Tuesday 29 July 2014

Summer walk - Jervaulx Abbey: 29-07-2014

Today we had a task free holiday and went out for our summer walk. What a treat to be allowed to walk past Himalayan Balsam without having to pull it from the ground (although some of us couldn't resist here and there). Eleven NCVs travelled to Wensleydale to meet Paul at 10 am in the Jervalux Abbey tea rooms car park to complete the 7 mile circular route, via Thornton Steward and Danby Hall. We returned to the tea rooms at the arranged time of 1:30pm for a buffet lunch (funded by the AONB office - thanks for that!!) Here we were joined by two other NCVs who were unable to come on the walk itself. We all had a thoroughly enjoyable time. The photos below give you a flavour of the day.

Interested readers can see a map and details of the walk via the leaflet link below:

http://www.nidderdaleaonb.org.uk/Documents/Walks/JervaulxAbbeyToThorntonSteward_web.pdf

If you are interested in finding out more about Jervaulx Abbey itself then follow:

http://www.jervaulxabbey.com/

Everyone gathers at the tea rooms in eager anticipation.

The NCVs get to watch other volunteers working for a change.
Here a group are pulling out the pond weed.

The majority wait patiently.....

 ....for the two laggy lasts to catch up.

 
Right - off we go again. Colin sets the pace.

The views up and downstream on the River Ure were lovely 
and a kingfisher was spotted.

The view to the hills across the valley were excellent too.

"Get over that stile. Now. Everyone. Move it."

And so to Thornton Steward.....

...where Chris wonders if she should practise her first aid skills.
No - it's OK. Hannah just feels like a mid-morning snooze.

 
Flapjack time folks - thanks to Rhona for a VERY tasty treat. 
(We saved a piece for Jan.)

Next it's St Oswald's church.....

 ...then on to Danby Hall....

...where the sheep seek the shade of an enormous oak tree.

I wonder if there are enough bedrooms for the family?

Joanne has a Titanic moment as we cross another 
historic bridge over the river.

Dave wonders what this pedestal used to be 
but Tony is more interested in bird watching.

One final drink stop along the way.

A final view of the River Ure before heading back to the tea rooms.

 After lunch some of the group went back into the grounds to see the Abbey close up....

...and take part in a photo shoot for C&A's 2014 summer wear catalogue.

Little doorways everywhere into tranquil, green spaces.

John and Anita make friends with one of its inhabitants.

Ros E.







Wednesday 23 July 2014

Nidderdale wild flower seed collection and Bryan's Wood bracken bashing: 20 & 21-07-2014

Another week of two days out to play.... collecting wild flower seeds with Kelly Harmer from the Nidderdale AONB Hay Meadows Project on Monday and then bashing the bracken in Bryan's Wood once again on Tuesday. 

Monday - Seed collecting


Four NCVs joined Kelly at the barn for the afternoon of seed collecting. The first job was to fill the seed sucking machine with petrol and see if we could get it working. We failed miserably. Luckily it didn't matter as it was intended as a collection method for the tiny seeds of Germander Speedwell - something that eluded us in a 'ripe for picking form' all afternoon. 

Jan twiddled the knobs and pulled the cord with gusto several times - 
all to no avail. The seed sucker was not going to be sucking seeds today.

At Blazefield we managed to harvest a good deal of Pignut, Sorrel and Cat's Ear before moving on to Greenhow where we collected plenty of Lady's Mantle whilst overlooking a fantastic view in glorious sunshine.

Jan and Anita start filling their sacks.

Careful now - we don't want any of the precious seed 
to drop on the ground.

NCvs wend their way back up the hillside at Greenhow, 
weighed down with their treasure.

Two equine onlookers waited expectantly for any tasty morsels 
that we may have had in our sacks. They were sorely disappointed.

Ros E.


Tuesday - Bryan's Wood


What else is there to do in Bryan’s this time of the year – yes, indeed: bracken bashing.

Right gang. Off we go again.

Bash and bash and bash again. 

The NCVs are soon lost amongst the vegetation.

Phew - time to go back to the shelter for the mid-morning cake break!

These two have found a fallen star underneath the bracken.

Lunch was taken in front of the hut basking in glorious sunshine and enjoying more of the great cakes baked by Alwin. (Thanks Alwin!) What else could a volunteer ask for - of course, more bashing after lunch.

Most NCVs seek out the shade for their lunch.

Jan demonstrates how to do ground cycling and 
Colin rolls up his trousers ready to join in.

Meanwhile Sleeping Beauty decides to have a post prandial nap.

Eleven volunteers set about the task and we covered another large area. Unfortunately it is still not completely finished - that will have to wait until next year.

Thank you all!

Jan





Tuesday 15 July 2014

Grewelthorpe for seed collecting and Bryan's Wood for bracken bashing: 14 & 15-07-2014

Once again the NCVs worked on two days this week. What a willing bunch we are!


Monday 14th July - Seed collecting

Today five NCVs gathered to assist Kelly Harmer of the Nidderdale AONB to collect more seeds for the hay meadows project. This time it was concentrating on the collection of yellow rattle seed at Low Bramely Grange Farm, near Grewelthorpe. According to Kelly this is "a parasite that lives on grass which makes it an essential part of the hay meadow restoration toolkit.  The seeds dry within loose papery brown seed pods which make a rattling sound in the wind, hence the name ‘rattle’." Apparently it weakens grass growth, which allows the wild flowers to proliferate.


Yellow rattle seed pods.


Lovely assistant Anita demonstrates a rattle pod for the camera. 
Ros K. is suitably impressed

The weather conditions were good so, once again, white sacks clutched in hand, the NCVs spread out across the area and got to work. After just 2 hours work we had managed to collect a sizeable haul - so much so that two of the group were promoted to collecting plantain seeds and the fluffy seed parachutes of cat's ear (which looks suspiciously like dandelion to me!)

Chris strides out purposefully seeking out the plantain, whilst Ros K. 
checks carefully that she is collecting cat's ear and not wasting time on dandelion.

Ros E. 

Tuesday 15th July - Bracken Bashing


Led by Tony and spurred on by the promise of lots of cake ten intrepid volunteers bashed bracken on their way to the shed in Bryan's Wood. We arrived by 11.00am and happily sampled Alwin's almond cake and ginger cake. (Thanks Alwin!!)

Bashers - are you ready? You will start on my whistle. 
Remain in line. We will bash all the way from here to there and then back again.

The first cake break. Dave stands to attention 
whilst the rest sit at ease.

Laura is given the important job of guarding the cake tins 
from any predatory Jans in the area.

Fortified with that we managed another hour or so of bashing and returned to the hut for lunch. Tony got out three chairs so that some of us could sit in comfort. Ros K. was the first to sit down and she proceeded to do a backward roll into the bracken as the chair decided to roll down hill with her aboard. 


Drunk in charge of a chair.

After that all the chairs remained empty while we all sat on the ground and had our lunch ...... followed by more cake.


Cake break number two. The strain of eating so much 
good cake begins to tell on the group.

How we all managed another hour or so of bracken bashing after that I don't know, but we did. We completed the clearing and proceeded to the path by the shelter and then back again to the hut where we had our final reward; more cake.

Julia vents her spleen on the unfortunate bracken.....

....whilst Ros K. practises her backhand 
in preparation for Wimbledon 2015.


 Before we started.....


...and after we'd finished.
Yes - I know it's still there, but at least it's been battered into submission.

I wonder if all this talk of cake might produce an even bigger turn out next week when we return to Bryan's wood for yet more bracken bashing?

Dave B.

STOP PRESS:   Pateley Bridge Herald

New species of mouse discovered in Bryan's Wood

During this week's bracken bashing task NCVs were fortunate enough to uncover a nest containing a type of mammal never before seen in the UK. "Perhaps it was introduced to the area in a recent Wildlife Trust catch and release scheme," suggested Ros E. (aged 21).

Two NCVs demonstrate how best to handle large rodents 
(Mus Giganticus Minnius )


Editor's note: Some of the NCVs went walking on part of the Ripon Rowel at the weekend and passed by two places where we have planted trees in the past. They were pleased to see that the trees are doing well - we really can make a difference!

Photographic evidence......
 The hedge we didn't expect to survive at Bivouac.

Alder bursting out of their tubes at Kendall Bank Farm.