Wednesday 17 April 2019

MIDGEHOLE, HEPTONSTALL, NUTCLOUGH WOODS

Several small teams out today completing small jobs before the afternoon meetings.

Team 1: Frank H and Ray.

It was a steps and posts morning! Firstly, a section of last week's work to complete.

Work in progress: Step at Midgehole
with riser and stobs in place.
Nearly finished: nailing done, tread
in-filled and the approach graded.






















Secondly, a waymark post to re-install.


Waymark post: seems OK
at first glance ... but ...

...  not in deeply enough! 60 cm is a recommended
minimum; 70 cm makes it really secure.
Whoops!






















Solution? Dig the post out - easy to do as it was not packed-in particularly firmly! - and re-embed it.


Finished installation: deeper in the ground, T-piece
of timber (not visible) at the very bottom to act as
a 'deadman', in-fill rammed in very (very!) firmly,
and ... most importantly ... the post is vertical!

As a final task, a new waymark post was placed where a path crossed the 'Heptonstall bypass'. This was really difficult ground, but ...


Post in place: A shadow is cast. We could have made
 it into a complete sundial but the shadow was pointing
towards lunchtime!

It was a pleasant morning session working under the trees in the dappled sunlight.

"And see the peaceful trees extend
Their myriad leaves in leisured dance -
They bear the weight of sky and cloud
Upon the fountain of their veins."
{Kathleen Raine (1908-2003): Envoi}

It was encouraging to get thanks and positive comments, in passing, from locals and holiday visitors alike; several promised a donation towards our work in the Upper Calder Valley. Today's work in this area, however, was funded by National Trust (Hardcastle Crags).


Team 2:  Ian, Mo and Stella worked on trying to eradicate Himalayan Balsam  in Nutclough Woods. 

This is a good time of year for this job as the plants are only small seedlings and easy to lift. And if you are lucky you are accompanied, as we were, by sunshine and the sounds of running water and birdsong.

It is important  to remove only the Balsam seedlings and not other plants........





These are Himalayan Balsam seedlings....

...and these.

And this is a foxglove - to be left alone!

So is this.

Now you see the seedlings....

....now you don't

....and again, here they are....

....and now removed.


We cleared this slope in about an hour and a half.
We came away with three full carrier bags.  It's important not to put it on the compost or into landfill or watercourses as this will only help the Balsam to spread. Letting it dry out and then burning it could be an option.  And these celandines are what have grown back on a patch which was cleared previously.


It would be great if people walking in Nutclough would spend a few minutes carrying on this work, we will be back, but many hands.....
Work funded by CROWS.

TEAM 3 of Richard, Ken and Fred went up to Colden to remove a tree across the path to Land Farm. Work funded by CROWS.

TEAM 4 of Alastair and Gerald went up to Lower Limb in Cragg Vale to look at a waymarking problem reported by Calderdale Highways. There was no easy way of resolving the problems as there were several issues. We will report back to Highways.