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Archive for the ‘Paths’ Category

Paths, hedges, but no kissing gates

Posted in Hedgelaying, Paths, tagged Friends of the Bowdon Bollin on November 6, 2016|

Today and a fortnight ago (23rd October) we worked with the Friends of the Bowdon Bollin. As well as doing some general tidying and maintenance of hedges we have laid previously, we did some work to open up and allow light to other parts of the footpath and to the riverbank. The original plan had been to work on the installation of two kissing gates but unfortunately this wasn’t possible for logistical reasons – although with luck the kissing gates can be planned for some future Sundays!

Overgrown hedges before starting

Increased light to the footpath and riverbank

After work to clear vegetation

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Pennine Way: spades, mattocks and paws

Posted in Paths, Residential weekends, tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers on September 26, 2016|

This past weekend was our last residential weekend of the year, working with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers as usual, this time on the Pennine Way. On both days we did some footpath maintenance – improving the drainage on parts of the path with the aim of preventing future erosion (both from flooding and from walkers being forced to divert off the route). So plenty of work with spades and mattocks – and some especially enthusiastic digging from a couple of canine volunteers!

Volunteers getting started on the footpath and drainage

Improving the drainage from the path

Re-aligning the path

The improved path and drainage

Maintaining the path

Canine volunteer

A well-earned rest

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Woodland paths and water-voles

Posted in Paths, Woodland management, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust on September 5, 2016|

Yesterday SACV got to spend a lovely late summer day helping members of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust at Birch Moss Covert. The task was to make a start on establishing new paths around the reserve; the previous paths were destroyed in recent work done on the site to convert it to wet mossland. Since that work, the CWT have found good signs that water-voles are establishing themselves at the site, which is very good news indeed and increases the reserve’s wildlife importance.

Clearing the path

Tools

Fungi

Clearing the path

Flowering heather

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Woodland walk at Chorlton Water Park

Posted in Paths, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on August 23, 2016|

In what is becoming an annual activity, this past Sunday we were out in Chorlton Water Park helping with the maintenance of the woodland walk. We got a good section of the path done, so thanks to those who turned out in what had been looking to be a weekend of variable weather!

Wheelbarrows on woodland walk

Speckled wood butterfly

Human and canine volunteers

The path before maintenance

Path maintenance in progress 1

Path maintenance in progress 2

Volunteers at work

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Heathland, paths and Himalayan balsam

Posted in Heathland, Invasive species, Paths, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, City of Trees, Sale Water Park, Tegg's Nose Country Park on July 19, 2016| 1 Comment »

Well it’s been a while since we put out an update, but that doesn’t mean SACV hasn’t been busy! In the last month or two we have worked in the quarry area at Tegg’s Nose Country Park (Sunday 12th June), when a damp day didn’t stop us from getting lots of heathland management work done; done some path maintenance work at Sale Water Park (Sunday 26th June) for City of Trees, taking care not to destroy some of the banks of wildflowers; and worked with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust at Birch Farm Ponds (Sunday 10th July) tackling the invasive Himalayan balsam. Here’s hoping the rest of the summer continues in the same productive vein!

Volunteers at Tegg’s Nose

Volunteers at work at Sale Water Park

Widening the path at Sale Water Park

Himalayan balsam at Birch Farm Ponds

Himalayan balsam at Birch Farm Ponds – after clearing

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Path work on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Paths, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on May 25, 2016|

This past Sunday a few of us were out on the Middlewood Way with the Cheshire East Rangers. Our work was to clear the surface of a section of this popular walking and riding route to prevent encroaching grass and vegetation from narrowing it further!

Before

During

After

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Wildflowers and a woodland path

Posted in Paths, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on July 27, 2015|

The Sunday before last (19th July 2015) a few SACV volunteers were out in Chorlton Water Park and planted wildflowers (such as cow-slips and self-heal) on the edge of a path surrounding Chorlton Water park (heavy work as the ground was hard!). After a well-deserved lunch, the next task was to lay woodchip on a woodland path, finishing off the work started at our visit here in early June. Finally there was some planting, including butterfly-friendly buddleia, in a bird-feeding area. A productive day!

Volunteers at work 1

Volunteers at work 2

Volunteers take a break

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Woodland path at Chorlton Water Park

Posted in Paths, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on June 1, 2015| 1 Comment »

Yesterday was a day of maintaining the path through the woodland at Chorlton Water Park, laying woodchip and removing some of the encroaching vegetation. The woods were a good place to shelter from the intermittent rain, although by the time we had finished the skies were blue again!

Canine volunteer on the woodchip pile

Volunteer with wheelbarrow

The completed path 1

The completed path 2

The completed path 3

The sky through the trees

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Path maintenance and step repair on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Paths, Steps, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on April 27, 2015|

Yesterday was a day of maintenance on the Middlewood Way, working with Ed from the Cheshire East Rangers. We enjoyed the stretch of the Way just off Schoolfold Lane in Adlington, where we removed encroaching grass from the surface of the path and replaced some of the damaged steps at the descent from the road. It was good to see the route getting plenty of use from walkers, cyclists and horse-riders – the weather must have helped!

Volunteers at work on widening the path 2

Volunteers at work on widening the path

Volunteers working on repairing the steps

Work on the steps in progress

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Path maintenance on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Paths, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on April 27, 2014|

Today we volunteers were out on the Middlewood Way, along with Ed of the Cheshire East Rangers, to carry out some path maintenance. The task was to remove from the surface of the path some of the grass which has encroached over the past fifteen years or so. This was on the side of the Way used by walkers and cyclists (horses use the other side), and we had some appreciative passers-by who were able to try out our newly widened path! Despite the forecast of a rainy afternoon, we had fine sunshine weather all day and – even better – the grass adjacent to the stretch of path on which we were working was a mass of cowslips. We also had a chance to see the barley and poppy meadow that the Rangers have prepared as part of the First World War commemorations – the meadow ought to be worth coming to see in a couple of months’ time.