Smaden Head Farm: 26-11-2024

 

With only 29 shopping days to go until Christmas, were the NCVs rushing to the shops to buy cards, wrapping paper and presents before they all disappeared off the shelves?

NO! OF COURSE NOT! Why on earth would they do that when there was a kilometre worth of hedge trees needing to be planted at Smaden Farm, near Fellbeck? This was a joint effort with the National Trust, as part of their Skell Valley project - a much more important and worthwhile venture, and one that had had to be postponed due to the snow and ice of the previous week. So - instead of heading into town, they hefted their spades and got to work, far from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets and harrassed shoppers. Heavenly!! 

 

The day started with a loooong walk

 from the cars down to the work site. 

Bags of hawthorn and other 'special trees' 

were carted down the hill.

 

 Liz balanced the heavy box 

of tree spirals on her head. 

What an amazing woman she is! 

 

Gabby Crisp, of the National Trust,

explained why the hedge was needed

and gave out the instructions for the job. 

 

The group split into 2 teams and 

went off to plant up a double row of trees

within the four sides of the 

double fenced field. 

 

Pretty soon everyone was busy.

The mantra for the day was:

poke in a bamboo cane;

dig a hole;

insert a tree and heel it in;

put a spiral around it.

Every so often a member of the team

at the bottom of the field

went back and gave each bamboo cane 

a good blow with the lump hammer 

to ensure it stayed upright in the wind. 

At coffee time Team 'Downhill' enjoyed

sitting in the sun relaxing.

However, new member of the team, Helena, 

required a good talking to by her union rep.

 when it was noticed that she continued 

working whilst on her break.

Team 'Uphill' could be seen sunning

 themselves in the distance.

 

Poor Andy and farmer Simon had their 

work cut out in this section. 

Here they were planting into 

the base of a dry stone wall.

Extra rations for them tonight!!

Work continued well into the afternoon

when there was a final planting frenzy

as both teams worked together to 

finish the last section.

Dave was just about ready to collapse...

...and was the last man out of the enclosure,

desperate to get home to bed.

1000 trees planted by the close of play.

Brilliant work NCVs!!

Heyshaw Moor: 12-11-2024

7 years is a looooong time!!!

This week the NCVs were working high above Pateley Bridge on the SSSI moorland of Heyshaw Moor. Apparently its management plan listed the removal of scrub to prevent the moor drying out - just the thing for the A team. However - the last time NCVs were working on this site was November 2017, which meant that there could well be a lot that needed doing - 7 years worth in fact!

Let's see shall we? Maybe some moorland fairies had been out clearing scrub in the meantime? Or not.

In fact, the area we were working on turned out to be on the opposite side of the road from the previous visit, so had never really been tackled before. Oh heck!!! 

 

 

Base camp was established up

 at the Two Stoops towers

(built as part of a Victorian job creation scheme

for local men when work was in short supply.) 

 

The view from this landmark was the main 

focus for the day. The encroaching birch 

and rowan blocking the vista just had to go. 

 

Everyone got busy and developed a system. 

(A) cut stuff down...

 

(B) cart it uphill... 

 

 ...(not an easy task given the dense

bracken  cover.)...

(C) dead hedge the copious quantities 

of brash along the footpath.

 

Who's that hiding in the bracken?

 

Ah - Ruth.

Carry on as you were.... 

 

The base of the towers provided 

a useful seating area for coffee

 and lunchtimes.

Luckily Liz's chainsaw was available for the thicker trunks.

 

Now - let's see how the hedge

 creation is getting on.

Yes - excellent.

 

Only the choice straight, 

birch stems were passed to the vols at the 

back towards the end of the day, to make 

it easier for them to get a move on. 

Any wiggly rowan stems stayed on the front side

where it was easier to work.

An alarm sounded if material was passed 

over that didn't meet specifications.

 

The team looked well pleased with 

themselves at close of play.

Andy - please stop practising

 your Tiller Girl routine!

 

A perfect dead hedge. (Although there 

are tons more saplings to remove!)

 

The Two Stoops vista is now looking

 much clearer. Pity about the bracken.

 

Now, just to be clear, there was another

 extremely hardworking gang of 4 that 

worked alongside the road,

doing the same kind of job.

 

Julia - gives her adoring public a wave....

 

...as Ken inspects the job they are doing. 

"Is that level?"

 

Nice log pile, team roadside.

 

Oooo - and another nice 

dead hedge here too.

 

 Finally - a big thank you to Andy. He saved the day by driving back down to the barn with a pair of jump leads to rescue Liz, whose car had a flat battery.

 

He also just happened to have packed 

a hedge trimmer with his

 lunch box and flask! This meant that 

footpath edges could be cleared of 

overgrown heather.

He is definitely 'The Wonder Of Woolies'!!

Hackfall Woods: 05-11-2024

   

Remember, remember,

the 5th November....

...but not because the NCVs were plotting on carrying out any subversive activities involving gunpowder or treason. They just had to put the date in their diaries to remind them to turn up at Hackfall Woods. They needed to carry out some much needed woodland maintenance, as it was nearly 2 months sunce their last visit. 

Having had a week off duty, they were all rested and ready for action and, despite the gloomy sky....

.... there was a good turn out and lots got done.

 

Now gang. I want you to split up into three

 teams and go off in different directions

to do whatever is needed.

 

One team went off and tackled gully clearance 

and repairs; step cleaning and declogging

 the stream to the weeping rock. 

This gully was situated in a 

particularly muddy patch. 

 

The 'Stepwise cleaning company' busy in their work.

 

Another team of artisans dealt with the replacement 

of an edging board alongside the path

 from Fisher's Hall to Alum Spring. 

 

They did an amazing job, using only nature's 

supply of pegs and butressing for the boards. 

 

A third team reported having cleared fallen

 branches, gullies  and unspecified 'other stuff'.

 

What they actually did was create a 

superb dead hedge from all the fallen branches

 and overhanging vegetation. 

 

Well done lads. That should stop 

visitors straying from the path.

Despite the teams working

in different parts of the site

they all managed to use telepathy 

to meet up for lunch!

 

This nice fungus was a sure sign that 

autumn had arrived at Hackfall.