Brash bashing at Alderley Edge on Sunday 10th May 2026

Today's workday had been planned for Lyme Park but was changed to Alderley Edge the day before as Lyme's entrance was closed due to roadworks on the A6.  So, the lucky 13 met in the car park at Alderley Edge and after picking up tools carpooled to the start of a footpath near Squirrels Jump.

Even though it’s close to the road the path was difficult to see so we worked with loppers and silkys (pruning saws) to clear the overgrowth.  We even brushed away the leaves!  This was the only task Ranger Izzy had for us at short notice and as we were such a big group we made short work of it.

We’ve worked at Alderley a few times this year so knew a meadow area just a couple of minutes drive away that could do with a bit of TLC.  But the first priority was lunch and relaxation in the sunshine.

We had made a pathway through the brambles at the entrance eighteen months beforehand but it was already starting to disappear and because it's a popular area for dog walkers we cut back the new growth.

We also dug up brambles in the middle of the meadow.

And cut down the last of the encroaching birch saplings.

Many thanks to Jenny for all the time she spent talking to Ranger Izzy to arrange the day at Alderley Edge.  It was really enjoyable with lots of variety and the opportunity to complete some work we had started on previous visits.

Jean

Dead hedging and other jobs at Alderley Edge on Sunday 12th April 2026

Well they do say “April showers” and that’s just what we got today, sunshine and occasional hail.

We started off with a long list of jobs. First up - clearing mud from the field entrance ready for the cavers next week.  Here is our newest member getting stuck in. She enjoyed her taster session so much she joined the group.

We planted some “sticks dipped in honey” (yes - really!) in the tree nursery. It  reminded me of that playground joke “what's brown and sticky?” The honey promotes root growth and is an anti-bacterial.  It was pure local honey and tasted great as well.

We were going to build a cold frame cover but didn’t find any screws so instead we went to fill the gap in the dead hedge nearby. The hedge had been laid by a corporate group in the winter and walkers had destroyed a bit of it to use a path through the woods.

We collected more brash from the surroundings and added some taller stakes then filled the gap with some bigger logs and made the whole hedge a bit taller. To finish it off we planted some of the honey-dipped twigs to create a bit of life in the dead hedge.

All in all a nice way to spend an April Sunday. Meeting new people and improving the environment.

Jenny

Sunday 8th March 2026 - Planting a Living Legacy: MNTV’s 40th Anniversary Hedge

To celebrate MNTV’s 40th anniversary (we were founded in April 1986), volunteers gathered at Alderley Edge today for a special conservation project: planting a new native hedge which will stand as a living tribute to four decades of MNTV’s work - and with care and patience will continue growing long into the future.

If you'd like to find the site, park in the layby just at the top of the hill as you drive out of Alderley on Macclesfield Road (B5087), cross the road, walk south down a footpath and after about 5 minutes you’ll find a field on your right with a nice white NT sign . Walk along that path and the hedge will be along the fence to your left.

In total, 420 saplings were planted, generously donated by the Woodland Trust as part of their “Wild Wood” Tree Pack. The pack includes a diverse range of native species that should thrive in the local conditions: Downy Birch, Hazel, Holly, Hawthorn, Goat Willow and Crab Apple. These species will eventually form a dense, wildlife-friendly hedge providing food, shelter and nesting sites for birds, insects and small mammals.

There are already some mature trees beside the old fence and the new hedge will go between these trees. We started by laying a string line between the trees and calculating how far the hedge would go.

We needed to plant two rows 15” apart with the plants in each row 18” apart and the rows staggered so there was a plant roughly every 9” along the hedge. This arrangement will help the hedge grow thick and robust over time.

The work paused for a well-earned morning break featuring three different cakes, kindly provided by Christine - refreshments worthy of a 40th celebration. As everyone rested, the group enjoyed the sounds of birdsong and watched a bumblebee fly past. With the warmer spring weather arriving, it was a reminder that nature was already waking up around us.

After the break, volunteers paired up and continued planting in teams of two. Each pair worked steadily along the line, placing a random mix of tree species to create a natural, varied hedge.

Later in the day, as the planting neared completion, a few members of the group explored further across the field. They removed plastic tree guards from other trees nearby and took the opportunity to admire some of the impressive houses overlooking the area. One particularly dramatic property was quickly nicknamed the “Bond Villain’s Lair.” Unfortunately, the combination of razor wire and CCTV cameras made photography feel a little too risky!

By the end of the day the planting was complete. At the moment the hedge may not look like much - just rows of small saplings and bamboo canes along a fence - but with time, careful trimming and traditional laying, it will grow into a thriving boundary full of wildlife and character.

More importantly, it will stand as a living monument to everything MNTV has achieved over the past 40 years - and a reminder of the work still to come in the decades ahead.

We hope to return many times in the future to care for the hedge as it grows, ensuring that this anniversary project continues to flourish for the next 40 years and beyond.

Jenny

Building a "dead hedge" at Alderley Edge on Sunday 15th February 2026

Today marked another visit to Alderley Edge to continue building the “dead hedge” in Clockhouse Wood – a project we started on 11th January and have been progressing alongside other volunteer groups ever since.

Seven volunteers (Adrian, Andy & Christine, Daniel, Holly, Gordon and Jean) met rangers Alysia and Mark at the Rangers’ yard at 9:30.  The rangers transported a few of us to the worksite in their pickup, while the rest walked the mile-long route, which took about 20 minutes.  After a brief introduction from Alysia, we got started.  Everyone except Daniel had worked on this hedge before and knew the routine.  We divided the tasks between us and largely stuck with them throughout the day.  Two of us searched the surrounding area and collected suitable branches to be cut into stakes or used as infill, two whittled cut branches into stakes, one hammered in the stakes to form the hedge’s framework, and two wove branches into the spaces between the stake walls.

The hedge essentially functions as a large habitat pile, filled with offcuts from the rangers’ coppicing work in the wood, and will hopefully serve as a wildlife corridor.  It also attractively edges the footpath and will stop it inching downhill.  Around ten dog walkers passed us over the course of the day, most of whom offered very positive comments about the hedge.

The weather turned out far better than forecast, with only one brief shower before lunch.  The worksite was situated down a slope and sheltered from the wind, though windproofs were still needed all day.  We took our morning break and lunch among the holly trees about 100 metres from the worksite in an even more sheltered spot.  Daniel had baked a sultana cake – a simple six‑ingredient “working holiday” recipe he believes came from Charlie Spiller (one of our Honorary Members).

By the time we finished at 3pm we had completed 15 metres of hedge and installed stakes for a further 5 metres ready for the next group to work on.  In fact, we reached the first section of dead hedge that Andy said he and Neil had built about two years ago.

All in all, it was an excellent workday and very satisfying to be building something for a change rather than our usual “seek-and-destroy” mission!

Our next visit to Alderley is on 8 March, when we might be planting the hedge trees received from the Woodland Trust to mark our 40th anniversary in April.

Daniel

Dead hedging at Alderley Edge on Sunday 1st February 2026

Nine of us gathered at the carpark at Alderley Edge this morning. We were expecting rain so had dressed for bad weather, but as it turned out we were wrong and it stayed dry all day - we even got a bit of blue sky.

The task was dead hedging in Clockhouse Wood (on the way to Hare Hill) continuing the work MNTV did on the 11th January.  The instructions for how to walk to the worksite were fun, and mentioned several of the places we have worked at Alderely Edge before:

    Turn right down the path - where we had trimmed a hawthorn hedge

    Down the path to the “super high” stile

    Along the path edged with gorse bushes - that we have previously trimmed

    Turn left onto the path - where we had cut back and cleared vegetation

    Past the bench that Andy and Neil had moved

    Over another stile and turn right to find the dead hedge the group started earlier in January

The only hitch was that Issy must walk quicker than we do. She said 10 mins walk - we did it in 20.

We continued building the dead hedge beside the path, moving and sorting the felled silver birch, finding straight lengths to make into stakes, shaping the ends to a point with an axe, then hammering the stakes in to make a channel for the cut wood.

We weaved the cut branches between the stakes to form a nice edge to the path. This will help create a wildlife area by cordoning off some of the wood from visitors. We got lots of compliments and thanks from passers by.  

Jenny

Building a "dead hedge" at Alderley Edge on Sunday 11th January 2026

8 volunteers braved the weather at Alderley Edge on Sunday 11th January.  The task set was coppicing and dead hedging in Clockhouse Wood, this is an area that the rangers are turning into a hazel coppice.  Dead hedging not only creates habitat but also keeps visitors to the path and the rangers are hoping to introduce dormice eventually!

It was a very cold and windy day with lots of sideways rain, we were all well prepared in layers of clothing, waterproofs and numerous pairs of gloves (they kept getting wet).

We met the rangers at the compound and split up into two groups, some people travelled to site in the land rover and some walked.

Once at the site we were given a talk about the task and then split up into small groups so that we could work on each section of the hedge and eventually join up.

The photo below is the site as we found it, the path is on the left and on the right is all the coppiced material we would be using for the hedge.

Before photo

A couple of people chose to make the stakes for the hedge (see photo below).

Making stakes

Some people hammered in the stakes.

Hammering in stakes

Everyone else started to sort the brash and layer the hedge.

Laying the hedge

We had a tea break late morning and managed to find a relatively sheletered place under some holly bushes/trees.

By lunchtime we had completed most of the hedge and it was getting very cold, we made a group decision to work for around another hour and finish slightly earlier once we had completed the section of hedge that the rangers had planned out.

End of workday group photo

Completed Hedge

Despite the weather it was a good task to do and we were very pleased with the finished result as were the rangers.

Denise
Worksite Leader 

Woodland work at Alderley Edge on Sunday 7th December 2025

Organising this Sunday was a breeze because the Ranger at Alderley was so organised she sent us photos of the work she wanted doing two weeks before the workday! She did think the workday was a week earlier, but still it’s the first time I’ve had photo instructions. Video next time?

Here is a sample of the photos:

So we started by collecting the tools from the shed. Luckily Jenny, our MNTV leader for the start of the day, had been at Alderley Edge during the week and had had training on how to use the winch. A big tree had come down across a path near the Wizard Tea Rooms so we used the winch to stabilise the tree whilst it was cut and to drag it off the path.

We drove round to the quarry off Mottram Road and had a look at the different tasks that needed to be done. In the (almost) dry weather we decided to start by cutting back the brambles to make a good path to the upper quarry field. We then moved the piles of brash that had been left (by us) last year to further under the trees, leaving the meadow more open.  It was good to see that not many new birch seedlings had appeared since last year.

We paused briefly for a drink and cake. The cake was loosely based on a bread pudding and incorporated some of the leftovers from last weekend at Calke Abbey (using up cheerios, fruit and fibre, bread rolls, milk, cream, apples and a bit of butter from the weekend all mixed with a jar of Christmas mince meat). It was delicious and has been christened “MNTV cake”.

The other nibble made from bacon covered in dark chocolate was deemed “edible but strange” and christened “Dead rats”. You can see why below - so not one to repeat.

We then moved swiftly on in the drizzle to the lower meadow and had to cut our way through brambles just to reach the worksite. The alternative path was too steep and slippery for us to carry the heavy equipment down. Once through to the meadow we headed for the patch of trees we had been asked to clear.

There was a sturdy tree nearby to anchor the winch to. A couple of people went round trimming the tops off the trees, leaving a waist high stump, ready to be winched.

The winch was time consuming to get set up but once it was all in place it made light work of pulling the trees up with hopefully enough root to stop regrowth.

Our intrepid leader and dubious culinary delights provider left early claiming she had to go and  sing at the Macclesfield Hospice "Light up a Life" service. Nothing to do with the rain I’m sure! Everyone else worked through lunch break as it was so wet - sustained by the chocolate bacon perhaps? We  packed up a little earlier than normal to go home, have some food and get warm and dry, returning the tools to the shed on the way.

Jenny

Putting up bird boxes and bashing rhody and birch at Alderley Edge on Sunday 26th October 2025

We got an extra hour in bed this morning because it was clock change day.  Is this why we got ten people meeting up at Alderley Edge on a damp Sunday?

The rain was intermittent all day.  It was one of those days when if you’d been inside you would have thought the weather was horrible, but it wasn’t so bad being out.  We managed to find a dryish spot for lunch.

 

We had a variety of tasks to do in the same area, so plenty of choice.  Two pairs went off putting up bird boxes that had been made by local school children in the summer.

Two others went off to hunt down and destroy any rhody they could find in “Rhody wood”.  Others went off in search of birch to pull up with tree poppers or by hand.

Any oak saplings they found were carefully dug up to preserve the roots and transplanted to the new tree nursery.

 

It has been a fabulous year for fungi - and since it’s Halloween I have included a disembodied hand for scale ;-)

We had a good day, removing unwanted vegetation - to keep the habitat as heathland.  Hopefully some birds will find the nest boxes in the spring.

Jenny

Removing birch trees at Alderley Edge on Sunday 28th September 2025

It was lovely to meet up with several members of MNTV where we welcomed two new members on a lovely autumn day.  We walked along the track from the rangers yard with two wheelbarrows full of tools, tree poppers, saws, loppers, etc.  We unlocked the gate to the Engine Vein mine entrance and went through locking the gate behind us just in case the public decided to follow.  One of the fun bits for me of volunteering with MNTV is getting to go places the public don’t have access to.

The task was to remove vegetation, mainly birch trees, from the rocks above the mine to prevent the roots damaging the mine.

We set to work. Any trees that we couldn’t get out with the specialist tree poppers we removed the tops and left a stump so it could be winched out later.

We found some lovely examples of Amanita muscaria  mushrooms amongst the saplings – they look just like the mushrooms in children’s story books:

The second task was to use the saplings we were removing to create a basket weave fence around the area.

This will help keep people out and disguise the metal stock fencing. 

We worked all day but found time to eat cake and chat.

By the end we had cleared a lot of the birch saplings off the rocks and had had fun “basket” weaving the brash into the fence:

Once we had collected all the tools we went to look at the mine entrance which is hidden in the rocks unusually above the gully. The door is an old bank vault door.

We walked back to the cars tired but satisfied that we had done a good job in good company.

Jenny

Social and Workday at Alderley Edge - Sunday 7th September 2025

On Sunday 7th September we had our first combined social event and workday.  We were due to work at Chirk but due to low volunteer numbers the workday was cancelled and we instead had a last minute change of plan...

During the morning we had a tour of Wood Mine which was a guided tour conducted by the Derbyshire Caving Club as part of their open weekend.  Four of us attended the tour and had an amazing morning learning about the history of the mine and touring the underground tunnels and chambers.  Please see a selection of photos from the mine below.

After exiting the mine we encountered torrential rain so had a very wet walk back to the rangers yard to contemplate whether or not we could go ahead with the afternoon workday task of putting up bird boxes.  There were only three volunteers for the afernoon session but due to the nature of the task it was easily completed with such a small group.

After a short lunch break the rain stopped and we managed to get out in the woodland to put up bird boxes, it's the first time I have used a drill on a workday and we discovered that silver birch are the best trees to drill into!

We all had a lovely day.  We plan to organise another mine tour social in Spring 2026.  There are plenty more bird boxes to put up in future workdays.

Denise Clark
Worksite/Social leader