Our Third Year

September 2013 – August 2014

To see what we achieved during our second year go to September 2012 – August 2013

August 2014

Hack’s Way (Church Hill) – overhanging vegetation from the allotments trimmed, pathway nettles scythed, other nettles and weeds pulled, and ivy and tree shoots cut back

The coastal path beside the Glebe field thoroughly tidied

Church Hill – the entire zigzag path weeded and tidied, and the 1923 path trimmed

Follow-up scrub control on Wain’s Hill – cuttting out young bramble, elder shoots etc.

July 2014

Cutting back new bramble shoots to limit the spread of the large Church Hill bramble patch, and removing seeding thistle and wild radish from the neighbouring grassland

Church Hill – removing seeding dock to control its spread in the grassland

St Andrew’s Church green gate bank weeded and scythed again

Church Hill, south-western corner – over dominant wild radish cut to prevent seeding and the area rough scythed to further encourage grass growth

Church Hill –  thistle and ragwort roots pulled and bramble roots grubbed out

Tidying a clearing in Church Hill woodland to create a butterfly glade and view

The grass on the Church Hill circular path trimmed to improve access and encourage walkers to use this newly restored route

Church Hill – the steps overlooking the church yard given another thorough tidy

Scythed material from Wain’s Hill is raked off into the woodland below to compost down

June 2014

Scything the last section of the Wain’s Hill ramparts – the steepest and roughest part. The next mowing will be in September/October.

The 1st Clevedon Scout troop raking down scythed vegetation from the Wain’s Hill ramparts, while working towards their Community Service badge

 The viewpoint above the Church Hill zigzag path, as well as adjacent grassland,  scythed, weeded and raked. The newly replaced seat is proving popular.

Church Hill zigzag path – overhanging vegetation cut back, and the stepped pathway tidied. The start of the zigzag is now more visible from the formal path below.

St Andrew’s Church green gate bank weeded and mown to encourage the grass cover

The informal footpath behind the cemetery allotments is open once again.

Scythed vegetation from the Wain’s Hill ramparts is raked off and left out of sight in the scrub at the woodland edge to rot down.

Monday morning scything of the Wain’s Hill ramparts – 3 mowers today!

May 2014

Hack’s Way thorougly weeded and tidied to Old Church Road

Church Hill – nettles scythed;  raking off scythed annual weeds on the re-established grass slope; grubbing out bramble roots and stumps and weeding the wooden steps

The ‘June cut’ scything of the Wain’s Hill ramparts gets off to an early start. A lot of milk thistle this year, and dense nettles in the shade at the bottom of the slope.

Church Hill – scythed vegetation is raked off to reduce soil fertilty and allow in sunlight

Church Hill – scything nettles and wild radish to help good grassland re-establish

‘Hack’s Way’ is an ancient footpath and a Public Right of Way leading to Church Hill from Old Church Road past the allotments. Nettles and elder need to be kept cut back.

The coastal path rock face by the cemetery fence cleared of invasive goose grass

The scything team in full swing mowing rank vegetation on a recently scrub cleared area of reclaimed grassland on Church Hill

Church Hill – selective weeding in the grass and wild flower area above the zigzag path to reduce competition from over-vigorous species

Rank vegetation is cut back beside St Andrew’s churchwall green gate as the next stage in establishing a grassy, wild flower bank

A flight of stone steps beside Salthouse Pub weeded and swept (before and after)

Wain’s Hill – pulling (temporarily) invasive wild turnip plants from a previously scrub-covered patch of grassland to help the grass and wild flower population to reach a natural balance of species

April 2014

According to the rules pertaining to Scheduled Monuments, such as this Iron Age Hill Fort on Wain’s Hill, it is an offence to introduce plants or otherwise cause disturbance of the soil because of the archeaology below the surface. North Somerset Council therefore deemed it necessary to carefully remove these daffodils to deter further ‘moonlight’ plantings.

The wide stone steps and the path above the Marine Lake weeded and tidied

The coast path thoroughly tidied – beside St Andrew’s Glebe looking towards Wain’s Hill

Beside St Andrew’s green gate – digging out nettles to encourage grass growth

Church Hill – grubbing out bramble roots, nettles and creeping thistle from a recently scrub cleared area to promote the re-establishment of grassland

March 2014

Tidying the coast path beside the Glebe field

Church Hill stone steps being given a thorough tidy up

Church Hill – grubbing out bramble roots from the course of the old restored path

Church Hill – cutting regrowth from an old Holm oak stump beside the path

Thinning ash beside an old apple tree in Church Hill woodland

The edges of the coast path on Wain’s Hill tidied and swept

The view from this old seat location on Church Hill is now partially restored. We hope to refurbish the seat as a low bench, by fixing wooden slats.

Church Hill – pruning Buddleia to control its size and to re-create a view from an old seat

Grubbing out bramble roots and levelling the ground to facilitate tractor mowing

The latest restored view from Wain’s Hill, opposite a seat, is already being enjoyed

Clearing back brambles on the path behind the cemetery allotments – in the rain

February 2014

We’ve appeared again 0n Clevedon News, the on-line video newsreel, this time in the February edition! See us in action at http://youtu.be/EHE6XmNyUyE?t=19m34s

It’s always nice to receive positive feedback on our efforts – this time a hero-gram and chocolates …!

We are delighted to discover that the old paths we have recently opened up on Church Hill (marked in blue) are Public Rights of Way.

Church Hill – the edges of the entire length of path between St Andrew’s Church and Salthouse Road are now clear of mud and weeds.

Wain’s Hill – cutting back old ivy to the fence line to widen the coast path. Contractors will be extending the chainlink fencing along this stretch.

Removing ivy and bramble shoots from the rock face below the churchyard fence

Removing ivy from St Andrew’s churchyard fence posts to improve views over the Channel and to promote the growth of more delicate wild species

Cutting back a few more brambles on the old 1923 path on Church Hill. February is the last month for scrub to be cut before the bird nesting season.

January 2014

The path cleaning and widening on Wain’s Hill is nearly finished – this time around

Bramble control along the grassland margin of Church Hill – looking south

Bramble control along the grassland margin of Church Hill – looking north

Eight volunteers working for 2 hours and this old Church Hill path is open again.

Uncovering the last 0ld path on Church Hill. It used to be gravelled.

The now cleared north-west section of the 1923 path on Church Hill, looking south

Church Hill – the north-west section of the 1923 path opened up to provide easy access

Opening up the north-western end of the 1923 path on Church Hill

By clearing mud and surface vegetation from the sides, the coast path on Wain’s Hill is widened, and walkers are grateful for the volunteers’ work.

The bank below St Andrew’s churchyard wall is cleared of ivy and bramble roots to hasten the re-establishment of grasses and wild flowers.

Removing ivy with care from the old stone wall of St Andrew’s churchyard.

December 2013

Church Hill – clearing bramble and elder to enhance the view point above the zigzag path

The coast path on Wain’s Hill widened by clearing back rank grass and weeds

Church Hill – another section of the 1923 path comes to light after clearing a 2 metre wide strip of bramble, removing 2 small elder trees and trimming back a little gorse.

November

Wain’s Hill north-east corner. Ongoing grassland management by scything and bramble cutting following removal of scrub in 2012.

The coast path and seats thoroughly tidied

Wain’s Hill – thinning the woodland edge to admit more light for plant growth

St Andrew’s churchyard wall and gate free of brambles – the view of the Church restored

  Clearing brambles and scrub trees from outside St Andrew’s churchyard wall and gate with the Woodcutters and the Church Warden – in Saturday morning rain!

Cutting back brambles that have encroached into the grassland on Church Hill

October

More of the 1923 path on Church Hill emerges. Volunteers take a well-earned break.

Follow-up tidying of the path and rock face after bramble clearance along the fence

Members of the Woodcutters removing brambles from the churchyard fence above the coast path to restore views and allow sunlight to the rockface below

Coast path on Church Hill tidied and widened by removing mud and weeds from the sides

Uncovering more of the old (1923) path on Church Hill, and clearing the slope above it to restore the grassland

Tidying the path and steps from the round seat above Marine Lake to the Sugar Lookout

A happy volunteer contingent from Lloyds Bank after 2 hours’ bramble clearing

Cutting back brambles to enlarge a woodland glade on Church Hill and expose an old path

Wain’s Hill – raking completed for the day

Scything the last section of the Wain’s Hill rampart slope – a lot of nettles! Fresh shoots from sycamore stumps will be trimed off.

September 2013

Green Mantle contractors strimming the species-rich calcareous grass slope on Wain’s Hill

Raking off cut grass on Church Hill after scything

The stone steps on Church Hill thoroughly tidied

Raking up cut grass on the slope is finished. With this welcome tea break we celebrate the second anniversary of the Friends of Poets’ Walk working parties!

Late summer scything on Church Hill. The relatively level plateau above has already been mechanically mown and baled by a farmer contractor.

The last scything of the year on Wain’s Hill rampart slope. New leafy shoots arising from old tree stumps need to be trimmed off.

Wain’s Hill plateau mown and baled. The steep rampart slope (left) will be scythed and a rough area of long grass (right) may be left as a refuge for wildlife.

See earlier photos on September 2012 – August 2013