Path work at Thurstaston on Sunday 14th April 2019

Only four of us made the trip to the Wirral peninsula this weekend, but we had a great day out in the sun and got lots of work done.

We were laying a path on the edge of woodland near Thurstaston Common. A path already exists, but is just trodden into the dirt. We were continuing previous work to create a proper surfaced path by knocking in a wooden edge, lining the base with weed suppressing fabric and covering with an MOT mix to create a hard wearing surface that will still allow the path to drain.

 In the morning we focussed on putting in the wooden edging, using stakes on either side of the edging to create the required curve. The path was popular with walkers and there were plenty of friendly greetings from passers by, both human and canine.

 After lunch we continued to extend the edging but also started laying the fabric and overtopping this with the path surface.

By the end of the day we’d added about 30 yards to the length of the path - a satisfying task with clearly visible progress. We’ll be doing some more path work nearby in a few weeks.

*CANCELLED* Path work at Thurstaston on Sunday 14th October

Sadly, today's workday at Thurstaston on the Wirral was cancelled due to bad weather and low numbers of volunteers able to attend.

Hazel

Footpath work at Thurstaston Common on 2nd September 2018

Today we started where other teams had left off laying a path through the woods.  The locals told us it is very muddy in the winter and they were really pleased that we were laying a path.  The local wildlife will also be pleased, when the dogs and humans stop tramping over the rest of the wood looking to stay out of the mud.

Phil, the NT Ranger, bought the tractor to carry all the wood, sand and stone to the site.  All the digging was done by hand so we were thankful that it was a nice sandy soil.

After a full day’s work we were only one set of boards away from the tree we had been working towards.  The group will be back again in October and it will be interesting to see how far other groups get in the meantime.

The team send thanks to Phil and all the locals who cheered us on and helped tramp down the gravel.

Jenny

Proud path builders

*CANCELLED* Workday at Thurstaston Common on 11th February 2018

Today's workday was cancelled due to low numbers and a poor weather forecast.

Rhodybashing at Thurstaston on 10 December 2017 - cancelled

The forecast of snow/bad weather put paid to today's planned rhodybash at Thurstaston on the Wirral.

It's always disappointing to lose a workday but we have been lucky that this is the first one lost to bad weather in 2017.

See you next week at Alderley Edge for hedge laying.

Daniel

Burning brash at Thurstaston Sunday 20th March 2016

I think this was the 10th day without rain - and we had another fantastic MNTV workday, this time on Thurstatston common.
Three of us travelled together from Quarry Bank Mill in Neil's Roomster (so much space!) and 4 others from MNTV met us in the car park at Royston Park. We were joined by Phil the Ranger and Heather from Merseyside volunteers. From there the 9 of us walked, with our equipment, to the area where we were to be working.

When we got there, we continued the wood clearance work that we'd previously started. On that occasion we were cutting down the smaller trees in this particular wooded area near the heathland, but had to finish early because increasingly high winds meant it was unsafe to work in amongst the trees in case they came down. Today we were cutting off the branches from the already felled trees and dragging them to the fire to be burned.

The fire in it's infancy

To protect the ground and manage the size of the fire, it was started on a couple of corrugated metal sheets, which were kept off the ground by a few tree trunks underneath.

Lunch break

As the ground and wood around was so dry, Neil had no trouble getting the fire going. The rest of us, using bowsaws and loppers, cut the branches off the tree's that were stacked in piles nearby, and dragged them towards the fire.

Neil taking a well-earned break and surveying the fire

It was a lovely bright clear day, although we got a bit of a breeze from the heathland. There were lots of families walking on the path nearby, some stopping for a chat. As a particular family were walking by, a very very excited little girl could be heard shouting out "Look, it's a REAL file, a REAL fire" :-)
Many dog owners also passed by, some dogs 'inspecting' our rucksacks to see if they could find any food, but we were wise to this and had zipped them firmly shut!!

Almost time to leave

By the end of the day, we had almost burnt all the brash that was lying around. I believe future workdays will involve us doing similar work on the other side of the path - bring it on!!!

Felling silver birch at Thurstaston Common on Sunday 29th November 2015

On a wet and windy day, seven of us made the journey to the Wirral meeting Phil, the Ranger at Thurstaston, in the Royden Park car park. Five of us had travelled over in one car from Styal. Hannah and Jean went straight there. Three Merseyside Volunteers also met up there.

We walked from the car park into the area we were to be working. We were asked to cut down the smaller trees that we could see, mainly silver birch, so that the area could return to heathland. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest(SSSI) and it is hoped that once the tree's have been removed that it will return to a shrubland habitat, encouraging the growth of bilberries, gorse and heathers, and sightings of adders, common lizards and grass snakes.

Although we had intended to have a fire to burn the tree's that we cut down, the wind was so strong that it wasn't safe to. Instead we made piles of the tree's so they could be removed at a later date.

the area we were working in

As we worked, it got windier and windier and darker as the rain approached. We stopped for a mid-morning break but, by lunchtime, we decided that it was too dangerous to stay in the wooded area in such high winds, so we took our packed lunches over to the car park area and ate our lunch sitting on one of the benches before returning home.

It was a shame that we only had a short day. Phil was really grateful for what we'd achieved in a few hours. We heard from a some dog walkers that a couple of tree's had blown down during the morning so we knew it wasn't worth the risk to stay any longer. Hopefully our next visit to Thurstaston will be a longer one!

 

MNTV having lunch before returning home

Birch clearance at Thurstaston Common on 16 November 2014

Over to the Wirral for the day to remove birch, a task the group has been doing at a few properties recently, but this time with added spiky bushes (the birch is growing in the gorse of the heathland areas at Thurstaston Common).  The heathland here is what makes the area a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with rare bird and plant species, including the carnivorous sundews, and the birch needs to be prevented from starting the process of woodland recolonisation.  There were numerous Scots Pine saplings which would rapidly take over if not removed.

Six volunteers from our group joined with the Merseyside and Cheshire groups, and the ranger, who was treating the birch stumps to stop them regrowing, had trouble keeping up.  The weather was warm and pleasant, a fine chocolate spice cake eaten and a satisfyingly large area of the heath was cleared.  Mick

Thurstaston Common (10 Nov 2013)

Five of our volunteers made their way to the meeting point in Royden Park sharing cars from Styal.

We spent the day with two Rangers and half a volunteer from Merseyside (well one volunteer for half the day) clearing European gorse from near a drainage ditch.  If the rangers knew exactly where the ditch was they could have used a tractor with a flail, to clear the gorse but it was hidden by the vegetation so this time it had to be done by hand.

The gorse was burn on a controlled fire - which was on corrugated ion to protect the heathland flora.  The rarer western gorse was left well alone.

Once the gorse is clear the other job will be sorting out the drainage but again - that can be done with a machine once the landscape if visible...

Thurstaston Common 17th March 2013

Bramble and sapling removal from an area of wet lowland heath on Thurstaston common.

Five volunteers from Manchester tuned out, met up with a somewhat reduced team from the Merseyside volunteers and the local ranger.

We spent the day removing brambles, and saplings that were two well established for the grazing animals to control.  Cutting them down and then digging out the bramble roots were possible.  There was a heavy slow moving shower of cold rain / hail around midday that didn't look like it was clearing - so we packed up early and left.

Birch removal Thurstaton Common 30 Sep 2012

Two manchester volunteers shared a car from Styal to Roydon Park on Thurstaton common on the Wirral. Where we met up with two volunteers from Merseyside and the local ranger. A third Merseyside volunteer arrived nearer midday. The task for the day was removing birch saplings from one of the paddocks.... Three areas of the common have been fenced and are now grazed - in an effort to maintain the rarer open heathland habitat holding back the natural process of "succession" which would see it reverting to woodland - which has a lower conservation status. With all the rain this year the grazing animals had plenty of lush grass to graze on - and as a result it took longer than normal for them to graze off the birch in the paddock they were in. The net result they never got moved into the other paddocks - leaving the birch to grow unchecked. Once it gets too big - the grazers won't manage it - and then volunteers are needed to either cut it down or pull it up. We got some done but there is a lot left to do.

Thurstaston Common 18 March 2012

Five volunteers from MNTV met up at Styal and shared cars to get to the meeting point at Royden Park from where we walked with representatives of both Chester and Merseyside National Trust Volunteers and the trust itself on to the common.

We spent the day cutting / pulling up scots pine and birch saplings. The scots pine were removed by the trust while the birch were stacked on site for later collection by Chester Zoo, where (I am told) they will be fed to the Giraffs and Elephants!

Thurstaston Common 18 Sept 2011

Four volunteers met up at Quarry Bank mill, and car shared to Thurstaston, where we met up with the warden and our colegues from Chester.

The day didn't go entirely according to plan, with some confusion as to which rugby club we were meeting at.

There were other issues which stopped the planned Rhodi bash, leaving us tackling the saplings that were invading open heathland.

We did some usefull work, and after a grey start the sun shone.

Thurstaston 3rd Oct 2010

I've been on working holiday with the NT - so thanks to Daniel for the following text and photo.

Four of us travelled across to Thurstaston on the Wirral for a workday with ranger Phil and three Chester volunteers. It was pouring down when we arrived and had been all the way across on the M56/M53. Despite the rain we agreed that having travelled 50 miles to get there we should do some work and set about cutting down Scots pines in paddock 3. It was a surprise to hear from Phil that a local farmer grazes sheep and cattle in this enclosure, carpeted as it is in thick heather! It rained hard all morning and the only shelter we had was under a tree for coffee and gingerbread at 11.30. By lunchtime we were all beginning to dissolve and we said our goodbyes at 13.00. My workboots are still sodden three days later!

Thurstaston 28 Feb 2010

10 volunteers turned out and joined the Chester group on Thurstaston Common and spent the day on birch control. At this time it is not possible to graze large areas of this common and as a result there is a tendancy for the site to revert to woodland. As the heathland is a more valuable habitat for wildlife considerable effot has to go into keeping the area open

Thurstaston Common

9 Volunteers and 2 members of staff turned out and spent the day, cutting birch and chipping to maintain the heathland habitat in areas than cannot be practically grazed.

Thurstaston common is on the Wirral and for our group the trip involves meeting up in Styal and car sharing for the 100 mile round trip. This may explain why 7 of the volunteers were from the Chester group.

They appeared to enjoy the victoria sponge I took. The weather was grey but mostly dry.

Birch on Thurstaton Common

Thurstaston common is a heath land habitat and as such is managed to maintain the rich biodiversity that such "poor" land can support. Left to its own devices it, like most of the land in England would eventually become broadleaf woodland - the first stage of this is invasion by species such as birch. Unless the land can be grazed, voluntary labour is the only way to prevent nature from covering the space with trees leaving species that need light and open spaces nowhere to live / grow.

Last sunday was a beutiful blue skied crisp winters day - working in association with our sister organisation the Chester volunteers, a few of us turned out, and helped clear an area of birch - producing a large pile of wood / brash which I am told will be chipped and disposed of locally.