Summerbridge nature reserve: 30-04-2019

It was back to Summerbridge nature reserve this week to use our new found hurdle making skills to construct small hurdles to act as path edging through Banks Wood. This woodland on the reserve is going to be proposed as a SINC site due to the amount of biodiversity within its boundaries, so it is important that anyone walking through keeps to the path and doesn't go tramping off piste, flattening all the wild flowers.

The photos below show how the team got on with the task.....

A murky start to the day.

The first task was to lubricate and tighten 
the gate hinges to allow access to the wood.

Beyond the gate the woodland was carpeted with bluebells.

Before hurdling could start the raw materials had to be 

gathered and brought to where they were needed.

Stakes had to be sharpened...

...and uprights knocked in where the hurdles were needed.

Then it was the turn of the splitters to split the poles down, ready to be woven.

Once they had the right materials the
 hurdle builders were able to get weaving. 

Hurdle queens Ros K and Liz brought their feet into play to get a good tight weave.

Nice job!!

Coffee time amidst the flowers. How nice!

There was almost no coffee time flapjack from Audrey this week - 
she had made some but was too busy feeding a baby robin to deliver it. 
Her neighbour saved the chick from a cat but the parent can’t be found. 
Audrey has fed it a woodlouse, a centipede, and a worm she cut up.
Tony did the good deed and picked up the goodies.
Let's hope no bits of worm found their way into the mix!

The hurdles went up at a rapid rate of knots until the NCVs ran out of material.

This video shows Liz demonstrating how to finish off the end of a hurdle.
It is a tough job that almost finished off her!
If this video doesn't work then try clicking HERE.

One small team did a bit of holly removal 
where it was starting to take over...

...and et voila - a woodland glade emerged!!

Once the job was complete Osian decided to have a lie down. 
Or had he been there all day??

Upper Nidderdale: 23-04-2019

Long suffering travellers in the Harrogate District are well used to seeing signs similar to the one above over recent months. They are due to the annual Tour de Yorkshire bike race preparations, which always give rise to road closures. Today was no exception. The NCVs trying to reach the barn from Summerbridge were thwarted and had to find an alternative route. However, in spite of work taking place today along 2 walking routes in Upper Nidderdale, travellers could rest assured that there would be no delays or diversions caused by busy NCVs, who were tasked with addressing the issues highlighted in a recent footpath check. 

The five strong team had first to go to sort out some patches of path that were collecting pools of water along the side of Scar House Reservoir. However - they found that rectifying the problems would have involved far more work than they would have been allowed to do by the water board. By the time they reached one possible patch they COULD have sorted out they had long left their tools behind, so had to ignore it!!

¯We're busy doing nothing, 

searching the whole day through.

Trying to find lots of things not to do.¯

Never mind - they enjoyed the walk and their picturesque coffee break!

¯We're busy going nowhere, isn't it just a crime. 

We'd like to be unhappy but - we never do have the time.¯

They then moved on to the bridge over How Stean Beck. Now here they could make themselves useful. Steps needed scraping and brushing and the bridge edges needed clearing of encroaching vegetation.

Steps down to the bridge before and after cleaning.

At last - something useful done!

Deweedification of the bridge.

Steps up from the bridge all nice and sparkly.

Additionally, a small team of 2 stayed at the barn to do some much needed work on the shelving situation.  Result? 6 new mezzaine shelves installed and all the tools sorted out into their newly labelled homes. Absolutely no worries about road closures here!

These tall shelving units were not good use of the space for the small hand tools.

So Jan waved his magic saw....

....and 'Hey Presto' - more useful storage. 
All clearly marked with an indelible pen....

...which is a shame as the person in charge of it (who shall remain nameless)

forgot that billhooks is all one word.

On arriving back at the barn, one smart Alec enquired if 

this was a new member of the group.

Hackfall Woods: 16-04-2019

The NCVs were in Hackfall Woods this week for a bit of woodland maintenance. Where better to spend a day during Easter week? With emerging bluebells and other flowers decorating the slopes, everywhere was looking lovely. There were probably even some eggs hiding in various parts of the wood, albeit not chocolate ones!

Wood sorrel and toothwort in full flower. 

As usual there was a variety of things to do, so the group split up into teams and went their own separate ways. Roving photographers spotted the following.....

The Chuckle Brothers with a safety barrier.

Now - why. And who????! 

Oh - you!! Well you might look a bit sheepish.

Is this a fallen tree I see before me?

Obviously not!

David and Osian try to work out how much wood they need to make some steps.
Numbers obviously hurt their heads.

 Ros K and Sally worked upstream to clear the debris.

Excuse me ladies - you missed a bit there!

That is definitely not an easy thing to clear.

 No - but we've cleared it anyway!!

Nothing like a nice, oozy bit of mud wallowing on a spring day.

Andy put his recent hurdle making training to good use.

The split stems were used to weave this barrier to 
deter walkers from crossing the top of Alum Springs.

Talking of Alum Springs - the water flow down the rock face needed improving.

There was a definite improvement made here.

Lots of plastic bags were collected - very often left by lazy dog walkers.

¯Picnic time for NCVs.
The little NCVs are having a lovely time today.¯
Well - the jury is still out on that decision.

Everyone went home tired and filthy but secure in the knowledge that they had made a difference.

Swinton: 09-04-2019

¯Strolling. Just strolling.... ¯

Yes - that's all that the NCVs had to do this week.

Well - not quite all. They were at Swinton Park - assessing footpaths and access routes around the estate and the wider countryside. They were tasked with tackling anything untoward that could be dealt with using a pair of loppers and making a note of any jobs that needed doing, ready for an upcoming walking festival. As the routes ranged from 1.5 miles to 15 miles there was a good choice of paths to follow, depending on how keen a walker you were. A nice easy task - and good weather to do it.

Here are some photos from the different teams....

A very grand starting point for an NCV task.

 Little Blue Riding Hood in team 1 tried out this armchair for size. 

It is carved out of the remaining stump of an oak tree. 

Verdict - "This little chair is JUST right!"

Ros E. decided the 'Stone Alcove' was a perfect spot for a morning coffee break.

Not much evidence of any work having been done so far chaps.

A couple of stone coffins were passed along the way.

Well obviously - no footpath is complete without the odd stone coffin or two.

 Festival walkers will pass through a very varied landscape if they

 follow the footpaths in the immediate vicinity of the Swinton Park Hotel.

Deer park, Dales views, lakes, a ravine and an old quarry.

Each vista was a joy to behold.

Better still - no encroaching scrub or other nasties to remove!!

There were some gorgeous old trees such as this ancient oak 

- completely hollow inside.

OK Andrew - you can come out now. I've found you.

 This beech tree needs a good glute workout.

Although the little female mallard, nesting in the tree's right hand hip pocket,

 seemed quite happy with its shape.

Oh now - here's a bit of actual work going on in team 2. 

Some branches and barbed wire needed removing.

Oh that didn't last long. Instead lunch was taken in style at 

Bivouac; Graham considered a dip in the nearby hot tub 

and Ken took the opportunity to re-position his wig,

 

A third team, on the longest walk, logged a way-marker that needs replacing 

and a finger post that is beginning to droop.

Searching for way-markers delayed the team throughout the day...

...as did challenging, unsteady stiles.

At least this bridge was nice and easy to cross.

Here are two of them finishing the last few metres of their epic journey.

Not a walk for the inexperienced walker.

 

Team 4 found a broken waymarker, a shambles of a stile...

...a wobbly wall and a saggy gate, all jobs that will need doing (but not today!)

 Team 5 found all kinds of problems including these 4 low lights. 

Each one was assiduously noted down on the data collection 

sheet by scribe in chief, Ros K.

However - they did have many highlights, including fabulous views, 

lots of wild flowers , bird song and this great tree.

It resembles a model walking down a catwalk in a long gown!

Two NCVs who were not out strolling this week were Jan and Phil.

They stayed at the NCVs' barn to do a bit of tool maintenance.