Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers

Workday leader Chris reports:……After the Magnificent 7 at Dave’s hedgelaying on Saturday in almost artic conditions, the Stupendous 8 turned out on Sunday at Benthall in slightly better weather!

The work was a continuation of the previous outing on the Hall estate; one of our favourite tasks of clearing, cutting and burning. As it was Remembrance Sunday, we observed a two minute silence at 11am marked with Nick’s hooter and ably supported (albeit a little late) by a single cannon firing from somewhere near Telford.

Matt soon had a roaring fire going which coped admirably with the increasing amount of debris collected, as dead branches came down and for which lunch (when it came) was something of a relief, giving the pyre time to digest the rather hearty meal we’d fed it by then.

Cake o’clock was well stocked with fresh offerings made by Maggie and Russell (his bread pudding inventively using up Bonfire weekend leftover buns (the whole ones, not half eaten!). But, people, we have to report that in addition there remained left overs of, duh..duhh.. Mags’s mars bar crispy cake! Needless to say an investigation is underway into this unprecedented (though not unwelcome) incident!

But back to Benthall…After two workdays the old tramway site is transformed. Though Nick says it could do with a bit more work, which is great – it was a lovely task and a sheltered spot, in which to hide from the worst of the elements.

That’s all for now folks but do remember …. your workday leader needs you….!

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Workday Leader Matthew reports on the day the clocks went back:….

Well, what a fabulous day! Great weather, good company, cake to die for and plenty of cutting and burning to tackle. What more does an SSNTV volunteer want?

We were asked to thin an area on the heath, just the other side of the main field where the war memorial stands. The idea was to take away young birch and not-so-young bracken and gorse which were taking over an area where the resident adders like to bask in the sun. No doubt the adders will be pleased with our work and will be able to top up their tans come Spring!

It was Leela’s first visit to Kinver and she was impressed by the site, but a little wary of the talk of snakes. Fortunately, in spite of the sunny weather, all the adders were fast asleep and did not make an appearance. In fact we left a thick border around the clearance site to deter human visitors from entering after we had left.

It was ranger Kyra’s first workday back with us since the arrival of her son – another redhead apparently! She took up where she left off, impressing us with her off-road driving skills bringing the truck and trailer right into the clearance site. The cuttings were then transported near to the Rangers’ Yard for burning by eager volunteers (at Kinver we often do not burn in situ). Kyra also impressed with her home-made cakes, handing out cake of quality and quantity too. Thanks for that!

To round off the day, the new local English Longhorn cattle called in to say hello and inspect our work. We got a few ‘moos’, presumably meaning that they were pleased – but I think they were actually just after some cake!

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Just back from his holiday, Chris B lead the group at Benthall on Sunday, as the day started with a card, marking the Chairman’s XXth birthday…..

Sunday dawned as grey and damp as the weather man predicted…but this little matter did not deter the force 12 which made up our volunteer group.  Gardener in charge, Nick took pity on us and tailored the task to give us protection from the rain, with a warming fire or two.  So we set off in search of the overgrown tramway he’d decided needed a haircut around a tottering bridge. 

Having reached the outermost parts of the estate, we spread out and began the clearance. As your workday leader had forgotten the fire-starting equipment, SSNTV’er Matt stepped up with his own emergency kit, wasting no time getting a good bonfire going despite the wet.  This gobbled up all the brash and cuttings we could supply so fast that “cake o’clock” was late…Quelle horreur…!  But this tasted all the better for our being very hungry and it being so chocolatey!!

By now our fire was going so well, fears were growing for any passing horsey being spooked by its size and heat, so a second was lit before lunch.  After that, the haircut went apace and by the end of our day a long section of the tramway (a possible remnant of former coal extraction workings)  and a stream culvert were cleared, plus the bridge survived intact – ‘totter ye not’ little bridge…

Nick hopes we might be able to return to this rather lovely site for our next workday at Benthalll on 10^th November.  

Save the date…please…your workday leader needs you and hopes next time to remember the matches!  So too, that his better half will make another cake (I might she writes!)…Thanks for today’s!

PS: A thank you too to everyone who helped look for the ‘missing’ loppers – happily what was lost has now definitely been found.

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It was back to Dudmaston’s Comer Wood on Sunday to carry on providing TLC to the new conifer and broadleaf saplings which we planted over multiple weekends last winter. It seems that once you adopt a tree at Dudmaston, you’re responsible for it for life – which could mean a lot of repeat visits!

Still, first task this weekend was to spot the green tubes (tree protectors) peeking out from the brambles and copious sycamore regrowth.  Ranger Mike professed himself happy with the development of the adjoining patch worked on last visit, however the passage of time and moist, warm summer meant that the new little trees were having to complete with all kinds of regrowth to find the light.

Pleased to report that the high success rate of our planting continued as most tubes contained developing or just emerging green shoots and failure rates were very low.

It turns out that where ever a sycamore remained from the contractor’s felling, if it is still in contact with the soil, it will start to reshoot.  Hence there was ample green to chop away and arrange in wind rows between the lines, as rows of green tubes gradually emerged during the day.

Rates of progress were a bit down on the last visit as a result, hence there’ll be plenty for next time.

Pleased too, to be able to report that master baker(ess) Maggie was on hand to keep the group sustained with a great selection.  But can you have too much cake, some were heard to ask? – as there were also contributions from Mike, John W and others throughout a sunny day! Thanks to all.

For those out on consecutive Sundays the consensus reached was that clambering through brambles and regrowth was almost as demanding as wading through mud to pull reeds – most reeds that is, except the ones at Benthall (see last week….but that’s another story)

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