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

Building a gate at Alderley Edge on Sunday 20th July 2025

Five of us joined Alysia and two of her colleagues for a day of various jobs.  We were working in the tree nursery, which is in the field opposite the former Wizard Inn.  It is a volunteer run project set up by the Alderley rangers.  They have put in some raised beds and are starting to grow several species of trees and are now at the stage of expanding.  This is where we came in.

They have been collecting shredded foliage from local landscapers and our initial job was to spread out cardboard and cover this with the shredding.  Tick job done.

That was simple, next was to remove a fence post and put in two substantial posts to hang two single gates, not so simple.  The ground was quite compact and took some effort to make the holes big enough for the posts.  All this was made even more difficult as everything we were using was pre-loved.  Holes had to be measured then measured again then drilled.  No problem for MNTV.

As we finished this job Alysia said we had done what was required and it was possibly a bit late to start something else so we packed up for the day, just as the rain started.  Perfect timing!

Thanks to Alysia and her colleagues for a good workday and my colleagues for their hard work  good company and laughter.

Christine 

Balsam bashing at Erddig on Sunday 13th July 2025

Today three MNTVers (Daniel, Christine and Andy) travelled to Erddig near Wrexham for a day's balsam bashing with ranger Francis and seven of the Merseyside volunteers.  The day was forecast to be the hottest and last of the current heatwave, but thankfully it never got too hot.  We worked all day in the shade of big trees beside a stream with a nice breeze blowing.

The balsam was often unto head height and pulled out of the sandy soil very easily.  In no time at all we had made piles of broken balsam and built them higher and higher during the day.

We began at 10 and finished at 3 and had lunch inside the volunteer centre beside the Felin carpark.

Daniel

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