Balsam bashing at Styal on Sunday 17th May 2026

Eight MNTV volunteers met with Ranger Stu in the Quarry Bank Mill car park at 9.30am before piling into Stu’s vehicle and one of our cars and driving to near Manchester Airport’s runway which was close to where we’d be working.

The task had changed from pulling weeds that were growing around the base of a hedgerow to, instead, doing some early balsam bashing around a little used path, fields and wooded area near a steep slope.  The idea was to pull and snap/crush the stalks of the balsam plants in these areas before they flowered and burst, spreading their seeds far and wide, and potentially up the slope, making it very difficult to get to the new plants that would grow there next year.

We spread ourselves out over the first area, a small wood with a slope at one side, and got that cleared before our coffee and cake break (thanks to Jean for bringing such delicious cake for us all).

After our break we moved along a path into a large field and started pulling up the balsam there.  We stopped for lunch around 1pm, just as the skies went grey and the rain fell but, by the time I’d got my waterproof trousers on, it had stopped (!) and we had glorious sunshine for the rest of the afternoon.

After lunch some of us stayed in the field to finish off and the rest moved along towards two large oak trees on the far side of the field where more balsam was found.  By 3pm, this area had been cleared, so we all got together for a group photo by the Rangers truck.

It was a great day, and we managed to get a lot done but sadly not all of it so we may be back again this season to pull some more balsam.

Sue B

Litter pick at Styal on Sunday 1st March 2026

Eight of us met Ranger Stuart in the car park then piled into two cars to follow him onto the airport perimeter road. The Styal Estate virtually backs on to the airport fence and there’s a raised bank that’s a popular spot for plane spotters.

We spent the day walking the road and surrounding paths looking for rubbish.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t difficult to find but not necessarily easy to get to.  We found lots of things like cans and bottles that had been just thrown away due to laziness.

The articles of clothing we found included an M&S Autograph label jacket and a sweatshirt, T-shirt and socks.  Almost enough for a fashion parade!

We had a very British lunch break sitting between the cars, but at least the ice cream van arrived.

We collected about 35 bags of litter.  Fortunately the job of sorting the rubbish for recycling belongs to Suez.

One of the plane spotters we spoke to live streams aircraft take offs.  After we told him we were NT volunteers who should have been planting trees, he promised to organise his Facebook followers to do some additional litter picking.

This was a satisfying day.  Annoying because the job should not be necessary, but satisfying because the results were so visible - or invisible!

Jean

A change of plan...on the Styal Estate - Sunday 18th January

Ten of us met up with Stuart to remove ivy from hedges on Apprentice Lane.  Change of plan ... a hedge in fields just of the car park was a more pressing task.

We worked down here two years ago removing fencing from one side of the path.  Now the rangers are in the process of laying the hedge on the other side but it is full of ivy which needs removing first.  Time is of the essence as no sooner than you know it March will be here and hedge laying has to stop because of nesting birds.

It was forecast to be wet all day and we did start in the rain but by late morning it stopped and didn't start again until we got back to our cars at home time.

We always have people saying hello and in same cases thanking us for what we are doing, but today more people than ever thanked us as they walked past. It really makes you feel that coming out on a grey, miserable, wet day is all worthwhile. 

Thanks to Stuart for a great workday and to my colleagues for their hard work and good company.

Christine

Removal of red osier dogwood at Quarry Bank Mill on Sunday 23rd November 2025

Nine of us met up with Ceara before walking to South Wood to begin the task of cutting down and stacking red osier dogwood.  No, I  didn't know what it was either and had to ask good old Google!  It is a non-native species that grows prolifically and seems, once established, like rhodi to tangle itself.

We started around the mill pond, disturbing a heron that was stood minding its own business, stacking all the cut shoots by a tree that had come down in storm Claudia.  Ceara asked if we could help to move the tree, so once brew finished we set to loading up the trailer using straps to help carry the big pieces, between four people, as well as cutting some into more manageable sizes and dragging as much as we could out of the pond.

That was hard work not made any easier by the downpours that kept up all day.  There is still some to move because they need a chainsaw on them.

Finally back to the dogwood which was further down the woods along the riverbank.

Thank you to Ceara for a good workday and especially thanks to my colleagues for all their hard work in the most inclement weather.

Christine

Ragwort pulling at Styal on Sunday 27th July 2025

Seven of us met up with ranger Ashley on a warm and dry morning. The Merseyside volunteers were also there so we made a 12 strong team ‘looking forward’ to a day of ragwort destruction. 

Cheshire has lost 99% of its meadows since the 1930s.  The NT is using Highland cattle for conservation grazing to increase biodiversity and encourage wildflowers and pollinators. Ragwort is tasty but poisonous to grazing animals even up to 10 weeks after being cut.

We threw bagfuls over the fence so it could safely decay.

After a couple of hours

‘Sheep (or cattle) may safely graze’.

A herd of highland cattle are already in the field opposite waiting patiently to relocate.

After lunch we moved on to another field near the Apprentice House. The ragwort here was so thick it looked like a plantation. Too much to finish in one day!

We accomplished a lot more than Ashley expected and had time to do a few small jobs such as moving cattle troughs. This gave her a head start on the work for the coming week and the amount we did proved the value of teaming up with other volunteer groups.

Jean

Balsam bashing and fencing at Styal on Sunday 6th July 2025

Eight MNTVers met ranger Caera to work on two different tasks at opposite ends of the Styal estate.

It’s the peak of the balsam bashing season and four of us worked on clearing the hillside near the new housing development at Bank House Farm.  It was a routine job made more difficult than usual by the steep, wet and uneven ground, but we made a good start on a job that will keep us occupied for a good few years to come.

The other group helped Caera complete fencing in fields near the Apprentice House that used to be planted with potatoes when Bank House was a working farm.  The soil has been enriched over the last few years and will soon be home to Highland cattle.

Gordon sent in this report about the fencing:

We were working in the corner of the field where the path from the Apprentice House to Norcliffe Chapel approaches the chapel lych gate.  This photograph was taken from the Apprentice House path.  A gate has been hung but it had no post to close against - this gate is at the left hand edge of the to photo.  The corner post visible in the photo was in but not braced and the hole for the corner post at the far end near the edge of the woods was part dug.  The part dug hole was finished and that post embedded in rammed earth then braced.  A clapper post for the gate and another king post were dug in.  Some intermediate posts and other bracing were added.  Useful work but this still leaves the staff a lot of more to do to have the fields secure ready for the Highland cattle conservation grazing after the hay has been cut.

Jean

Putting in fence posts at Styal on Sunday 8th June 2025

Six of us met up with Ceara including a new volunteer Sam, who travelled from Rochdale by bicycle!  OMG, I am tired at just the thought of it!

We had a change of task from the original balsam bashing to putting in fence posts.  The worksite was around the fields off the footpath from the visitor centre to the village.  The reason for the change is that that they want to put Highland cattle in the these fields in the next few weeks.  The cattle are currently at Bank House Farm and they need to be moved soon, so this has become a bit of an urgent job.

The fields are currently wild flower meadows and the cattle will help to maintain the natural growth.

We had a great day.  It was hard work but we had lots of people stopping and asking what was going on in the fields.

Thank you to Ceara and my colleagues for their hard work and good company.

Christine

Fencing and footpath repair at Styal on Sunday 27th April 2025

Six MNTVers met Ranger Stu on a warm and sunny morning to do various fencing tasks around Bank House Farm.  This is in preparation for cattle to be grazed in the surrounding fields.

The first job was to repair a couple of gateposts.  The base of one support post had rotted away but was still embedded in hard ground.  It needed lots of brute force with various post hole diggers and bars to clear it out.

The second gate had an unstable support post that was still usable.  Once the upright was reseated and level, stones and soil were used to anchor it in place.  As good as new!

The second job was to put a patch on a section of fencing that had been completely cut through by vandals.  A fresh strip was cut then ‘woven’ into the existing fence, filling the gap.

The last job was footpath repair.  A new path has opened up the area near Giant’s Castle steps for walkers but erosion has increased near the boardwalk.  This is at the bottom of a steep slope so we had to wheelbarrow stones down the hill and lay them amongst tree roots as a protective layer.

A picture of a pile of stones isn’t of much interest - unless you turn it into a group photo.  This was an unusual day, lots of smaller jobs instead of one big one, but it shows how the NT is balancing use of the area for farming and leisure.

Jean

Ivy clearance at Quarry Bank Mill on Sunday 2nd February 2025

Today eight of us continued the work started by our group on Sunday 15th December on Apprentice Lane of clearing the ivy that was growing through the hawthorn hedge (and in places, likely holding it up!).  By clearing the ivy and giving the hedge some space to flourish it’s hoped that in a couple of years it will be in a better condition to be able to lay it and create a decent barrier between the lane and the fields.

Although it was harder work on one side of the lane than the other to remove the ivy without getting scratched, it was a nice day, dry weather, cold but occasionally sunny, and there was some good banter between everyone.

We were pleased to welcome a new volunteer who joined us today.

We managed to fill a lot of hippo bags with ivy and they were taken to the nearby compound, and it was satisfying by the end of the day to see how much ivy we had cleared.

Sue B

Ivy clearance at Quarry Bank Mill on Sunday 15th December 2024

We had a good turnout for our last workday of the year as ten of us joined ranger Stuart for a bit of hedge maintenance.

We were working in Apprentice Lane, which runs from the apprentice house to the Methodist church in Styal village.  The hedges had not been cut back for many years and therefore had ivy growing right through them.  In fact in places the ivy was the only thing keeping the hawthorn hedge standing!

So we set to trying to untangle the ivy by cutting/pulling it out.  Time passed so quickly because you actually felt you were achieving something that it was time to pack up before we knew it!

We had a lot of people passing by as we were working, some asking what we were doing and some very kindly thanking us which makes it all worthwhile.

Thanks to Stuart for a great workday and thank you to my colleagues for their good company and hard work.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christine 

Hedge, fence and bench work at Styal on Sunday 8th September 2024

The weather was damp but not warm as seven of us gathered to meet ranger Ashley.  There was a mix of tasks, but all in the field next to the carpark.  We split into three teams, one trimming back the hedge on the exit to the overflow carpark, another removing an old fence and a third moving a bench so it has a better view.

After a mid-morning break under the education centre's lovely wooden shelter, we all went to move the bench, which was now out of the ground.  It was heavy so it took all of us to carry it to the new location.

After lunch the bench team joined the fence team and we managed to get all the fence out and the rubbish loaded on the truck.  The hedge team also managed to bag all the rubbish, which was taken to compost.

Jenny

Litter picking at Styal on Sunday 4th August 2024

Today we were litter picking in two areas near Quarry Bank Mill.  15 of us turned out which is a fantastic number for any workday never mind a litter pick!  The morning was spent on a bit of an adventure walking for roughly 40 minutes into a little visited area opposite the mill and clearing the area then walking back.  The afternoon was spent close to the airport and the footpaths nearby.  We took a good haul, filling up a van with four chairs, two tarpaulins and many bags of litter.  Craig, the ranger, was very pleased with our work.

Today was Craig's last Sunday with the Trust before he leaves to run his Green Goliath garden maintenance business.  We wish him great success with this new venture.

Martin

Workday at Styal on Sunday 21st July 2024

Nine of us worked at Styal today.  Thanks to Neil for stepping in as worksite leader.

Edging a footpath at Styal on Sunday 12th May 2024

Today's workday was at Styal with Ranger Craig.  Ten of us met in the Volunteers section of the car park above the mill then drove in convoy behind Craig's pickup along Altrincham Road and parked at the end of the airport access road.  The worktask was edging a section of the footpath from the access road to the Valley Lodge hotel.

It was a warm muggy day and we found it hard work in the heat.  Thunderstorms were forecast from mid-afternoon but fortunately didn't arrive until the evening.  We needed an early break for elevenses (Daniel had baked a sultana cake) and lunch and took impromptu water breaks.  Throughout the day a steady procession of walkers, dogs and mountain bikers passed by.  Several commented on what a good job we were doing.

By 2:30pm we were wilting and called it a day.  Craig was pleased with our efforts and other corporate volunteer groups (who now pay £30 per person for a day's volunteering with the Styal team) will continue the footpath edging from where we stopped.

Our work was accompanied by the continuous sound of aircraft taking off and landing.  There was a lull in activity at lunchtime because for some reason the air traffic controllers swapped over the directions of take offs and landings.

Daniel

Fence removal at Styal - Sunday 21st April 2024

 On Sunday 21st April nine volunteers had a wonderful workday at Quarry Bank Mill, Styal.  The weather was glorious all day which always makes it a much better day for everyone.

The task was removing a 600m fence along a footpath - was it really 600m? it's hard to say but it was certainly long!

Brute force needed to pull fence!

It was very hard work as the fencing had been there so long it had embedded into the edge of the footpath.

Fencing post removal

Sometimes you just need to give the post a good wack as shown below.

The amount of vegetation holding the fence in place was unbelievable.

Hawaiian skirt?

Fence removed

It was a very hot day and we were grateful to the Quarry Bank Mill staff who provided us with urns of water.

End of Day Group shot - what a day!

Denise 
Worksite Leader