Ten of us met ranger Craig at 09:30 in the main car park at Styal then moved off in a convoy to the work area close to Manchester airport runway.
The fields here are part of Oak Farm, a National Trust tenancy that had been in the same family for four generations. A couple of years ago the family decided to retire from farming so the Trust is using the land to enhance the conservation value of the Styal Estate.
One of the fields is let to the Bollin Valley Partnership. They plan to grow grass for silage and use it to provide extra feed for the longhorn cattle they graze throughout the Bollin Valley. Some holly trees had been cut down by a previous group and we dragged the brash to a safe place for burning.
Old fencing was cleared. Some of it was so old the tree bark had grown over the wire and had to be left, but the tree didn’t seem to mind!
Overgrown laurel trees needed cutting back.
It was a satisfying day even though cut a bit shorter than usual due to the humidity. It was the first time some of us had been to this area and it was interesting to see how big the Styal Estate is.
Jean
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