December work day

A note from Colin regarding the next Conservation Volunteers task on Sunday.

"Hi,

 

Nearly forgot to send a reminder about our next workday this coming Sunday – but I guess you won’t need reminding anyway!!

 

Hopefully before the spuds and mince pies we can plant a tree and control some brambles – but not too much work.

 

See you then

Colin"

Please meet on the car park for details of the secret rendezvous.  I will try and bring some matches.

Arrival of the Winterley Interpretive Panel

On Saturday the freshly delivered Winterley interpretive Panel was moved into temporary storage inside a cold local mill.  We have been advised to store the panel in away from heating until ready for installation on its plinth next to Winterley Pool.  This was an ideal opportunity to examine the brief published history of the Winterley Pool and Mill together with the carefully selected wildlife photographs and notes.

Fungi by Fowle Brook

Interesting collection of fungi growing around a tree close to Fowle Brook in the walkway area next to Primrose Avenue.  17th October 2012.

Haslington Conservation Volunteers win Heritage Lottery Fund support

Haslington Conservation Volunteers                            Heritage Lottery Fund

Haslington Conservation Volunteers win Heritage Lottery Fund support

Haslington Conservation Volunteers have recently been granted £3,600 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a project aimed at improving the future of Winterley Mill Pool, a valuable local landmark. Led by volunteers from the local community, the project will focus on creating greater public awareness of the pool through the erection of replacement information boards and the production of easily accessible online information about its history and wildlife.

As part of the project the volunteers are planning to acquire a number of new skills, including methods of researching historical records and the use of specialist photographic techniques, to assist them in developing a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the pool.

The project, which is also receiving a grant of £300 from Haslington Parish Council,   will ultimately enable everyone who is interested to learn more about the mill pool, which dates back to possibly the middle of the eighteenth century.

Commenting on the award, Project Manager Colin Lythgoe said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the HLF and are confident the grant will enable us to research the history and wildlife of the site and make the resulting information as widely available as possible”.

Sara Hilton, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Haslington Conservation Volunteers with this innovative project to get more people involved in learning more about their heritage. As well as exploring the history of the pool, the project will actively involve people in our natural heritage, deepening their understanding of their local environment.”

The Heritage Lottery Fund award comes less than a year after Haslington Conservation Volunteers were awarded the Conservation and Environment Award in the 2011 North West in Bloom Competition for their work in helping to protect and preserve the local countryside around Haslington. 

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. “From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage.  HLF has supported over 33,000 projects, allocating £4.9 billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk”

If you have any information about the history or wildlife of Winterley Mill and Winterley Pool , which you would like to pass on to Haslington Conservation Volunteers, please contact Colin Lythgoe on 01270 – 582642. Any help provided will greatly assist the volunteers in producing as comprehensive a history as possible.        

Cheshire Archives visit

As part of the training in research skills funded by our Heritage Lottery Fund bid we visited the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies Centre in Duke Street, Chester.

The centre is based around a converted mill building [1850] which contains much of the archive material for the old county of Cheshire.  The archive rooms are physically secure and have sophisticated fire protection systems installed.  Additional materials are stored in the Winsford Salt Mines.
The morning two hour session included a presentation from an archivist who had tried to assemble as much material relating to Winterley Pool and Mill as possible.  We were shown the main indexing resources enabling relevant research material to be retrieved - much of which can be done in advance of a visit via home internet access.
Of particular interest were two bundles of parchment documents relating to leases and land transfers of the Winterley Pool and Mill.  The documents were available in the "Cheshire Archives" as the Mill had been owned by the Delves Broughton Estate for a short period of time and they had passed their estate documentation to Cheshire Records.
The afternoon session provided the opportunity for "hands on" access to the materials in the main reading room.  Hands should be clean but not still damp from washing, gloves are not recommended as these can remove the ink from parchment.
Understanding the old legal documents from around 1675 involved the ability to read the typeface of old handwritten legal documents and then understand some of the legal terms involved.  The key document was an Indenture from 1675 which recorded the transfer of a water powered corn mill, but we still need to fully understand how the land was pieced together from other title deeds covering the previous 100 years, together with any clues as to the date the mill and pool were built.
Return visits will be required to establish when the Winterley Mill and Pool were built.

Travel for the study group to Chester was via train from Crewe, with a walk via the Roman Walls, passing under the Clock that marks Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

August 2012 Workday

Sunday 5th August 2012 saw a small group of volunteers take a Barn Owl box to be fitted in a sycamore tree on Stockton's Farm off Holmshaw Lane.  Whilst the blogger held the box in position using the blue rope Chris was able to fix the first of three large bolts through the back of the box into the tree.

Pond Dipping at Winterley Pool

Having had a training session pond dipping at Hall o'the Heath Farm we moved on to the real task at Winterley Pool.  We were provided access to areas not normally open to the public.  The investigation session led by Julie Molyneux took place in the early evening of 31st July 2012.

 Julie, Ron, Mick and Barry.

 

Colin's report on the evening:

“Julie thought that the match pool at the back was likely to be the best so we started there.  After just a few dips we had a good variety of pond life to identify.  With much checking of identification guides we listed the following:-

• three-spined stickleback
• leech
• water louse
• banded demoiselle damselfly nymph
• azure blue damselfly nymph
• smaller dycistid beetle sp.
• caddisfly larva in a stick case
• flat valve snail
• spire shell snail sp
• mayfly sp

 Several dips around the heavily fished specimen pool were disappointing with nothing of note being netted.

 

We also met the water bailiff who gave us up-to-date information on the fish life of the pool.”

Pond Dipping at Hall o'the Heath Farm

As a practice for research that will be undertaken at Winterley Pool, Julie Molyneux provided a practical session in pond dipping at two of the ponds at Hall o'the Heath Farm.
Pond 1

Located to the SW of the farm yard in an area that has been protected from farm animals until this season.  The pond does not hold any special conservation status, though examples of ?? grass which are rare in this area have been found close to the pond on the E slope.  A seeded wild flower meadow is on part of the land that supplies the run-off into the pond.  The pond was mechanically dredged in November 2011 see the Blog entry for November 2011, the water is max of 2ft deep over a clay/brick base.  Although summer waterlevels can be low it has never dried up in recent years.  The pond was partially shaded when the dipping took place between 18:40 and 19:20.  Samples were taken from the N and E bank of the pond.

• Stone Fly larvae
• Blood worm
• Rat tailed maggot
• Dragonfly Nymph
• Water Boatman
• Smooth Newt
• Whirly Gig Beetle

Sample tray. Note Water Boatman top right, immature newt bottom centre.
Found a newt on every other dip, large number of water boatman and Rat tailed Maggots, higher density and variety of species than at Pond 2.

Pond 2.

Located in a field to the SE of the farmyard.  The pond and surrounding field do not hold any special conservation status. Contains large numbers of dense bull rushes and Rosebay Willow-herb.  The area is surrounded by an electric fence to minimise intrusion of cattle.  The pond appeared to be a maximum of 4ft deep, we had witnessed it being dredged in 20??.  It is located on one of the highest points on the farm, was it an old marl pit, how is the waterlevel maintained given the surrounding land is lower?  Dipping took place between 19:30 and 20:10.  Samples were taken from the E and S bank of the pond.

• Water Boatman (large numbers)
• Great Crested Newt ?
• Smooth Newt

Initial conclusion that there did not appear to be a great a variety as in pond 1, this may be due to the fact that is was nearly fully covered in vegetation prior to the dredging in 20??.

July Workday

Message from Colin,

"Details of the next work day which is this coming Sunday and which is the 1st of July!

 

We had hoped to be putting up two barn owl nest boxes but this has been delayed due to a technical hitch so we will be doing maintenance work.  Most of the kissing gates on the walk are getting overgrown and need clearing so this will be the first job and then chopping thistles and spot weeding docks in the wildflower meadow.

 

Unfortunately I will not be there but Chris and Ron have details of all work needed but please bring shears and gloves.

 

Best wishes

 

Colin"

Conservation Walk

Conservation Walk around Lathkill Dale in the Peak District National Park starting on Sunday 13th May 2012.

April workday

Many of the smaller broken branches from the fallen oak tree were added to the various woodpiles within the wildlife garden at Hall o'the Heath Farm. It may look like a fire, but it will become home for various bugs, beetles and slithery things.

Dave and Chris installing a small stile to provide access into the wet woodland area, to allow monitoring of bird boxes and the other wildlife.  The growing foxglove plants did survive.  The materials were recycled bits of wood from earlier projects.

April Workday

A message from our Chairman ...

"Just a quick reminder that the April workday is this coming Sunday, the 1st April - honest!

 

Various jobs at Hall o'the Heath farm."

See you at 09:00 at Waterloo Road Car Park.

March workday

Message from Colin...

The March workday has had to move to Sunday 11th March.

"The task is to erect two of the large triangular owl nest boxes but fortunately on trees, not on a pole!  I have spoken to a few members and been advised to change the date so, since I am also busy on the previous weekend it will have to go back one week to Sunday 11th March.

 

Hope to see you in the car park as usual then."