Search Results

Hello Conservation Volunteers Thank you to all the volunteers who turned out for our latest work morning around Forge Dam and Wire Mill Dam - quite an entertaining morning (more on that later!) As we all met, the sound of chainsaws could be heard around Forge Dam as workmen were busily cutting down the dying trees previously marked for removal, plus the tree which had fallen into the dam was in the process of being removed which was proving an attraction to both our volunteers and visitors, especially when they launched a rowing boat onto the dam. The main task of the morning was to find and dig up small, self set beech saplings in the surrounding woodland to plant in the gaps in the hedge which we had pruned on the previous work morning. Dave led a group to search, dig and re-plant and in total around 40 beech saplings were transplanted into the gaps. Our very own FoPV tree nursery! Hopefully the majority will survive and fill out in the forthcoming years. Two groups, (a ladies and men's!) set off to Wire Mill Dam to give it a tidy up. It hadn't had much attention of late and needed a mass of debris removing which had accumulated at the far end of the dam. The groups removed all the debris, litter picked, swept the steps, cut overhanging foliage, and gave the area a good refresh and tidy up. A great job guys and gals! At the far end of Forge Dam, a small group was tidying up the area used by the recent contractors (near the hibernaculum). The plan was to remove any left over foreign debris, large pieces of wood and concrete and stones, litter pick, and then flatten it before planting some wildflower seed. The first part went to plan and a substantial amount of debris and litter was collected and loaded in Ranger Matt's 4x4 truck. The second part started OK with Matt using his 4x4 to drive over the ground to flatten it down with any remaining bumps flattened by hand with a tamper, however as Matt drove lower down where it is soft mud his 4x4 became well and truly stuck up to its axle! No amount of digging and putting some of the collection of wood and stones underneath the wheels could budge it. Fortunately, the workmen removing the tree from the dam had a tractor and were still around and thus became the 4th Rescue Service to spare Matt's blushes! The remaining area was given a tickling over by hand and a wildflower seed mix scattered. Thanks to Mandy for her banana and miso squares - very delicious! The next work morning is on Thursday 9th March 2023. As it is only just over a week away there will not be the usual email of details, but we will meet at 9:45am at Forge Dam. It wouldn't be fair to post pictures of Matt's predicament...or would it.....(!) Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning Collecting self set beech saplings - Tony, Phil, Ted, Dave, Peter and Glyn Chris planting some beech saplings Debris at Wire Mill Dam before clearing Ladies at work! Mandy, Mel, Leonie, Rowena, Linda Steps before and Rowena clearing them Nick and Rowena Linda, Mel, Leonie, Chris and Simon It was all going so well.... ...and then... "..this is going to be embarassing..." Tractor to the rescue! Cleared, flattened(ish) and seeded Boating on Forge Dam!

Hello Conservation Volunteers Well, they do say many hands make light work and this was certainly true on our latest work morning at Forge Dam, on yet again another frosty and sunny winter's morning! This time our main task was to reduce the beech hedge by the brook opposite the playground to waist height to open up the sight lines as well as widening the current access into the brook itself as part of the overall playground project by improving the green space in front of the cafe. Steel pins were positioned along the length of the hedge and string attached to mark the height for cutting. As soon as the string was in place the volunteers were off, loppers and bow saws in hand! Being as it is a while since the hedge last had a good "hair cut" there were some thick branches to cut, particularly on the laurel bush which now has a very tall laurel tree growing in the middle of it. The worst part of any such work is tidying up afterwards and that was certainly the case with the amount of cuttings produced during the morning, having to bag it up and carry away. Ranger Matt's van was nominated as the first port of call for dumping the waste and as can be seen on the photos was crammed full! (He will be taking it for green waste disposal). The rest for now has been temporarily stored behind the shed but will similarly be taken away for green disposal. There were some interesting finds in the hedge including an old, unopened tin of Heinz beans - we decided to pass on opening it - and instead opted for Mandy's home-made chocolate cake. (Can we have some icing on it next time please!) It is hoped we can maybe plant some hawthorn whips in the gap where there is a drop down into the brook. Another task requiring some urgent attention was the goit to Wiremill Dam which had become blocked with debris and hardly any water was finding its way to the dam. A small group who like splashing about in mud made their way along the goit to clear it out. By the end of the morning water was flowing freely once more to the dam. A special big thank you to all those who turned out and helped on both the hedge cutting and goit clearance. The next work morning is on Tuesday 28th February 2023. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning The hedge before cutting Setting up Cutting in progress! Starting to tidy up Andy and Anna cramming cuttings into Matt's van! Stephen wondering where the icing is on Mandy's chocolate cake! Beans anybody? Cutting the last section Chris and Philip "fishing" in the goit

Action is well underway on the project to extend the space and equipment choices at the Forge Dam Project. Here is what has happened so far: Our web consultation in October attracted nearly 180 suggestions which show clearly what families need: Retention of the iconic slide and repairs to the steps; more and more relevant equipment for different age groups; an overall increase in both space and equipment to cope with demand; a trip free ground surface; if possible more use of the hillside and other green space; better entries and access for families with mobility and other concerns; and more regular cleaning. Among other things that will eventually mean physical extension into the casual parking area next to the stone outbuildings. (We have already secured an external water supply there for cleaning and the Fulwood WI team did a families’ Saturday morning smartening up in October). Glyn Mansell (our Trustee who is working on Bingham Park improvements for families) and Leighann Turner (Forge Dam Cafe Manager) and I had 2 useful meetings in 2022 with Council officers responsible for the Playgrounds in the Parks. They are now pulling in more options to consider. We meet again in March. FoPV conservation volunteers will be working with the Council Woodlands and Parks departments to improve the surrounding green space. This includes in the spring and beyond, some shrub and tree pruning to let in more light and improve sight lines to the brook, and some appropriate planting. But substantial improvements need money. Friends of the Porter Valley now have over £10k in the fund after the successful Christmas fundraising drive, and Fulwood WI have chosen the Playground as their fundraising target. Finally, we have a poster with a QR code for donations leading directly to the fund which went up this week at Forge Dam to make it easier for people to make donations.

Hello Conservation Volunteers Another great turn out for our latest work morning at Forge Dam on a lovely sunny and frosty winter's day. A big thank you to all who attended. The main task of the morning was to cut down the invasive rhododendron in Festival Woodland starting at the top near Quiet Lane. Over the last few years there have been sessions to remove it and there was not as much as we had expected as the group waded into the depths of the woodland looking for it. Some which had been previously cut had regrown, but wherever it was found it was cut off as low down as possible. Maybe it will get the message and not regrow next time! A few cherry laurel trees were also found in this area, again an invasive species, and were therefore also removed. Further down the path, more previously cut rhododendron which had regrown was cut down, although some which had decayed was found to have candle snuff fungi growing on it and was left in place. After some rhododendron cutting, Leonie and Linda went off to do a spot of litter picking. Just as we were about to pack-up for the day Ranger Matt spotted another cherry laurel at the top of the cobble path adjacent to a telegraph pole. Without having to ask twice the volunteers whipped out their bow saws once more and cut it down - fortunately the telegraph pole has survived! Whilst one group was in Festival Woodland, another group went up to the far end of the bridle path (where in the last session we had been planting hawthorn whips) to gather up the sandbags and wooden pallets left over from the recent works to load into Matt's truck which were then taken back to Forge Dam to be stored for future use, as well as tidying up the area at the end of the bridle path. A couple of disappointing points to note. The Festival Woodland plaque which has been on the entrance on Quiet Lane for almost 72 years has recently been stolen, and some of the hawthorn whips planted near the hibernaculum have been trampled on and broken by people taking a short cut under the blue rope we put in place to deter access. The next work morning is on Thursday 9th February 2023. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning The team at work cutting down rhododendron in Festival Woodland Ted and Glyn cutting up cherry laurel branches Tony cutting down a cherry laurel Mel wading into the wilderness! Tony cutting up a fallen tree An old rhododendron stump resembling a meerkat Mind that telegraph pole guys! Candle snuff fungi growing in a decaying rhododendron stump

Hello Conservation Volunteers A big thank you to all the volunteers who turned out at Forge Dam for our first work morning of 2023 - a great start to the New Year, where we also welcomed two new volunteers, Andrea and Eddie. Fortunately, our work morning coincided with a break in the recent downpours! Our first task of the morning was to plant the remaining hawthorn whips at the far end of the bridle path. Whilst some were digging and planting the whips others were out collecting rubbish and debris and generally tidying up the area. At least this time the ground was not frozen for the diggers as it was on our last work morning before Christmas! As we made our way back towards Forge Dam a team tackled the drainage on the footpath, clearing out ditches and uncovering french drains which had disappeared under the gravel and mud. Surprisingly, after all the heavy rain we have had recently the path was nowhere as bad as it has been in recent years. Our final task of the morning was to tidy up the area where we had recently built the hibernaculum, not the best area to work in where you sink up to your ankles in the clay and mud if you are not careful! The large logs which had been cut down by the contractors were all moved and carefully stacked to the side to create a natural hedge which the wildlife should appreciate, as well as making the area look more presentable as it recovers this coming year with grass, and the wildflower seeds we planted previously. The next work morning is on Tuesday 24th January 2023. An email will be sent out nearer the time wirth details. If you wish to be included on our volunteer list please Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning Chris collecting rubbish as one team plant a section of whips in the background Another team planting whips and collecting rubbish Finished section of planted whips Dave and Les clearing out a ditch Clearing out a french drain. There is a wooden drain edge in there! Moving and piling up the logs Team photo in front of the neatly stacked logs

An end of year round off blog! Our Project officer Claire’s last message has clarified several points, but I hope this end of year message helps answer more recent enquiries about the work and when we can expect it to be totally finished. How we wish the weather would be kind to us! Yes the fresh rain and ice feeding our naturally flashy river have delayed the footpath final repair. But it is worth remembering that this was not part of the original silt removal plan. We had the benefit of an extra grant (DEFRA Green Recovery Challenge Fund) matching the funds raised by FoPV to do extra to improve the millpond’s surround. The money has enabled access improvements and Millrace controls and you can see how the paths and bridle path will look next year. Brand new safety rails have been installed on the rising path to the Dam from the Cafe.....so no more scratched hands from the scaly rust raised paintwork. The north path is usable for the winter and will please the organisers of the Round Sheffield Run on 8 January. The look of the landscape is much improved and the memorial benches are in their future positions. Not a bad record for work in such a location and season. 2023 looks interesting: Another recent casualty of the weather seems to be the tree which has fallen across the main channel from the south bank and which will be a challenge to fish out: so cameras at the ready for a fine view some time in January of ingenuity, a winch and a boot! There is still much to do around the Playground and the picnic green, and up above the millrace. Water safety measures can be expected soon with a catchpole, throw rope and signage ......once we worried about silt trapping people, now it is depth of icy water. Practical work by our conservation volunteers will continue in 2023. On 8 December they planted around 300 new hawthorn whips to fill the gaps in the fencing along the bridleway where the silt removing dumper trucks had ploughed a path. ......a really difficult job in icy weather and on stony heavy soil. The 2 rows will we hope fill out over the next few years to provide a green barrier that nesting birds will love. Sadly after the team had built a discrete hibernaculum for overwintering amphibians and reptiles it was vandalised by someone, so it had to be rebuilt with signage.... obviously some people needed to be advised to leave it undisturbed. Do have a look at the earlier blogs and cheery photos about the FoPV conservation volunteers at work. Why not join in some of the activities ......just contact the organisers via the website. I hope this answers some of the questions that have come in this month! If you would like to know more about the original community consultation that underpinned the rejuvenation plan and the progress with this work, do book on our 7 January morning walk .....watch out for the website announcements. Happy Christmas all our readers and many thanks for your stream of appreciative comments and questions and suggestions throughout 2022! Ann le Sage Friends of the Porter Valley Chair

Hello Conservation Volunteers For our last work morning of 2022 we were again fortunate in having a lovely, crisp winter's morning at Forge Dam where the task was to plant some 300+ hawthorn "whips" along the bridal path to replace the fencing which had been removed to allow the contractors to access the site with their heavy equipment. Our Ranger, Matt, had organised the collection of 388 hawthorn whips, along with enough childlike small spades for us all to dig them in. Matt gave us precise instruction on planting the hedging i.e. plant the whips in a line 50cm apart, with a second line 40cm behind the first line, staggered in the gaps creating a zigzag effect. We were also taken through the various digging techniques to create the slot into which to drop the whips ("L", "T" and other letters!), "heel" them in, and give a tug to eliminate air gaps around the roots. Suffice to say, some of the ground was a tad hard and difficult to dig, although the majority was easier and around 300 of the whips have been planted, with the remainders dug in behind the store to keep them alive until we can finish the planting in the New Year. Apparently, the professional planters can do one whip every 3 seconds, so we have a fair way to go to match them! It is expected around 10% of the whips will die, possibly slightly higher in the harder ground. Thanks again to Mandy for bringing her special banana flapjack to keep our energy levels up on a cold morning! It had been reported to us that the path which goes up to the Health Authority was covered in leaves and very slippery, so Anna volunteered to venture up there by herself armed with a rake and spade to clear it and did an excellent job. Over at Ann's, Ben, Peter, and Rowena had gathered in the warmth to complete 11 more bare hoops, with 5 turned into ready made wreaths, ready for selling for the funds to go towards the Forge Dam Playground project fund. A special mention and thanks go to Hilary who went to a clothing factory at Dronfield to tutor 16 young machinists and a couple of directors in a wreath making workshop which put £158 into the Playground fund, plus they have already booked for next year! So, as we bring the year to an end, a big thank you to all those who have volunteered during 2022 where we have worked on many tasks including leaky dams, footpath and bridal path restoration, fences, railing, new benches, hibernaculum,general maintenance of goits and dams, Himalayan balsam clearance, gardening etc. and we hope you can join us again during 2023. Sadly, somebody decided to vandalise the hibernaculum less than a week after we had spent the morning building it. One of the entrance pipes had been removed and one end demolished. We have made some repairs to it although we couldn't find the missing pipe. A post has been installed at the side of it with a laminated information sheet about it. The next work morning is on Thursday 12th January 2023. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning Matt giving instructions at the start of the morning Some of the 388 hawthorn whips Matt trying to break through the hard ground whilst others stand around chatting! Rod, Stephen and Dave Mandy dishing out the banana flapjack to Lyndon, Stephen, Dave and Rod Claire loosening up the ground Rob and Lyndon Chain gang at work! A completed section of hedging showing the two staggered lines The team - Stephen, Rod, Chris, Matt, Claire, Dave C, Rob, Dave M, Ted The vandalised hibernaculum with the new sign The Health Authority path before and after being cleared by Anna Ben and Peter in the frame! Wreath makers at the clothing factory

A highlight of a recent work morning was a really enjoyable morning with the conservation volunteers and Ranger Matt, seeding the route used by the dredging equipment to access the pond with woodland wildflower seed and building a hibernaculum for amphibians and reptiles. The morning was made even more special by the kingfisher flitting up and down the Brook by the pedestrian bridge, catching a fish and then disappearing in the wet woodland. We were also able to tidy some of the permeable membrane that had provided a base layer when this route was stoned up for use by the dumpers. Bits of it had migrated to the surface at the edges of the work area and were looking unsightly and a trip hazard. We’ll keep an eye on this and remove any more that surfaces. (This wasn’t anything done wrong by the contractor – the membrane was buried beneath tonnes of stone and wasn’t something we would have expected them to remove on leaving the site). I’m also looking forward to joining the group for hedge planting next month when we will be planting around 300 new hawthorn whips to fill the gaps in the fencing along the bridleway. Also funded by the same Green Recovery Challenge Fund grant which provided the match funding for the Friends fundraising, next month, we have published 2 brand new Education Packs aimed at Key Stages 1 & 2 – one is about industrial heritage at Forge Dam and the other about wildlife. These are free to down load from the FoPV website shop and we hope will be a useful support to school visits or visits by other groups in the Spring. The education packs were developed by Calsie Tyler, who worked with us as a trainee Activity and Engagement Officer earlier this year. Less enjoyable, but very important is pulling together a final project snagging list – i.e. all the things that aren’t quite right, so that we can carry out improvements as soon as the weather is fit. A key addition to the list is to undertake some remedial work to the path through the woodland once the final tarmacking to the pond path has been completed. This month’s rains have shown how badly that is needed. Claire Watts Project Officer, SCC Parks and Countryside Service

Hello Conservation Volunteers Thank you to all those who attended our latest work morning at two distinctly different locations. Our Christmas wreath makers turned a little nesh having taken a look at the forecast and decided they would prefer the dry and warm comfortable surroundings of John's conservatory for their wreath making. With a total of 9 people turning up for the session they overflowed into John's dining room. In total 17 wreath were completed and ready for sale, and Ben's date cake was delicious by all accounts! At Forge Dam, the volunteers were out working in the area used as a compound for machinery by recent contractors at the far end of the dam. One of the tasks was to sow some woodland mix and hedgerow wildflower seeds high upon the bank where it was drier, which involved clearing debris and giving the area a good raking over before scattering the seed with a final rake over to cover it up. In order to encourage people to stick to the path and not walk over the newly planted areas some old tree trunks have been repositioned to define the footpath crossing above the newly sowed area. A little lower down the bank, (where it was ankle deep in claggy clay!) in a space where the winter sunshine will hit it and provide some warmth a hibernaculum, an underground chamber for amphibians and reptiles, was created. This involved digging out an area approximately 1.5m square and 50cm deep which was then filled with the brash left over from the trees which had been cleared. An old ceramic drainpipe and some tree guards were inserted to provide entrance holes. The mound of logs and sticks were then covered in soil to keep it dry and finally some of the wildflower seeds were sown on top. All it now needs is a sign on top saying "Vacancies" as we await our first residents to move in! Les also went up Ivy Cottage Lane to clear out a blocked drain which was overlflowing onto the path and eroding it. Thanks to Mandy again for providing the homemade brownies - delicious and most welcome. The next work morning is on Thursday 8th December where we will be planting about 100m of hedge at Forge Dam. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon P.S. for those that are interested in how to make a hibernaculum there is a very good article here https://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/how-to-build-a-hibernaculum-for-amphibians-and-reptiles A Selection of photos from the work morning The wreath making team in action One of the finished wreaths Removing debris and preparing the ground for sowing wildflower seed Sowing seed with the tree trunks laid to define the footpath Ted, Claire Chris and Phil raking the seed in Mel and Lyndon digging out the hibernaculum Piling up the logs and sticks Covering the mound with soil Phil and Mel sowing some seed on top of the mound The completed hibernaculum Ted, Matt, Phil, Lyndon. Les, Mandy, Chris and Mel .......not forgetting Mandy handing out the chocolate brownies!

Various items of news before we all get completely distracted by Christmas! Firstly: The Queen’s Award is beautiful, so for those who did not attend the Lord-Lieutenant ‘s presentation on 2 November, It was a very relaxed and happy short event with plenty of time afterwards to circulate, chat with friends and our partners, enjoy refreshments by Les and Ann Greenwood, and take photos. Now the certificate, signed personally by the Queen as one of her very last actions, together with the crystal and its splendid purple case, will be on display in the Millennium Gallery until Christmas. So have a look on the main corridor from the Winter Garden and at the lower level Arundel Gate door entry...... we won’t know precisely where until next week. After Christmas we will display in other venues. Secondly, some Christmas sales news. The cards with views of the farms across the landscape have been sold out in all but a few scattered sales outlets. There are still some cards available showing Wire Mill Goit in the snow, and there are still a few Calendars around. All these remaining stocks are going to be centralised on Forge Dam Cafe so that is where to head after tomorrow. Our plan to make and sell wreaths in the open at Forge Dam on Tuesday 22nd November is clearly impractical if we believe the weather forecast: that plan has been cancelled and our craft team will be busy indoors instead, making sure the December sales will be well supplied with wreath kits and full wreaths. Thirdly, we will run walks on the first Saturdays of January and February around Forge Dam to explain the work that has been done .......and the remaining snagging jobs which we hope to see done in future better weather. Heavens, it is awful this week, but the dam and spillway are dramatic! Do go and see, and keep an eye on the website blog which will always contain the latest. That is all for now except to wish you a lovely Christmas and all the very best for 2023 from the Trustees! Ann le Sage Chair Friends of the Porter Valley

Hello Conservation Volunteers Another work morning and another great turnout from our pool of volunteers - thank you - and another fine morning weather wise as the early morning rain stopped before we started. You know Christmas is around the corner when our Master Wreath Maker, John, appears with bunches of willow (two full carloads of willow were collected from Blackburn Meadows two weeks ago) and teaches hoop making to the volunteers, although with some of the strange movements required to bend the willow, passers-by may have thought it was some sort of bizarre exercise class! Along with Hilary, Janet and Rowena a total of 42 hoops were made during the morning session. A great start....with more wreath making to be done at our next work morning......... Lower down the valley, various teams were out repairing and maintaining drainage on the footpaths and bridal paths. Matt led a team to install new revetments. Armed with a supply of planks they dug out channels and anchored the planks down which will divert the run-off water and prevent erosion. Chris and Leonie checked and cleared surface drains on the footpath and bridal path all the way down to Hangingwater/Highcliffe road, whilst another team was rodding out the underground drains and pipes which had become blocked with stones, branches plus the odd tennis balls or two! In some areas, drainage channels needed to be dug out to divert the run-off into the nearby drains. The next work morning is on Tuesday 22nd November. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details. Lyndon A Selection of photos from the work morning Willow all ready for hoop making Hilary, Rowena, Janet and John with some of the completed hoops John demonstrating the one legged bend, stretch and hop! Jago, Chris, Les, Steve and Matt installing a revetment A before and after of one of the blocked drain Phi, Peter, Dave M rodding and clearing blocked drains and pipes

The pond side path is open again at Forge Dam. The torrential rainfall last week washed away the temporary bridge being used by the contractors to get machinery across the Brook to the pond, which has meant that frustratingly the last top tarmac surfacing will not now be completed until we have a long enough stretch of dry weather to do so safely. So, the path is not the finished surface, but is already a big improvement on what was there before and has allowed us to put the benches back in place. We will need to move the benches for a few days again whilst the final tarmacking is completed. Although frustrating to have got so close, there is an advantage to delaying final surfacing as we have been advised to expect the dam to continue to “settle” following the de-silting works for several months. “Settling” could lead to cracks appearing in the fresh tarmac, so we if this does occur we will now have a chance to address it before the final tarmac surface is applied. Other works to look out for this autumn are: The new handrails from the café are at the manufacturers awaiting powder coating. As soon as they are ready, the handrails will be installed as this work can be done from the café side. There will be new signage installed and an update to the notice board. Further up the Clough, the leaky dams installed by the conservation volunteers have seen their first serious action with this month’s rain and have already demonstrated their potential for slowing the flow and taking energy out of the Brook when it is in spate. Longer term project work are now to: Design a new control for the penstock in the spillway, so that we can choose when to allow water through. We have moved away from initial thoughts of blocking it up, as it proved its usefulness over the long, dry summer in keeping Wire Mill supplied with water. Establish a regular programme of emptying the silt trap. The first time we do this, we will also catch up any other “snagging works” for the de-silting project.