to the stiff breeze. In fact within minutes we were all having to help control the flames and ended up going home smelling like kippers.

Tony beats the flames with a saw .....

..... whilst Colin chooses to use his jacket.....

... and Dave ensures that the fire stays on the right side of the fence.


Eventually the experiment is over and the fire is out.
Hopefully all kinds of new plants will now start to grow.

By 3pm we had run out of rope so couldn't quite finish the job, but we will be returning soon to do so and to build some wooden steps at the top of the cliff.

The workers make their way down the hillside as the last rope pole is hammered in

 Home time!

Ros E.

Editor's note - A change of venue this week did not mean that the footpath at Scott Ash Gate was ignored. A group from Open Country, and another from the North Yorkshire Countryside Volunteers, joined Catherine and our very own step builder in chief, Graham, to continue with the good work.)