Path work at Hackfall Woods: 21-04-2015

A good turn out of 16 NCVs joined Paul and the Heritage Skills team at Hackfall Woods this morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the flowers were blooming. It was a lovely day, made all the more lovely because we weren't tree planting for a change. Instead, today's tasks involved three different types of work:

• Gravel laying on the track from Alum Spring to Fisher Hall.

This job was done in a number of stages.....

Once the track barrow was filled by Will up at the farm...

 ....Mike drove it down to Alum Spring. This was the first of 
many trips and Mike went home with his teeth rattling. 

.

Terry was not impressed by the size of the gravel heap 

that was going to have to be shifted and considered 

going on a sit down strike before he'd even started.

John and Sally got to work transferring the gravel 
from the heap to the barrows.

NCVs flew down the path, assisted by the force of gravity 
acting upon the heavy barrows.
The trip back up seemed a good deal more arduous.

Once down at Fisher Hall the barrowing team emptied 

out the gravel before posing for a B&Q catalogue photo-shoot.

The gravel was raked flat by whoever wanted 

to have a rest from barrowing.

After lunch it was decided that we would use a relay approach to try to make life a little easier. The trek all the way down and all the way back up again was just too tiring. It was suggested that we should have a training session in how to pass the wheelbarrow from one member of the team to the next without having to stop. Paul and Laura demonstrate the Olympic Committee recognised technique below:

Team member A (TMA) waits in the receiving position 

whilst team member B (TMB) arrives with the barrow.

TMA then swivels on his toes and (at the same time)puts his left

 hand on the handle of the barrow, maintaining momentum.

Continuing to propel the barrow forward at all times TMA then

swiftly changing his hands to the correct positions. 

By the time we finished the path looked much better and should allow visitors to keep their feet reasonably dry through the winter.

  

• Removing overhanging vegetation along the various pathways.

A team of 6 ladies lopped their way through the day, surveying the wild flowers as they went. 

They decided to leave this tree intact,

even though it was encroaching on the path.

Anita got her priorities right once she reached 

Mowbray Castle - loppers down / coffee out.

The elusive Herb Paris

The appropriately named Toothwort

• Rescuing the tufa rocks that had been dislodged from around the Fountains pond fountain by careless visitors to the woods.

This was a job for Paul and Graham. The fountain's island should not really be visited by walkers and it was a shame to see the pipes on display. The job involved having to first locate the rocks under the water and then retrieve them before putting them back into place. Hopefully that is where they will stay!

Graham risked getting wet feet 

for the good of the fountain.

At lunchtime the NCVs met up at Alum Spring for a well earned rest and tested out the various seating arrangements available.

 Kent's Seat was popular with the punters.

Paul was peeved that the streamside rock 

was already taken.

Osian decided to go for the IKEA wheelbarrow range.

(Suitable for sitters who prefer a more solitary dining experience)

By 2:30pm the call went up that it was time to wend our way up to the car park. I must admit - I was not sorry to finish work and looked forward to a hot bath!!

Ros E.