Bramhope and the Millennium Green riverside path, Pateley Bridge rides again! 23-04-2013

Editor's note - Today involved a choice of three tasks:

•  Hannah and Dave B. joined forces with two of the tree wardens and went up into Bark Cabin Wood. Here they spent their time repairing the damage that last week's high winds had done to the newly planted trees and their tubes so carefully put in place by 50 army cadets just a couple of weeks earlier. 
• Meanwhile Anita, Ros K. and Chris G. met at Bramhope to continue working on a dry stone wall. Here is Anita's part of the story......

Work on rebuilding the 50 metre length of wall running alongside the drive at Bramhope Scout Camp began in April 2012.  With such a daunting task we enlisted the help of Master Craftsman Chris G. to come along and share his skills with a few volunteers from the site team to give us some much needed confidence to get started. 

The first section started off relatively straight forward.  The old wall came down, foundation stones went in and building began – great we were off!  Oh dear, the next stretch was dismantled only to find a concrete foundation.  Not just any old concrete, but really thick tough concrete that would not break.  Not only that, but whoever built the wall originally embedded huge stones vertically, rather like a set of giant teeth - we have had to concede and build on a concrete base, which extends the whole length of the wall.

The giant teeth are uncovered - they had to go!

Since we borrowed Philip and Catriona from The Nidderdale Wallers this winter the wall has come on at a good pace. 

So here we are on the very last stint.  Ros K, Chris G and I added the top course today, the most difficult so far, as we had used all the decent stone further up the wall.  We just had to make do and mend.  Copes on next week - I just hope we have enough! No flap jack - just chocolate digestives to keep us going and a rest in lovely comfy arm chairs at lunch time.

The wall is nearly finished!

Two more weeks should see the wall complete and the site tidy.  Phew!

Anita

• Finally - the rest of the gang continued the work from last week. Jan now takes up the tale........

Well, we did it – the path was completed up to the bridge, 112 yards as paced by Tony.

The weather was perfect and the work hard, particularly moving the ballast by wheel barrow. As the path grew so did the journeys with the fully laden wheel barrows. We did not count the trips but I think a cubic metre will have been shifted.

John trundles the ballast - obviously
taken early in the day looking at the smile!

There were nine NCVs out on this task (plus Paul our co-ordinator of course). It was nice to welcome a new recruit (another Terry), accompanied by his black labrador, Flint.

The workers get busy with their
mattocks and spades

Graham gives an impromptu lesson on how to use a mell.
Chris (NYCC volunteer) bows down to acknowledge his master.

Jan carefully lays out the pegs for the planking,
whilst Will just keeps on digging for victory.

Do not think the NCVs did this work all by themselves. They were assisted by:

• a group from Open Country (a charity based in Harrogate) who provided seven very keen volunteers plus their 3 supervisors.

3 Open Country volunteers conquer
the hardcore mountain.

• two NYCC volunteers with their ranger, Catherine.

Terry M. managed to wangle a turn on the wacker plate. He joyfully wackadoodled away and we stood by with envy and admiration. Wearing ear protectors makes you look so much more important! He continued vibrating even after he turned the contraption off.

Those still left standing at the end of the day. Special note to anyone not in evidence on the photo - your pay shall be docked accordingly. The early get-aways were noted. Severe reprimands are in the post!!

PS Audrey provided the lunchtime flapjacks – excellent indeed.

Jan

Millennium Green riverside path, Pateley Bridge: 16-04-2013

Today’s task was a return visit to continue work along the path from Pateley Bridge to Millennium Bridge, originally begun in the middle of  January this year. Again it was a joint venture led by Catherine Smith- the NYCC area ranger, (with 2 stalwart NY countryside volunteers, Chris and Roger, in tow), plus Paul, our own “Main Man” and 11 of his “merry men”- and women!!

We had much to celebrate today: beautiful warm sunshine despite the blustery wind; Chris Seaman’s birthday, plus birthday cake (!); chocolate brownies (!) provided by Ranger Catherine as our treat for lunch time; and many of us finally took possession of our new and very smart uniforms, which Paul had collected from the Barn. These made us look like very official Nidderdale volunteers. Wow, all this and a day’s work in a very pretty riverside setting. What more could we want!

Ros K models the new uniform as
she struts along the catwalk.

We divided up into 2 groups - the larger group preparing the sides and surface of the path for the hardcore; the smaller group were to load hardcore into wheelbarrows and trundle each of these down to the prepared area. 

The A team gets busy with the shovels
and the barrows.

At first it was difficult to co-ordinate timings. Digging the trenches to insert the wooden planking which would contain the hardcore on the surface of the path was arduous, and took longer than merely filling barrows, although this required some muscle too. 

Skilled and dedicated operatives
hard at work on the path.

The barrow-loads of hardcore start to back
up along the path. The A team is winning!

 

Skilled and dedicated coffee drinkers hard at rest on the path. 
First facing one way and then the other, they followed the sun.

Finally things started to come together, and it was time for Chris, (how did HE get that job again?!), to drive the Wacking Plate machine over the newly raked hardcore surface to spread it and flatten it down (see below).

The wacky wacker wacks his way
along the newly laid hardcore.

Catherine soon had to go to get some more planking so we could make our way ever onwards towards Millennium Bridge. This was apparently a scary option in the wind as the planks blew about dangerously in the pick up truck, despite being tethered securely.

More panels arriving - no more
standing around waiting is allowed!

By 3.15pm we had made a considerable impact on improving the path. We packed up the tools feeling pleased and proud of our efforts, knowing that we are returning next week to complete the remaining section of the path.

Work so far....

Ros (K)

Willow Spiling at Azerley: 9-04-2013

Today nine conservation volunteers – including “new boy” Terry - met Paul at Azerley, near Kirkby Malzeard, to do a day of “willow spiling.” No, we didn’t know what it was either, but we knew it was something to do with the River Laver. There was a fair walk to get to the work site from the parking area before the true action could begin, but luckily the equipment had already been deposited in situ and did not need carrying.

Willow in place and ready to spile.

We had a tutor for the day - Daniel Turner, project officer from the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust. He was very helpful in explaining everything and had provided the willow in large quantities.The basic aim was to strengthen the river banks to prevent further erosion. Willow is used for this task because if you push a live willow branch into the ground (thick end down!) amazingly it starts to grow again.

Firstly we needed fence posts erecting along the edge of the river and this was done by a nifty post knocker attached to a digger.

Post knocker in action.

Secondly, waders were needed by most people who had to stand in the water near the bank and weave the willow branches in and out of the posts to make a solid fence, remembering to push some pieces into the bank before weaving. At the same time, those who did not fancy paddling had to keep providing new piles of willow for the weavers. “Some more long pieces needed here, please” was a frequent request.

Chris G. demonstrates how not to
wear chest waders. Or is it a giant who
has had his middle section removed?!

The wader clad NCVs lower themselves
 into the river and make their way
along the bank to start spiling.

Angela feeds the willow hungry spilers
with a constant stream of willow wands.

Within a short time a very professional
looking fence started to take shape.

NCVs brave the swirling depths.

Thirdly someone stood on the fence to squash it down a bit and when it had reached the necessary height, a length of wire was woven through to secure the top from damage.

Chris S. stands on top of the
willow fence to force the willow
 wands into a solid hurdle.

Finally the digger took the edge off the top of the bank behind the fence and squashed the loose soil down so there were no gaps left. This could have resulted in a big mess without the skill of our digger driver.

Final touches being added - some spare willow
wands were inserted vertically in the soil.

Part way through the morning the gamekeeper/forester for the Azerley estate, Kevin Birch, came to join us and, with everyone chipping in, we completed everything just after lunch for an early finish.

The finished product! (See update below)

Were we disappointed that nobody fell in? Maybe.

Thanks Dan and Kevin for an enjoyable task, for your cheerful appreciation and for new skills learned. It will be good if in a few months time, we can see the willow regenerating and holding the bank firm. For anyone interested in more willow spiling, Dan’s email address is dan.ydrt@yahoo.co.uk

Angela

Editor's note - 1/07/13 - I have just been sent the photograph below showing the river bank just 3 months later. It is amazing how the willow wands have taken root and grown....

Walling preparation work at Markenfield Hall: 02-04-2013

Today’s task was at Markenfield Hall, a beautiful 14^th Century moated manor house (a very far cry from your average semi) and a superb place to go to work. 

Our job for the day was to clear an area close to the pale wall which dates from the 1300s and has been declared an Ancient Monument. We had to ensure that we did not disturb the foundations or any other part of the wall which was still standing. This would then give the experts a chance to have a good look at it and to take photos before the partial dismantling and rebuilding to be done by Chris’s hard-working team of Wednesday wallers. The section they have already rebuilt is very impressive (see below).

(A pale is an area enclosed within a boundary which keeps out unwanted people or stock – hence the phrase “beyond the pale” referring to unwelcome people or those with unacceptable manners. This doesn’t, of course, apply to NCVs; we all have beautiful manners).

Eight of us turned up to join estate worker Bob, complete with his dumper truck. Of course Paul was there to supervise us. 

We spent the morning clearing scrub, ancient tree trunks and old barbed wire near the wall. The jeep proved invaluable for pulling out roots and wire and gave Paul some practice in clutch control. Then we had lunch, with Audrey’s flapjacks, in the under-croft of the manor, without any question the most remarkable lunchtime site in which we’ve been lucky enough to eat.

The afternoon was a bit more demanding on the back muscles, digging out the stones that had gone subterranean and sorting them, and those on the surface, into regimented lines ready for the building process. A good day’s work.

Next week willow spiling, and already the mind whimpers at the thought of the appalling puns that are certain to be introduced by the tortuous brains of members of the group.

Footnote: try to go to the Hall when it opens its doors to the public – not to be missed!

Tony

A change of plan! - Work at the barn:19-03-13

Today we were meant to be learning the art of 'willow spiling' in order to prevent the erosion of the banks of the River Laver. However, due to the bad weather yesterday, the river level was too high for the task to go ahead. That task was postponed for a couple of weeks, so you will have to wait for a while to find out what willow spiling actually is! 

Instead 10 NCVs met at our barn in Bewerley to do some routine maintenance. There were plenty of jobs to keep us busy for the morning. Colin did the most important one - he arrived early and lit the wood burner - essential on this cold day. Thanks Colin!

Anita, Chris, Emma, Tony and Colin then set to, cutting points on the ends of 40-50 hazel stems in readiness for the hedge laying task to be carried out next week. The stems were the by-product of coppicing work we did in Bryan's Wood a long time ago. We had brought them to the barn so that they could be used by the Bewerley Park Education Centre as den building material, but not all were needed. It is nice to know that they continue to come in useful for other tasks.

Hazel stems sharpened and
bundled ready for next week.

Jan, Dave and Julia cleared out the end room, throwing away anything that wasn't needed and stacking boxes of AONB literature ready to put onto the new shelving that Jan and Dave are kindly going to make for us. It will be so good to have somewhere to finally store these boxes - they have had a rather nomadic existence in the past which, although it has helped develop my arm muscles no end on many occasions, I will not be sorry to see end. 

Julia also made sure that the little 'kitchen' area (this description is being used in the loosest sense) was brought up to current EU health and safety standards whilst also doubling up the facility as a small reference library. Meanwhile, Dave moved onto adapting the three new leaf blowers so that they can be used as seed suckers instead. Now they will come in useful when collecting seed for the hay meadows project.

Now - this tube fits in this hole...
I think!

Whilst all this was going on Gill and I carried out an audit of the tools. Considering how tools are regularly taken into the great outdoors and used in all kinds of terrain, it  was good to find out that very few items from the original list have been lost (although some items took a while to locate - or even identify!) Tools that had everyone stumped were listed as '5 large spits'. Nobody knew what a spit was and nothing seemed to be there that could be described as one. It is unlikely that the list is referring to items for roasting hogs, or anything unsavoury related to saliva, so if by any chance the NCVs that put the original list together can remember what these items are, perhaps they could post a comment to shed some light on the matter - we are all intrigued! 

Gill and Ros hunt for the elusive
'spits' in one of the tool racks.

Of course we couldn't just audit the tools - we had to tidy them too. This had a knock on effect for the hazel stem sharpeners who kindly added to their work load by getting into the nearby stream to wash the spades and the buckets. 

 Bucket cleaning in the great outdoors.

Foreman Chris S directs the delicate
operation from the river bank.

By lunch time the barn looked really neat and tidy (I wonder how long it will stay like that?!) Lunch was eaten alfresco - sitting outside the barn with chairs and a table. Fine dining indeed (if rather cold with the snowy fields around us!) 

Paul, Ros and Anita sport their new AONB NCV
woolly hats - welcome additions in the cold weather. 

The flapjack this week (sufficient for morning break and lunch) was provided by Anita - and very delicious it was too. Thanks Anita!

Chris S., Anita and Julia soak up the sun
and eat up the flapjack at break time.

Ros E.

Hedge Laying at Low Lindrick Farm: 12-03-2013

Once more unto the pleach!

Tuesday was a momentous day.  First my triumphant return to NCV activity, from which I have been absent for far too long and, second, we were hedge laying! 

So to be clear:

The location: Low Lindrick Farm

The weather: Crisp but sunny

The activity: Hedge Laying

We were met at the farm by Charlie, a professional hedge layer and our tutor for the day.  Once assembled we were ferried to the site, which I discovered on arrival was also a competition site, conveniently and professionally laid, and we would be carrying on laying the rest of the hedge; so - no pressure there then!

Charlie launched into the safety brief and introduced us to the tools that are used in hedge laying.  Bill hooks, axes, bow saws, mallets, loppers and, if all else fails, a chainsaw.  All equipment we are familiar with... So far so good!  

 

The tools of the hedge layer's trade - sharpened and at the ready. 

Charlie then set us our first task of the day, stripping out excess branches/twigs from the hedge to leave suitable straight stems for laying. Even better, most of us are never happier than when lopping and sawing and we spent the first half of the day stripping out and tidying around the base of the hedge.

Expert tuition from Charlie, for the novice hedge 

layers, on how to 'front up' a hedge ready for laying. 

Jan demonstrates how to check your hedge is well 'fronted' - 

it has to be almost completely scalped to allow a person to fit through

Just before lunch we were stopped for the second demo, pleaching and laying the hedge... Crunch time!  We watched Charlie demonstrate the techniques, then returned to finish up stripping out before stopping for lunch which was spent in the shelter of the adjacent woodland where we shared flapjack and admired our surroundings.  The various styles of laying were discussed (we were learning the Yorkshire style) and it was decided that perhaps we were creating the Nidderdale style.

When we returned to work we were armed with bill hooks and ready to start laying! Charlie definitely made it look easy, first you make your pleach at a height roughly twice the height of the stem diameter.  When Charlie did this it took a few well placed strokes with the bill hook; when it was our turn, suffice it to say that on the larger specimens this took a little longer and the end result was, for want of a better word, feathered!  (At least it was for me.)

 Ros K and Angela start pleaching and 

laying the remaining stems.

Once the pleach is successfully in place the stems can be laid to the back of the hedge line.  It wasn't easy but with each pleach (nicely rhyming!) the quality of the cutting was improving.  After a few stems were down it was time to start weaving. This was achieved by hammering (hand sharpened!) stakes into the line of the hedge and then weaving the stems between them. Again the theory is simple enough but in practice manhandling blackthorn and hawthorn in a direction it doesn't want to go is not for the faint hearted. As evidence I found scratches all over my arms and legs at the end of the day.  

Chris G and Ros E quietly contemplate the pleaching 

and weaving they have done. Although it looks as if they 

have completely destroyed the hedge it should regenerate 

into a thick, stock-proof barrier (they hope!)

Hannah and Dave ended up with an 

impenetrable hedge - top marks 
for these two experts!

John stands back to admire the 
newly laid hedge as it takes shape.

Charlie was on hand throughout the day, chainsaw at the ready for the tougher stems and dispensing aid and advice to the novices among us. The work was carried out along the hedge in sections (two of us to each) until by 4pm the task was completed and the site tidied. All in all a fabulous day, with new skills learned in excellent company and we must extend our heartfelt thanks to Charlie who dealt with our questions and pleas for help with patience and enthusiasm.

That's all from me for now, till next time, 

Em 1

Editor's note - it was decided that hedge laying blog entry was ripe for an additional glossary. Em 1 starts us off with the following:

To pleach - to make a diagonal cut close to the base of the stem

Pleaching - the process of making the cut

Pleacher - one who is pleaching

Pleachee - the stem to receive the pleaching cut

Impleachable - a stem capable of being pleached

Un-impleachable - a stem incapable of being pleached

A hedge laying related song from bygone days: ‘Son of a pleacher man’

Any suggested puns on the word pleach should be submitted in the comments section!

Tree Planting at Studfold Farm: 05-03-2013

(Editor's note - a special entry - our 30th! How quickly time flies by when you are having such fun.

The preparation for today's task was kindly carried out by Paul, Jan and Howard during the previous morning. They had inserted tree posts where they were needed - all labelled according to a strict code and site map - and placed tree tubes over each one in readiness.)

The day dawned grey and misty and headlights were all that could be seen over Blubberhouses Moor. The sun, looking like the moon, was clear and white in a dull misty sky. As we came through Greenhow and up the valley to Lofthouse, the sun broke through the clouds and it began to feel like spring. The warm sunny weather held all day as we planted a total of 500 trees on 3 sites. 100 Oak, 150 Downy Birch, 150 Hazel, 50 Rowan, 20 Alder and 10 each of Hawthorn, Crab Apple and  Bird Cherry.

The trees were bought by Harrogate Rotary Club and 4 members turned up to help us plant them, plus 13 NCV's as well as Howard, a Tree Warden, 6 NY Volunteers and their co-ordinator, Catherine. Marion and Ann Challis had organised this event (and a further 700 trees to be planted on Sunday). The trees are primarily being planted as a cover for shooting and 2 "shooters" turned up to help us plant.

The morning was exhausting, digging, carrying, climbing, hammering and walking up and down steep banks. 

The misty start, posts and tubes at the ready.....

.... and then the sun came out...

... meaning Paul could be spotted
whenever he took a photo!

Ros E leans on her spade hoping no-one
notices she's having a quick snooze.
Meanwhile Bob practises his yoga forward bends in the background.

Will decides to utilise a nearby
tree tube as a coffee cup holder.

Then lunch time arrived - Hooray!   Anita began networking, asking us all to collect plastic bottle tops for a recycling project. Ros K. lay down to day dream, while Ros E. thought Howie's leaking flask was the possible result of too much " plunging ".

A perfect lunch spot

Like flowers we all turned our faces to the
sun instead of the beautiful view behind.

After lunch we left the Blayshaw Crag site and planted up the campsite field, at last the ground was fairly level and planting was quickly done.

The last three stragglers are chivvied
down the hillside to the campsite by Paul in the Jeep.

Job's done!

The day itself was quite beautiful and peaceful with the sound of the river breaking over the rocks as it rushed ever downward on its way. It was an easy place to be lost in ones own thoughts, only to be disturbed by the distant sound of idle chatter and Spike, the border collie, rushing excitedly past. There was a strange silence to the land around us, the distant hills, the remains of the old smelting works, the strange feeling  viaduct, the eerie sounds of times and peoples long since past. Thank you, AONB, for booking such a lovely warm day for this, our 30th blog.

Hannah