Middlewood Way

Posts Tagged ‘Middlewood Way’

Hedgelaying on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Hedgelaying, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on January 22, 2023|

Today was our first activity of 2023 and it was great to be back with Ed, Cheshire East Ranger, on the Middlewood Way. We had a great turn-out with a total of 14 volunteers.

Hedgelaying is an ancient craft that has been practised for centuries, with many regional variations in style and technique. It is the process of partially cutting through and then bending the stems of a line of shrubs or small trees, near ground level, without breaking them, so as to encourage them to produce new growth from the base and create a living fence. In our case today we were doing this using hawthorn – being wary of the thorns! Thank you to Ed for the training and advice, and to all volunteers, both old and new, for doing a stirling job.

We’ll be back on Sunday 19 February 2023 for more of the same – get in touch if you’d like to join in!

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Hedgelaying in the snow

Posted in Hedgelaying, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on December 5, 2021|

Nothing like getting into the spirit of the season by feeling the snow start to fall, but keeping warm by hedgelaying! That’s what some of us did last Sunday on the Middlewood Way, continuing the stretch of hedge we had worked on four weeks before.

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Back…on the Middlewood Way!

Posted in Hedgelaying, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on November 7, 2021|

Last Sunday (31st October) was the group’s first day back in action since the start of COVID, and it was great to be out on the Middlewood Way, taking on some hedgelaying with ranger Ed. Unexpectedly, despite torrential rain before and after the event, there was no rain during our work and even a little sunshine! Big thanks to both the familiar faces and the new volunteers who came along. The section of laid hedge has now opened up views from the Way, and we’ll be back on 28th November to continue the same stretch.

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Back in action on 31 October…hedgelaying!

Posted in Hedgelaying, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on October 27, 2021|

The first activity of our new programme is coming up this Sunday, 31st October! We will be hedgelaying on the Middlewood Way so whether you’re completely new or an old hand, this is the chance to brush off your boots and brush up on your bill-hook skills. Hedgelaying is an ancient craft which helps the environment and is easy to get stuck into; here are examples of our past hedgelaying activities. Please contact us for more information or if you would like to come along on Sunday!

We are in the process of finalising our other dates for the months ahead and will update the Events page as soon as they are confirmed.

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Hedgelaying on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Hedgelaying, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on March 5, 2018|

The last Sunday of February saw our first hedgelaying of 2018 (after our abandoned plan for hedgelaying at Spud Wood earlier in the month). We had a very cold but bright day on the Middlewood Way and worked on a good section of hedge with Ed from the Cheshire East Rangers.

We’re back at Spud Wood on Sunday 18th March so might yet get some more hedgelaying this season!

Volunteers at work

Laid stem

Laid hedge

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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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Post-and-rail fencing on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Fencing, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on October 11, 2015|

On a lovely stretch of the Middlewood Way near Schoolfold Lane (SJ932809), SACV volunteers were today working with Ed the ranger to carry out repairs on post-and-rail fencing along the path. We were able to enjoy not only the fine autumn weather but also the flourishing wild flowers along this stretch (including cornflowers, corn chamomile, corncockle and corn marigold). The rangers have been managing and improving this wild flower area over recent years, with help from a legacy in memory of a local person, and it’s developing beautifully.

SACV sign

Volunteers getting started

Cornflower and corn marigolds

Removed rotten post

Work in progress

Volunteers working next to path

Volunteer at work

Replaced post

Repaired fencing

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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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Hedgelaying on the Middlewood Way

Posted in Hedgelaying, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way on November 10, 2014|

Yesterday was the second of two consecutive hedgelaying activities for the group. This time we were working on the Middlewood Way with Ed from the Cheshire East Rangers – and completed work on a very pleasing stretch of hedge.

Planning

Getting started on hedgelaying

Volunteers at work

Hedgelaying in progress

Laid hazel

The laid hedge 1

The laid hedge 2

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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.