Nidderdale Conservation Volunteers' Blog: Mayfield Farm: 22-05-2018

This week saw a return trip to Mayfield Farm in Wilsill to complete woodland management jobs still to be done after our previous visit. There were lots of different tasks for everyone to choose from - and many did more than one, as you can see below......

Luckily Tony was able to transport all the tools down
to the wood in his whizzy new garden tractor and trailer.

The wet areas of path that still needed attention

were the focus of one team.

The channels needed lining with timber once more.

And filling with stones.

Tony, Andy and Ruth drew the short straw and had to deal with

"The Slough of Despond".

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the stream, a team of three

were busy clearing the debris off an old fence which was impeding water flow.

They spent a happy morning paddling around in the water

.retrieving all kinds of rubbish....

...and brash piling debris.

Once that was done they moved on to tidying the path higher up.

Over in the lower field two more were on a mission

to collect all the fallen timber along the fence line and....

...yes - you guessed it - build a number of brash piles.

Up in the top field the stream bed needed clearing of fallen timber and

overhanging branches. Will and Alistair did an excellent job here.

The encroaching brambles were cut back and piled up.

(The local invertebrate population are going
to be very happy with all these new builds!)

Jobs were being completed thick and fast.
Andy sorted out the unusable lock on the bottom gate.

Anita tested it out. She was more than satisfied
with the quality of his work.

A team of two went to complete the covering
of the bridge in chicken wire.
Looking good Ruth!

All the rubbish discovered in the stream had to be brought out of the wood.
So three would be page boys practised for the next Royal wedding.

Anita wondered if she should take this
pair of classy trousers home.

As it was last time - the highlight of the day was the lunch.

Thanks again Alwin - you lay on a wonderful spread.

After lunch under the glorious wisteria....

...two final jobs were done.
First up - removing five lumps of stone from the pond.
Ladders in place...

...the three most able NCVs (still able to bend after all the eating!) got busy.

Then it was off back down the hill to finish the day off ....

....with a little bit of balsam pulling.
Just the thing after eating too much chocolate roulade!

Anita couldn't resist a little swing on the way back up.
She was hoping that the branch would take
the weight of her and her large lunch.

Not everyone was down at Mayfield Farm. An elite group of five spent their morning laying the remaining gravel on the footpath up at Toftgate Lime Kiln.