September 2015 saw the start of our fifth year of volunteer work on Poets’ Walk. Following is a photographic record of our activities in reverse chronological order …
See also our second year (September 2012 – August 2013), our third year (September 2013 – August 2014) and our fourth year (September 2014 – August 2015)
August 2016
Managing a reclaimed south-facing grass slope above woodland on Church Hill
The zigzag path leading up to Wain’s Hill cleared of encroaching nettles and brambles
Pulling seeding nettles and other invasive species in Wain’s Hill grassland before mowing
Working on the formal path from Salthouse Road to Church Hill
St Andrew’s Church green gate bank – nettles are again pulled and tree shoots trimmed off before scything and tidying. The grass now grows right up to the wall.
The costal path is regularly and thoroughly tidied – here beside the Glebe field.
The final volunteer session to combat flowering wild radish on Church Hill. Later in the month the hillside will be mechanically mown and arisings baled by the farmer contractor.
July 2016
Controlling wild radish before it seeds on Church Hill – the third session since the spring
The annual ragwort pull on Wain’s Hill. Quite a crop this year, but little on Church Hill.
Wain’s Hill – the June cut of the rampart slope is completed
The 1923 path over Church Hill is mown to encourage walkers
June 2016
Hack’s Way is mown and the vegetation overhanging the allotment fence cut back
The steps leading to Salthouse Wood and paths above Marine Lake are weeded and swept.
Summer mowing starts on the Wain’s Hill ramparts. The steep and stoney north-east end has been mown with a brush-cutter this year. Arisings are raked off after being left to dry for a few days, and left as habitat piles in the woodland at the bottom of the slope.
Church Hill – the zigzag steps and the path above are cleared of overgrown vegetation.
Vegetation along the path behind the cemetery allotments is cut back and the path tidied
May 2016
Control of invasive wild radish continues on Church Hill by scything and grubbing out with mattocks. Smaller, isolated plants can be removed from the grassland with a ragfork.
The bank beside the green gate in St Andrew’s churchyard wall is weeded and scythed
Mowing and raking Hack’s Way and the grassy stretches of the 1923 path over Church Hill
The formal paths of Poets’ Walk are kept tidy on a regular basis
Bramble crowns are grubbed out and more debris is removed from the view point beside the old battery site on Wain’s Hill. A second iron ring is discovered.
Wain’s Hill – the zigzag path is cleared of nettles by scything
Clearing away weeds and soil along the coast path and cutting out sycamore shoots
Grubbing out invasive dock on Church Hill and cultivated daffodils on Wain’s Hill
April 2016
The spread of invasive species and non-natives needs to be controlled – nettles at a viewpoint, allotment raspberries, Norway maple in woodland and wild radish in grassland
Church Hill – wild radish has invaded grassland over recent years and must be controlled.
Wain’s Hill – hand pulling sycamore seedlings beside the recently uncovered zigzag path
Church Hill – clearing around the seat and steps and trimming brambles
Self-seeded hawthorn is cleared from the Victorian gun battery site on Wain’s Hill and more nettles, stumps and accumulated soil are shovelled off to expose the concrete base.
March 2016
Work at Wain’s Hill old gun battery site continues by removing bramble roots, nettles, tree stumps and accumulated soil from the concrete base where the cannon originally stood.
The informal path behind the cemetery allotments below Wain’s Hill is given a tidy-up
Church Hill woodland is improved by clearing a few remaining brambles and feral raspberries. Non-native daffodils, introduced years ago, are left to provide spring colour.
Clearing brambles, overgrown shrubs and self-seeded saplings in St Andrew’s church yard
February 2016
Improving a thicket habitat on Church Hill – the height of scrub trees is reduced to promote bushier growth and reduce wind damage.
Self-seeded sycamore saplings are removed from a thicket area on Church Hill to prevent them from competing for light and space with native elder, hawthorn and blackthorn.
Paths and steps tidied around Salthouse and above Marine Lake
A further stage in restoring a thicket on Church Hill – felling a sycamore to allow more sunlight to reach the lower growing scrub species such as elder, hawthorn and bramble
The start of a new project to reinstate an old coastal path view point, which used to be enclosed by a fence and gate and which has been used as a rubbish tip for many years
As an early contribution towards the national Clean for the Queen event (to be held 5th March) the Friends have tidied and swept two access paths to Clevedon’s Marine Lake, adjacent to Poets’ Walk.
Church Hill – enhancing the view by cutting out ash saplings and trimming hawthorn
January 2016
Wain’s Hill – clearing weeds, mud and brambles along the coastal path
A self-seeded ash and a few self-seeded sycamores are removed from the southern end of Wain’s Hill as they threaten to block the spectacular views over Clevedon Pill
Wain’s Hill – cutting bramble and other scrub at the view point above the Pill
Church Hill – tidying a partly fallen tree above Hack’s Way, and pruning an old and spreading buddleia to reduce its height and to promote fresh growth.
December 2015
Managing woodland on Church Hill – cutting out sycamore and regrown Holm oak shoots
Elder is trimmed back to expose the Poets’ Walk sign in Salthouse Road. A Church Hill grassland slope is further improved by pulling and grubbing out young brambles and cutting regrowth from tree stumps.
November 2015
A build up of autumn leaves and mud is cleared from the path to Wain’s Hill while nettles and other invasive species are cleared back from the junction to the zigzag path.
October 2015
Church Hill – weeding the wooded area behind the Salthouse Flats by pulling nettles and feral raspberries, and cutting out brambles and self-seeded tree saplings
Scything of the Wain’s Hill ramparts is completed during October. The bank at the NE end, as well as the nearby path edge, is also cut to control scrub regrowth.
The coastal path and seats tidied
Late summer scything on Wain’s Hill and raking off the cut grass and other soft vegetation
September 2015
Two steep slopes on Church Hill, as well as the view point above the zigzag path, are scythed and the arisings raked off to improve the quality of the grassland.
The Friends’ 4th anniversary was celebrated on two Thursdays this year!
The formal path beside the Salthouse Flats weeded and swept, and the onward path to the Old Church cleared of overhanging brambles
Church Hill – rediscovering the last section of the 1923 circular path by removing scrub
ClevedonConservationVolunteers 