Category: Updates

Eleven arrived at the Gorse Patch and successfully burned everything we had cut in the previous three weeks. Many mince pies, rum truffles, flapjacks and associated goodies were consumed at breaktime. The Bocking Lane Park bench had almost been finished off on Thursday afternoon, and just needs a bit of pointing at the top slab joints. Gavin has put the new Coir matting in the Barn for us to fit on the 6th.

As last week, the fourteen who arrived today worked separately in three Groups.  Five went to Beauchief Abbey Lane and finished the clearance of autumn debris from the path and roadside. They then went up to Little Wood Bank and removed a fallen tree branch, reported after the Meadow had been mown. Seven of us turned up at the Gorse Patch. We concentrated on the left side of the area where brambles had become dominant and where there was little sign of new growth from this previously cut area of gorse.  Hope that clearing the brambles will allow new regeneration. The

Fourteen willing hands turned out today and like last week, we worked in three separate groups. Five went to the new pond and laid the coir matting; unfortunately we didn’t have enough, so more is to be ordered. The Group then went down to Beauchief Abbey Lane and continued the Leaf clearance.  Seven of us worked on more gorse cutting this morning.  There’s quite a pile ready for the Christmas burn.  One more turned up to have a look after his session with the coir. A heavy shower after coffee caused an early departure for some. The two others built the Bocking Lane

The twelve of us split into three groups today. Eight went to the Gorse Patch and began the annual pruning as planned.  The three bench builders had to dismantle one end of the new bench because it wasn’t quite as long as the combined top slabs that were left after the completion of the Stone Cross Field benches; so they didn’t make as much progress as they would have liked. The remaining Group member spent this morning clearing the leaves on Beauchief Drive from the Abbey to half way to the main road. This will need to be finished off

Ten of the Group turned out today, with eight members turning up at the Barn, where the Council leaf blowers had been delivered (to be returned at 12 noon). We split into two groups, one heading along the Holly Path, around the back of the deer park, past the Nettle Patch and so back to the Cobble Path.  The other group started at the Beauchief Drive end of the Cobble Path and worked their way up to the Golf Club entrance.  This section took longer as it was wider and the fence/hedge prevented the leaves being blown into the field, so manual heaving was

Eleven workers arrived today on the first sunny morning for at least two weeks. We all went up Beauchief Drive, with two going to Gulley’s Meadow to repair a wall, which they achieved by coffee break time. They then joined the rest in the Orchard, where we trimmed around the base of the trees after the earlier mowing by the Council. We also measured the circumference of the new pond, which is estimated to be at least 120 feet.  

On a rather dull morning, twelve of us met and split into two groups. One group went to Gulley’s Wood Meadow and cleared the blackthorn suckers from the edge by Abbeydale Golf Course. The other group of six spent the morning finishing the deer park wall. We had to scavenge stone from around the park and still were a bit short on coping stones.

On a much better than expected autumnal morning, we had a group of twelve . Six workers went up to Park Bank Wood, where they repaired revetments that had rotted and filled a hole in the Path left by a Tree Stump falling over. Using unnatural resources that had been dumped in the vicinity [i.e. Concrete blocks, Bricks and loose Earth] we left it in a much improved state.    Six others went back to the Deer Park wall, and spent the morning on restoration work. We made good progress and  may finish next Monday.

Seven met this morning to continue work on the dry stone wall in the corner of the deer park. We continued to dismantle the loose section to ground level before re building from foundation level.

On a fine, dry and sunny Morning nine of us met at the Barn. Five went to the middle Abbey Pond, where we cleared both outflows, gave the hedge its annual trim and cleared the area of litter. Sighting – a Kingfisher was seen twice flying across the pond around 11.00 am.    The other four of us set about stripping out the section of tumbled wall at the corner of the Deer Park nearest Ladies Spring Wood.  The Hall groundsman came along to help us build a barrier (to prevent escapes and protect us from the stags as rutting

Finally, the weather allowed us to meet today, with 12 mustering at the Barn. We decided the work in the Nature Park, and in particular the new Pond, needed more guidance, particularly in light of recent observations by the Council Ranger. We shall request a meeting at his convenience. One member initially went up to Stonecross Field to plant some meadowsweet by the scrape, a plant that enjoys wet and boggy conditions. Permission had been granted beforehand.  He then joined the rest of us, by the White Steps, where we used the fine surfacing material to fill in the areas