Fishpond Wood and the barn: 30-05-2017

This week 11 NCVs had a miscellany of tasks to choose from, namely:

• Clearing a fallen tree in Fishpond Wood and making a brash pile out of the timber.
• Tidying the barn which had got a bit 'overtaken' by various equipment from different AONB activities (including the almost life size model cow, Nidderbell - see blog entry for 16th May 2017).
• Sharpening tools (both the NCV tools and our own garden tools) under the supervision of tool sharpeners extraordinaire, Jan and Phil.

Here are some photos showing who chose to do what. 

Phil and Alistair weigh up the pros and cons of the available tools, 
hoping to get the best ones before the other NCVs get their boots on.

This is the top of the fallen tree - laying on the steep 
bank at one end of the lake and blocking the view uphill.

We all decided to work on this task together 

and get it cleared before lunchtime.
Saws were very much the tool of choice at the root end..

Brash and logs were fed down the slope to the wood processing 
team who dealt with the constant supply admirably.

Those at the bottom of the hill had an early coffee break further away 
to ensure their safety whilst the larger trunks were cut through above.

Eventually the view of the root end team was completely unimpeded.
The final section had to be left - a chainsaw was needed.

We noticed another tree had fallen over the stream - so that had to go too.

Melissa used the trunk to get in some caber tossing 
practice for this year's highland games.

As we walked back to the barn we snipped off some of the 
new rhododendron shoots that were sprouting up next to the path.

Then it was time for some lunch.
Now who's legs are these?

Yep - you got it.

Fine dining outside the barn.

With a tin of flap-jack included - thanks Audrey!!

Inside - the barn was less fine.
Lots of stuff encroaching on the available space.

The mad axe woman of Nidderdale 
got busy with the grinder.

These edge trimmers were given a good sharpen.

Loppers were mended and filed and bow saw blades replaced.

Meanwhile others started to bring about some order and 
Mr. Mop got busy with his brush.

Even the mess outside got shovelled up to 
ensure that the drain didn't get blocked.

We discovered the BFG's waterproof trousers hidden 
away at the back of the wader rack.

Eventually we seemed to reclaim a lot of floor space, although everyone agrees that we could do with a barn extension!!

Ros E.

Ashfold Side Beck: 23-05-2017

The NCVs were all very glad to be working in much drier conditions this week. It was another chance to get to grips with footpath work - this time near the old Prosperous lead smelting works below Greenhow Hill. It was a great opportunity to work in the beautiful valley of Ashfold Side Beck within Nidderdale’s historic industrial heartland, which (along with a sunny weather forecast) probably accounts for a good turnout of 13. Here are the snapshots from the day.....

The good news was that the sky was blue.
The bad news was that all the tools had to be 
collected from the top of the hill.

So up between the old spoil heaps we marched.

All around us were drifts of the beautiful spring sandwort - 
one of the only plants that can survive the lead levels on these heaps.

Tools collected, we then walked down again to the work area.
 Now we know what the Grand Old Duke of York's men felt like.

And when we were only half way down... 
footpath officer Peter explained the task.

Soon there were channels being dug right, ...

...left...

...and centre.
These allowed the water, gathering on the path, to drain away.

Meanwhile Graham and Phil were barrowing 
rocks up the track to fill a big hole.

Slowly but surely the hole filled up.

And then - with a bit of crazy paving
 work and top dressing - Ta Da!

Those channels couldn't be left as simple ditches across the path.
Dear me no - that would never do.

NCVs like to do a job properly. 
The mess gradually became a work of art.

A small team went up to the top of the hill (again) 
and laid these stone slabs across a very wet area. 
(Not a job for the faint hearted!)

A special thanks to Joanna Swires for her flapjack contribution!!

In spite of all the heavy digging the team 
were all smiling by the end of the day. 

And finally - last week we included a couple of extra bits of information about other work the volunteers get up to during the rest of their week. Do you remember the Old Spring Wood interpretation board that was in need of repair? Well, thanks to both John and Kath, who gave up their spare time one day recently, it is now re-instated in its rightful position and looking great.

A grand job - set off beautifully by the bluebells.

On Wednesday another group of volunteers will be undertaking the Wild Watch river survey training and on Thursday three more will be getting up at the crack of dawn to count the birdies as part of the AONB's Wild Watch project. There's always something interesting to do in this part of the world!

Ros E.

How Stean Beck footpath: 16-05-2017

This week it was back to some hard manual grafting rather than all the nice and easy surveying work that we have been doing of late. Once again NCVs joined footpaths Tzar Peter Lambert to help out with some practical footpath maintenance near Middlesmoor as part of the Upper Nidderdale Landscape Partnership Project. The group was only a small one today - I wonder if that was due to holidays, family commitments, the wet weather or the thought of having to, once again, lift a shovel?

Tools were transported near to the work site by quad bike
 and trailer, which saved us having to carry them far.

 Graham and Tony immediately set to clearing a fallen tree...

... and got it sorted by coffee time.
Well done chaps!

Coffee was taken under the shelter of the trees.

Meanwhile two separate teams worked on cutting channels 
and inserting drainage pipes to improve the quality of the path.

Both spades and spikes had to be used to shift 
the muddy soil and large pieces of rock.

Once inserted the pipe then had to be covered 

with stone and earth to hide it from view.

.Digging the slurry like mud out of the drainage ditch 
with a spade was virtually impossible. Andy suggested 
using ladles next time!

If that thing comes out of the pipe again I'll hit it with this rock!

Higher up the path conditions were just as muddy.

Who got the muddiest?

Post luncheon duties consisted of shifting large 
pieces of rock from A to B.

This was done to create a relatively flat path across 
some treacherous, sloping, limestone slabs.

Smaller stones were harvested from the 
bed of the beck to pack out the larger pieces.

 Strongman James was determined that 
this stone should be used.

Its journey from point A to point B was not an easy one.

Wishy Washy's laundry - the tools, gloves 
and Ros E's waterproofs cleaned up a treat.

Well done NCVs!.

Footpath walkers will now be able to walk more safely.

AND FINALLY.....

As well as all the work that is carried out each Tuesday there is a variety of other things being done by volunteers on other days of the week. Annual wading bird surveys, bird box monitoring and some after school ornithology club sessions are happening regularly at the moment, but a more unusual job that one NCV undertook was to construct a cow to take to the recent 'Nidderdale in the City' event in Leeds. Children had a great time 'milking' Nidderbell!  

Excellent work Andy. 

Nidderbell looks very life-like.

The bird box monitors look happy in their work - especially

 since their ladder carrying route was made easier by the NCVs. 

Ros E.