Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers

On Sunday eleven SSNTV volunteers headed out to Kinver Edge for the first of three September visits starting the new cutting (and burning) season, Yay!! However this time, writes workday leader Matt, we had even more extra special treats in store………

1. We were starting work around the Vale’s Rock rock-houses in an area that is currently not normally open to the public!!
2. We were going to be hunting for archaeology!!!!!
3. Lead Ranger Ewan had organised an awesome cake for us!!!!!!!!!!

Working with Ewan and NT archaeologist Janine, our task was to start to clear through the dense undergrowth in front of the houses and seek out any lost garden features ready for a team of archaeologists and historians to investigate further in a few weeks time.

Janine had brought copies of a number of historic maps showing the position of the garden areas, but we had no idea what might still remain as the last residents had permanently moved out of the houses in the 1950s and the gardens left to go wild.

This time round we were cutting and stacking (burning next time!) , so we made good progress breaking into the undergrowth from multiple points of entry. By cake o’clock we had uncovered some rusting metal tanks and stone pipe work and by the time Ewan’s fabulous cake arrived at lunchtime we’d found possible garden terraces, a couple of walls, some steps and other stone and concrete remains.

For the afternoon we cleared further round the garden area, removing the Himalayan balsam, pruning some of the larger trees and cutting back more of the invading scrub. Having already made a vast difference to the area during this workday we are really looking forward to coming back and continuing this exciting work.

TO BE CONTINUED……….