Cawston Greenway

So much to talk about but really want to keep the blogs short and to the point…

Firstly, someone had stolen one of our picnic benches. Why or how is beyond me. They weigh a ton and are totally utilitarian. They look great on the greenway but elsewhere, like someone’s garden, and they will look a mess. If anyone has any info as to where our picnic bench is, please let me know.

ROBBED!!!!

I had a meeting with Mike from Butterfly Conservation this morning and we walked a bit of the greenway and the area on the other side of the relief road towards Potford’s Dam. The potential for a superb and diverse wildlife haven is massive. We have on our doorstep a lovely field that has ponds, reeds, grasses and wildflowers. This has been given to us as compensation for the relief road. If we open up the greenway properly we will get a lot of wildlife from over the road coming in.

Further details for this Ecological Compensation Area can be found at  http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/corporate/committe.nsf/471ece76d69bff9780256a140057d7f8/967f072182e4150a80257483004f552a/$FILE/ww5%20RWRR%20Mound%20-%20Lawford%20Brook.lw.%5B759KB%5D.pdf

So, onto the workday. About nine or so of us turned out and we had a really good time chopping trees down and burning them on a big bonfire. We really need to get the greenway cut back so that the path is wide and the growth is low on the inside edges building to the tall trees on the outside edges.

Pushing back the picnic clearing.

It seems like we have gone full circle with our plans but to get maximum wildlife impact, we need to clear out all the poor value trees that have got dead space underneath. I will put it to our committee, but I really think that it would be worth getting a chainsaw and some training so that we can really blast through the trees and get serious about creating a decent and wide path.

I have loads of Kidney Vetch seeds to put in down at the Potford’s Dam end and a load of Wild Strawberry to put in at the other end. Hopefully we can attract some butterflies that are endangered, these being Small Blue and Grizzled Skipper. It would be lovely if we could create habitats for these butterflies and attract them to our greenway.

Next workday is Thursday 15th September 1pm to 3pm at the picnic clearing. Ed is going to chainsaw a load of the trees down beforehand so we will need to cut them up and either dead-hedge along the outer edge, or burn them off.

Next one after this is Sunday 25th September.  12 noon to 2pm at the clearing further down from the picnic clearing. Cutting back the trees right up to the edge of the greenway and dead-hedge and burn off the brash.

Thanks for everyone who made it today.

Looking forwards to the next one!

Paul

Great turn out today with about eight or so of us meeting up. However, marking the trees was not such a great idea because it’s sort of obvious which ones need to come out.

We found the source of the flooding on the path near the little development near to The Bear, called Berrybanks. We pulled a huge tree trunk out of the inlet that goes under the greenway, but we will not be able to see what properly needs doing until it gets really wet again and the stream is flowing.

a few of us in the distance picking up litter

We picked up a lot of litter on the path around where The Bear is and did mark quite a few trees, but basically we just need to clear the bank for two thirds up on the north side, so that the sun can hit it and then we can see what grows. We will need to clear some trees on the south side, but not all the way up to the top of the bank or residents will lose their woodland view.

all of this shade needs to come out

I got separated from the group about half an hour from the end, so drove back into Cawston and walked up and down but could not find anyone. It was quite good to sort of visualise a much wider path though, and nice to see so many residents using the greenway.

Next workday is on Sunday 4th September, 12 to 2pm, meeting at the clearing where the picnic bench is under the bridge. We need to cut back a lot more aggressively because nothing is growing and there is still far too much shade. We can burn off the brash and also do a bit of scrub clearance between the two big clearings to widen the path, if we have time.

Look forward to seeing as many people as possible at the Cawston BBQ later on today!

Paul

Oh no!!! Looters have made off with the lovely log-pile that we made a few weeks ago. These troubled times that we live in are spreading to all corners of the Country.

our newly made log-pile waiting to be inhabited by insects, lichen and mosses

And now look!!!

it's gone!!

Who would do such a thing? Evidence points towards someone with a wheelbarrow and a wood-burning stove. It is a shame because I was looking forward to watching it evolve over the next few years.

Anyhow, next workday is Sunday 14th August meeting at 11am at The Bear car-park and the tasks are walking the length of the greenway marking the trees that we want to remove when the clearing season starts in September. I will bring a black bag and litter-picker too, so we can have a quick tidy as we walk.

In the afternoon there is a BBQ and hog-roast as Cawston Grange School. This starts at 4pm and everyone is welcome. Details can be found at

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=240478602639543

or

http://www.becchurch.org.uk

See you on Sunday!

Paul

Lovely afternoon on the greenway today and we got the picnic benches dug into the ground. This is a job that has been outstanding for ages so I am really pleased that we finally got it done. It means the benches are about six inches lower so are easy to sit on and use.

This bench is dug into the ground under the bridge so will make a good place to shelter in the rain.

Now that they are dug in, they hopefully will not be moved. It was a real pleasure to be able to sit easily, without having to kind of climb onto them and have your legs dangling into thin air.

Me sitting comfortably at the second picnic bench.

Nice to see all the wildflowers that are growing in the cleared area around the bench. This was totally dead last year. It would be nice to know what is actually growing but the flowers have gone over so we might have to wait until next year.

Next workday is Sunday 14th August meeting in THE BEAR CAR PARK and marking the trees that we want to take out in September and onwards. If we meet at eleven o’clock rather than one, because there is a barbecue at Cawston Grange School and I think it would be pretty good to go to this after the work on the greenway?

Look forward to seeing you on the next one!

Paul

A great workday today and we were lucky to snatch a window of sunshine in what is turning into a soggy wet weekend.

We cleared the fallen tree and Mike chopped it up so that we could make a lovely log-pile. This will be fantastic to watch as it becomes the home for many insects, small mammals and fungi.

Our new log-pile.

Getting right in to where the tree crashed through the canopy, it became obvious that we need to be opening up the path a lot more. When we had cleared away all the branches the sunlight flooded in and really brightened things up. Shirley made a list of about forty or more wild flowers that she spotted in the clearing by the underpass and the only way that these are going to spread is by getting rid of the dense canopy that is stopping anything growing at all.

About ten of us turned out and cleared away a fallen tree.

Also, the wider the path, the better it will be for all the people using it because we can allow the narrow middle strip to recover a bit, as people walk on the newer bits. It will also help to avoid or walk around the muddy puddles that we get when it rains.

We are now on Twitter as @CawstonGreenway, as well as facebook, so we can keep up-to-date with what is going on and how we are progressing. Workdays are always advertised well in advance and anyone is more than welcome to join in for a couple of hours.

Next workday is Thursday 28th July 1pm to 3pm meeting at the picnic clearing. We need to dig the two picnic benches in so will have to dig down by about six inches. I will add a mattock to our kit to help us do this, we will get loads of use out of it grubbing out brambles and the like.

August workday is Sunday 14th 1pm to 3pm meeting at The Bear car park. I will get some paint and we can walk the whole length of the greenway and mark the trees that we want to remove. This means that we can really hit the ground running in September. We need to be really brave and push the clearings right back and we also need to start dead-hedging along the edges to secure the boundaries. My eventual aim is to have kissing-gates at the access points so we have some sort of control over motorbikes.

Thanks to all who turned out today.

See you on the next one!

Paul

An interesting and relaxing day on the greenway today. We cut back all the overhanging branches and brambles that had encroached onto the path and walked from Potford’s Dam to The Bear, so got a fair bit cut back. One thing that is obvious is that we need to make some sections towards the Potford’s Dam end a lot wider. The wide path that we thought we had is now a narrow corridor.

A large branch of a tree has come down and is blocking the path. Next workday (Sunday 17th July) will be chopping this up and removing it. It’s going to be a big job!

It was really good to see a lot of wildflowers growing in the areas that we cleared over the winter. I have taken a few pictures of the ones that I spotted and at some point will sit down and try and identify them. Here are the pics:

If anyone fancies telling me what these flowers are, please feel free. It will save me doing the leg-work, but it is great to see them growing and gives me confidence that we are on the right track.

Look forward to the next one..

Paul

Well what can I say!!! Sorry comes to mind. I had a surprise Father’s Day gift from my baby son, a Saturday day and night in Skegness. Little did I know that there would be an army of tractors on the roads on the Sunday morning, harvesting cabbages from the fields. It took ages to get back.

Anyhow, it looks like all who turned out got on well with clearing nettles.

I think maybe we need to think about the nettle removal on a longer-term basis. If the nettles are part of what will grow naturally, then maybe pulling them up is a battle that we can never win? I discussed this with Graham on Sunday when I eventually turned up and we both agreed that we need some informed advice and guidance.

 Next workday is cutting back any overhanging growth on the path, and there is plenty, so I guess if we start at the normal meeting point and work our way down and cut back as we go.

Two dates – Mid-week workday on Thursday 7th July 11am to 1pm and Sunday workday on Sunday 17th July 1pm to 3pm.

I will bring the pruners and also a black bag for any litter that has been dropped.

Look forward to seeing you on the workdays!

Paul

A few of us turned out today to pull up nettles!!!! Why-oh-why do I always do these things in a tee-shirt!!! My arms are itching like a dog with a flee… ;o)

But we cleared a huge area in the picnic clearing and this will give other wildflowers a chance to become established. We tried to burn off the piles of nettles that we pulled up but the I didn’t bring any kindling so we will have to do this on the next workday.

Piles of pulled up nettles!!!

Next workday is pulling up more nettles and as mentioned on the last blog is on the 19th June. Strangely it is really therapeutic and calming. I don’t know why but we all really chilled out with it today.

As a priority we need to get the picnic bench fixed and both of them sunk into the ground.

John is in the process of making up what needs doing in the September to March work season. We have maps and pictures and what he is working on is looking really good.

Look forward to seeing you on the next work day..

Paul

Sunday was a good workday on the greenway, six or so of us turned out, despite clashing with major sporting events.

We cut back any overhanging branches and brambles, did a bit of litter-picking (nice to see that there was hardly any litter to pick up) and pulled up a lot of nettles and weeds.

The greenway is getting a lot of use from local residents and the path is starting to naturally widen with the increased footfall. This is great news and just shows what a difference we have made.

Next workday is tomorrow 11:00 to 1:00 pulling up nettles in the picnic clearing. There are a lot wildflower plants trying to grow underneath the nettles so it is worthwhile, and then Sunday June 19th 11:00 to 1:00.

Thanks to all who made it on Sunday 🙂

Paul

Hopefully these maps of the greenway will give us clear direction when the work season starts in September.

If you click on each map it will enlarge so you can see the detail.

Hopefully you will be able to see the areas that need work. Between the new underpass and The Bear we are going to create a huge clearing along the whole length. On the north side of the underpass there are loads of wildflowers that have come up due to the earth being disturbed when the underpass was built. This is the sort of thing that we hope to get in the glades, a really rich and diverse wildflower ground cover.

Hope to see you on the next workday on Sunday 22nd May to fix the picnic bench and pull up some nettles. 1pm to 3pm.

Paul