Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers

Dudmaston Estate, Monday 25th April

WNTCV don’t do things by half measures – if we are going to have an Easter weekend workday, why not have two? This was the crazy logic that dragged us all out of our beds early on the morning of the bank holiday. Perhaps it was the promise of homemade cake…perhaps it was the desire to burn off some of the calories consumed during yesterdays “egg o’clock” (see Easter Weekend part 1). Whatever the reasoning it was a happy bunch of WNTCVers who met at Dudmaston to attack some rhododendrons. Ron, our resident firestarter, got the flames going while the rest of the crew got to work clearing areas of rhoddies, bramble and brash. We started work at this particular site towards the end of last year and we have been progressively working our way along the edge of the two pools removing rhoddies as we go and, as a result, opening up the views.

The work at this site today was very rewarding in that we could clearly see the effects of our efforts. The area really opened up with lots of sunlight reaching the woodland floor and the view through to the pools beginning to appear. We are back at this site next weekend to continue the project. I think that visitors using the woodland path through this area will see a big difference now that the rhoddies are being cleared.