September Workday

Conservation workday for 7th September 2014 will be repairing a stile.  Please gather for 09:00 at Waterloo Road car park for further details from Ron.

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.        

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.

December bonfire and work day

First start a fire using wood from a fallen tree and farmyard rubbish such as coloured binder twine.

Baked potatoes had been prepared by Chris and Dave.  There were options for bacon, cheese and vegetarian, wrapped in foil, cooked at home in the oven, packed into sweet tins (sitting on wire netting).

Then placed into the fire.  The result was excellent crispy bacon wrapped baked potatoes - hot but not burnt.  Add sausage rolls from Alan, Chocolate Fudge from Sarah and lots of cakes from Ron.

Sarah and Ron checking one of the bird boxes next to the Hall o'the Heath orchard. 

The end......

Hall o'the Heath Pond

During the summer it was noted that the pond at Hall o'the Heath Farm had become overgrown with vegetation to the extent that you could walk across it.  The plan was to dredge half the pond and remove much of the strong growth.  Back in the autumn we had removed a post and wire fence so the cattle should now be able to graze down the the waters edge and keep future growth under control.  During November the pond was cleaned out with an excavator, we are now waiting for more rain to refill to cover the shallow edge of the pond.  In a wet year the water spills over the back edge of the pond through trees and into a drain, these pictures show the lowest level of water for many years after a mild and dry autumn.

HCV North West in Bloom Award

Haslington Conservation Volunteers picked up the Conservation and Environmental Award at the North West in Bloom 2011 in Southport.

Some of the Conservation Volunteers were present at the Haslington Best Kept Garden Awards on Saturday where the award was shared with the village.  [Pete, Ron, Richard, Chris & Dave]

Thanks to Dave for going to the Southport Awards to pick up the trophy.

More of the group with the award during the December work day at Hall o'the Heath Farm.  Colin with the certificate, and Dave Gilbert with the glass. 

Orchard Workday

The October workday took place in the Hall o'the Heath Farm orchard.  Tools provided via Alistair of the Cheshire East Ranger Service.  The plan was to cut back the hedges and overgrown grass and brambles to reduce competition for the fruit trees.  The crop of apples appears to have been quite good this year.

Dave hiding with his hedge trimmer behind one of the very fruitful apple trees.

Fruit on the new apple tree planted this Spring.

Ron gathering the grass and other strimmings to be fed to the waiting cattle.

Julian at work with the brush cutter on the strimmer.

A heavy crop of small apples, most of which will be left for the birds to feed on.

Hazel Tun

The fruit of the hazel ripening.  This forms the symbol for the Haslington Conservation Volunteers and several other Haslington based groups.  The hazel being the probable source of our village name - see the Wikipedia entry for Haslington.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haslington

Workday for April 10th

A message from Colin.

"A quick reminder that the next workday is this coming Sunday, the second Sunday of the month instead of the usual first.  The task is to make 20 nest boxes (or as many as possible in the time) ready for sale at the Village fun day in May. All materials have been delivered to Richard at the Zan Works and he and Dave are planning to do some prep work there beforehand.

Ron will almost certainly not be fit enough to attend and I am doubtful. It seems sensible on this occasion to assemble at the Zan Works directly on Sunday so unless you hear anything else on the topic, please be there around 09-00 or just after. "

I will try and be there to open up for 09:00.   Richard

January 2011 Crewe Green Church hedge

The hedge alongside the churchyard extension at Crewe Green Church has been a project for the HCV for several years.  We have layed the hedge to ensure a strong thick barrier from the adjoining farmers field.  This year it was time for a severe trim, leaving selected hedgerow trees with sufficient space to grow into maturity.

Our Cheshire East ranger used his chainsaw to cut back the larger branches, whilst Chris trimmed the thinner growth.

The major task was clearing the cut branches from approx 100m of hedge.  The waste was moved the area next to the car park and reduced in volume by careful use of the chainsaw.

The view over the Green Gap towards Haslington.

Visit to Redstone Willows in Alsager

Examples of willow work at the Redstone Willows centre in Alsager, in a range of different coloured varieties.  Haslington Conservation Volunteers have planted and maintained a hazel copse in Haslington - we were very pleased to find an outlet for our cut hazels in Redstone Willows.  

The examaple of willow weaving chosen for us was a Christmas bell.  Take a wooden base and insert 6 similar sized lengths of willow in a circle.  Start the weaving process - over one and past the next.  The rate of incline is adjusted by the alignment of the active strand, as the work spirals upwards.

At all times ensure that you do not knock your mug of coffee off the worktable.

Use of the bodkin to finish off the loop on top of the
bell.

By adjusting the size and number of loops on the top a winged Christmas angel can be formed.

Preparing for the top loop to be added to the bell.A very personal example.

Rare photo of the blog author.

Spring Trees

Spring Trees in bright sunshine at Hall o'the Heath Farm, Haslington March 2010

March Work Day - Tree Guards March 2010

The March task required the construction of a large tree guard around various trees planted at the Hall o'the Heath farm in Haslington.  It was a very bright clear morning, with the sun rapidly melting the frozen surface of the fields.

Tree Planting with Haslington Guides

On Sunday 22 November the Haslington Conservation Volunteers were joined by the 1st Haslington Guides and their Senior Section to plant a variety of trees.
During a break in the rain we managed to plant three locally grown oak trees together with a pack of 30 smaller specimens to develop a small copse close to Fowle Brook.
The trees included Hazel, Holly, Dogwood, Hawthorne and Dog rose.
Tree warden Colin Lythgoe identifies the small oak, surrounded by the tree planters. If we come back in a few dozen years it might look like the slightly larger specimen growing on Shukers farm behind the group.
The instructions from Ron required us to remove a small area of grass, two spades by two spades, dig over the ground that was uncovered. Then the tree "plug" was popped into a hole in the loosened soil, firmed in and a stake knocked in alongside - missing the roots. Apparently many bare rooted saplings are killed off by exposing the roots to icy or drying winds, so they need to be kept in the plastic bag until the moment of planting. A tree shelter made from corrugated plastic was then placed over the small tree and tied to the stake. The tree shelter stops attacks by rabbits or other small creatures, but also provides an excellent miniature greenhouse environment to encourage growth. Finally the grass that was dug out is placed face down around the tree - this provides some nutrient but also reduces competition with the tree until its roots are re-established.


Guide Leader Joy Hitchen had obtained the 30 small specimens. The tree shelters were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Haslington. Thanks also to Brian from the Cheshire East Rangers and the parents of the Guides.

Winterley Pool Interpretative Panel

The interpretative panel was the subject of some vandalism during October, this required some minor repair work from Ron and Colin. The panel is now back in a safe condition, but the group are progressing plans to create an new display using more modern printing technology in the near future.

Autumn at Winterley Pool.