Footpath work and balsam bashing at Erddig on 23rd August 2026

We went to Wales this week and joined forces with the Merseyside NT group.

The task was to flatten the ground ready for a wheel-friendly footpath along the river. It was a warm day by any standard, but cooler than some this summer, and we had some shade. It was hard work with pickaxes, spades and shovels making sure that the rise from the new bridge over a stream wasn’t too steep to push a wheelchair up (or so steep on the way down that the wheelchair would end up in the stream).

We took it in turns and had the usual break for cake in the morning. By lunchtime we had the path level enough for easy access.

We sat and ate lunch in the shade, with the smell of wild garlic, which we had dug up when widening the path.

In the afternoon, we went on a seek and destroy mission along the riverbanks, looking for Himalayan Balsam. We found plenty to keep us going until it was time to leave for home.

We also found a few balsam hidden in trees that had grown rather large: 

It was great to see the Merseyside group again and thanks to the ranger for giving up his Sunday so that we could work on site.

Jenny

Scrub Clearance and Balsam Pulling at Erddig - Sunday 14th July 2024

 On Sunday 14th July three volunteers made their way to Erddig to join the Merseyside group.  The task set was scrub clearance in an area backing onto the Felin Puleston Car Park.  It was a fine day and Merseyside had a fair few volunteers so we became quite a large group.

After the usual ranger talk about the task and health and safety advice etc we set to the task of removing lower branches of trees and scrub clearance.

Overgrown site (before clearance)

Branch removal

Cutting back vegetation

Site cleared (facing car park)

Site cleared (facing river)

Branches pile!

By lunchtime we had cleared the area so we moved onto the second task of balsam pulling.  The ranger guided us to an area at the side of the river behind the car park that we have not worked in before.  Some of the balsam were very tall!

Very tall balsam!

More tall balsam!

Balsam pulling by the river

All in all it was great day and we had the added treat of accessing the lovely toilet block at Felin Puleston that is normally locked up.... I just had to sneak a photo (for those people that might never see it).

The lovely ladies restroom

Denise
Worksite Leader  

Scrub clearance at Erddig on Sunday 30th July 2023

Four of us joined the Merseyside group for a day of scrub clearance at Erddig on Sunday 30th July.

It was a lovely dry day and there was plenty of ragwort to pull by the river but not much himalayan balsam.  In some places the ragwort was very tall!

Ragwort before clearance

Ragwort after clearance

Very tall Ragwort!

Ragwort by the riverbank

Moving along the riverbank we found areas where the scrub was more densly populated to had to use slashers.

Slashing scrub

We also worked on an area further down the river that had become very overgrown, photos below shows us working with the Merseyside Group.

We ended the day early due to not having any more scrub to clear.  All in all it was a good day out and it was nice to meet the Merseyside volunteers again.

Denise, Workside leader

Cancelled - workday at Erddig on 2nd April 2023

Sadly today's workday at Erddig, a joint workday with the Merseyside group, had to be cancelled because of the lack of a ranger.  We contacted a couple of local properties (Styal, Lyme Park) but were not able to find an alternative venue at which to volunteer.

Next week is Easter Sunday so our programme resumes on 16th April at Gawthorpe Hall.

MNTV Committee

Himalayan Balsam Pulling at Erddig on Sunday 24th July 2022

This week we joined the Merseyside Group for Himalayan Balsam pulling along the river which hasn't been touched in 3 years.  

Balsam outside the Outdoor Centre

We met in the Felin Puleston car park which on the outskirts of the Erddig estate with the worksite being a two minute stroll past the Felin Puleston Outdoor Centre.  We started pulling Balsam by the River Clywedog near the Outdoor Centre and worked our way along the riverbank.  

Some areas of Balsam were located on the other side of the river so some volunteers ventured into the water to cross over the river.

To pull Balsam correctly the plant has to be snapped between the root and the first notch on the stem as show above.

Birdwatching 

Some Balsam plants were huge!

In some areas Balsam was growing within brambles so slashers were used.

Balsam within a jungle of brambles

The day started off bright but by mid afternoon we had heavy rain and had pulled most of the Balsam so both groups finished early for the day.

Denise, Worsite Leader

Cancelled - workday at Erddig on Sunday 3rd April 2022

Unfortunately today's workday was cancelled the day before due to staffing issues and we were unable to arrange an alternative venue at short notice.

MNTV Committee

Cancelled - workday at Erddig on 3rd October 2021

Sadly this workday had to be cancelled. 

A minimum of six volunteers were required to do the task but due to the "fuel shortage" we couldn't get that many who wanted to travel the distance.

MNTV Committee

Footpath work and vegetation clearance at Erddig on Sunday 22nd September 2019

On an overcast and rainy day a small group of three made the hour’s journey to Erddig near Wrexham to do footpath maintenance and vegetation clearance.

A damaged tree had fallen across the path and bindweed had run rampant, giving new meaning to the phrase ‘trip hazard’.

The bindweed had grown up the bank and over the hedge and was starting to encroach on gardens in the neighbouring housing estate.

Five hours later the path was visible again and the housing estate safe from invasion.

We had time at the end of the day to check out the new wild flower garden ie. car park that MNTV helped prepare earlier on in the year.

Jean

Stone picking at Erddig on 19th May 2019

Eight of us turned out for a day of stone picking at Erddig... you may wonder what stone picking is... it is exactly that, picking stones out of the soil!!  not very exciting but our team rallied throughout the day and we enjoyed our breaks and a visit to see some donkeys.... read on...

Following on from the expansion of many NT houses parking facilities Erddig have created extra gravel parking spaces in what was an old grassy orchard area.

We were tasked to work in two areas; a larger space beneath some apple trees and an area of the car park that was between parking spaces.  The area beneath the apple trees will be overseeded with a wild flower mix (see below).

The area under the apple trees was raked over and stones were removed, it was back breaking work with very little improvement to show for our efforts apart from the ever increasing pile of stones in the back of the truck!

Team working at its best!













The second work area was digging over some triangle shaped borders between car parking areas... easy you might think... but not when the car park starts to fill up and cars decide to park either side of the triangle whilst you are working!

Let the digging commence ...

Making it all look easy!

After finishing a few triangles we decided to break for tea and cakes, but how do we stop cars from parking here? ....

Keep off, we are on a tea break!

Unfortunately when we got back from break the inevitable had happened and we were faced with trying to continue between parked cars, I wouldn't park my car there!!

Mind the Gap!!

All top soiled and ready for seeding.

It soon got to lunchtime and we were informed that there was a donkey parade taking part in the grounds so we ventured down to the house to take a look...

The donkeys were a welcome distraction from stone picking, and we learned a two things 1) the donkeys are cared for on the estate and 2) there are over 180 varieties of apples grown at Erddig.  I wonder if donkeys like apples...

Advertising the group

It was all worth it at the end of the day...

Team MNTV (Neil was taking the photo)

*CANCELLED* Workday at Erddig on Sunday 3rd Febuary 2019

Sadly, today's workday at Erddig was cancelled because of the forecast of more snow and very cold conditions.  Winds over 35-40 mph and snow, both of which are classed as high risk for staff, volunteers and visitors, mean that the property and estate get closed.  This happened on Wednesday 30th January.

We are next at Erddig on Sunday 19th May and hopefully the weather then will be much more pleasant!

Daniel

Scrub clearing at Erddig on Sunday 11th November 2018

Today five of us (Andy & Christine, Daniel, Andy Screen and John Walsh) travelled to the Welsh border for our third workday of the year at Erddig, an NT house and estate near Wrexham.  We spent the day cutting down saplings and scrub from below a high voltage powerline on the edge of the property.  Andy lit a bonfire about 100 metres away in a clearing in the woods and we dragged the cuttings over to it.  James (Head Ranger) said it wasn’t safe to have a fire below the powerline because there was the possibility of electricity discharging to ground down the plume of smoke!

Before

After

Today was Remembrance Sunday and the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War One.  At 11 o'clock we observed two minutes’ silence to remember those who fell in WW1 and all wars.  Christine streamed the BBC’s coverage of the service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall as we stood around her flag in silent reflection.

Daniel