Hare Hill Holiday

This was the first of my National Trust Working Holidays where the basecamp had not been at the same site as the project. This meant that we had a 45 minute minibus trip to and from the Hare Hill site, but this gave the group plenty of time to chat and to get to know each other.

*Tasks undertaken.*
About half a mile from the formal Hare Hill gardens is a woodland pathway that winds its way through a very pleasant bluebell wood, adjacent to a small babbling brook. This pathway is part of a very popular walk for visitors to the Hare Hill estate, walking to Alderley Edge.
	Over the years some of the path had become overgrown and a general layer of dirt and dead leaves now covered the whole path, making it very messy and slippery in wet weather. As part of a Woodland Improvement Project some funding had been obtained to improve the pathways in this area.
The task for this weekend was to clear away all of the muck that had collected on the path and then to lay a new coating of sandstone chippings. Clearing away the soil and muck along the path was very hard work, but was vital if the new layer of chippings was to bind in with the existing pathway.
	The new sandstone chippings had to be taken down the path by many wheelbarrrow trips and then spread out along the whole length of the path. To compact the path and to put the correct camber for the rain to run off a mechanical vibrating roller was used. The finished path should last for years.
Rhododendrons are beautiful plants when in full bloom, but unfortunately they are very intrusive in a natural environment and tend to take over complete areas of woodland. As part of the weekends task the group cleared a whole area of Rhododendrons between the path and the brook to give a much more pleasant outlook.
	As you walk along the path you can now overlook the brook running through the wood. This pathway and clearance is part of a larger project that includes building a bridge over the stream and a new pathway through the woodlands. When it is all completed it will greatly improve the area for visitors.

When we first saw the path that needed relaying it really did seem a very big task. However, under the guidance of Darren and Jamie it was not long before we were getting on well with the work. At the end of the weekend there was a great sense of satisfaction of having completing a job well done.

After completing all of the work for the weekend there was the opportunity to visit the Hare Hill gardens and then to go down the Copper Mines at Alderley Edge before returning to the basecamp. This was a very pleasant way to finish off the weekend.

There is a special thank you to Jamie (the group leader) who undertook to do all of the cooking for the whole weekend, but NOT the washing up!

The volunteers present:		National Trust
Janet Jo Kelly Marta Ruth	Jamie (Leader) David Marcus Matt Vince	Darren (Hare Hill Warden) & A work experience lad

Hare Hill Cheshire
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