Hello Conservation Volunteers
If you happened to be walking up the valley to Porter Clough you might have spotted the yellow hi-vis jackets spread out during our latest work morning, we certainly saw a few school parties passing who were interested in the work we were doing. It was the back of 2023 after the storms when we were last up there, so it was well overdue for another session to check and clear the drainage, a perennial issue affecting the paths up there.
Armed with plenty of mattocks and spades, plus our rods, all kindly dropped off by Ranger Matt, we trudged off from the car park on Fulwood Lane down the valley, dropping off some of the volunteers at various locations on the way down to attend to various ditches and drains before we got to the main ditch just out of the woods which causes the main erosion on the path. Quite an enjoyable job digging the mud and silt out and getting the water flowing again!
Further down is the old, gnarled willow tree where water from the clogged ditch behind it permeates through the roots as orange iron oxide spilling out onto the path. By clearing this ditch to allow the water to flow freely and not stand and soak through the bank should reduce the leakage onto the path. Just below the tree is a plastic drainpipe underneath the path, which was totally clogged with mud, but was eventually cleared.
This time Mandy had baked some Christmas pudding brownies which went down well with everybody, before we finally trudged back up the valley, stopping to clear some more drains on the way up.
Mandy had informed us of some overgrown holly trees narrowing the path much further down in the section below Mark Lane and volunteered along with Bill to walk down to cut back it all back. We hope you got a lift back to collect your car from Fulwood Lane later Mandy!
A big thank you to everybody who joined us. It really does help.
The next work morning is on Thursday 13th March where we will be working with the Parks dept in Bingham Park.
Lyndon
A Selection of photos from the work morning
Digging out the main ditch
Who's are the wellies?!
Wellies have moved!
By the willow tree - clogged pipe end just visibile bottom left after being dug out
Rodding out the pipe and clearing mud out of the surface drain
Chris clearing mud out of a surface drain
A cleared drainage ditch higher up
Mike and Dave chatting and watching our oldest volunteer, Peter, doing all the work!
Peter still doing all the work stripping an old pine trunk to line the bank side
We know who really did all the work guys!
Mike finally doing some work clearing out a drain watched on by Peter!
Mandy (pink hat) dishing out Christmas pudding brownies
A section of path with low hanging holly before cutting....
....and after
Bill cutting some more low holly....
....and finished
