Nought Moor: 07-11-2017

This week the NCVs were back up at Nought Moor above Bewerley to continue some ongoing work with Peter Lambert (NAONB footpaths officer). This time they were tasked with cutting a route through "leggy heather" across the moor top to improve access along the heritage walk.

Now this conjured up quite a picture in the minds of some NCVs. Just who is Heather and what were her legs going to be like?

This?

 

Or this?

Fortunately it was the latter problem we were having to cope with. We could safely leave Heather to deal with her own particular leg issues by phoning the NHS helpline number 111.

Everyone looked reasonably happy as we gathered 
in the car park - in spite of the wet weather. 
(James - will you PLEASE try harder with your sun dancing in future? 
You really have lost the knack.)

And they're off. 
The brief? To cut a path without making it 
too obvious in this SSSI environment.

Everyone spent much of the day in this sort of a position.

Dave seemed to spend the whole day crawling along on his knees.
Perhaps he was using the opportunity to practise for a future pilgrimage?

Peter's instructions were to aim for 'a two welly width'.

Now - did he mean metric or imperial wellies? 

Or perhaps he meant a single 'twelly' width 

(an ancient non-standard unit of measurement.)

As you worked you had to beware of others coming 
up behind with loppers, snapping at your heels like terriers.

Coffee and lunch breaks were taken in the lee of a 
convenient wall which coincided with a heather free bit of grass.
The appearance of a cake tin full of James's yummy 
date and banana loaf made both breaks particularly enjoyable. 
(Thanks James - we will let you off the poor sun dancing technique.)

After coffee work continued on the far side of the wall.

Sections of this part of the path were very muddy 
but at least there was no heather to worry about - 
it had all been burnt off !

Some very fine lichen specimens could be seen up on the moor.

At last the end was in sight.

Once we got to the bridge we were able 
to turn around and make our way back.

Just one last barrier to negotiate.

This is one stile that Peter may well need to do a bit of work on!!

Whilst all of this was going on 4 other volunteers spent the day sharpening tools - all nice and cosy in the barn. You can probably guess who two of them were. Yep - you've got it. Jan and Phil. Hmmmm. Funny how they always find that tools need sharpening on a wet day.

Bill hook sharpeners happy in their work.

A nice collection of newly set saws ready for action next week.
(Note the sharpeners have migrated to the wood burning stove end of the barn for their lunch break. No sheltering down behind a wall on a rain swept moor for them!)