February 2016 - welcome Paul!

3rd February

Part of the south boundary wall collapsed. 

7th - 8th February

Dry-stone-walling repair!

9th February

Mark and Bill took down 3 Rowans that had been causing bulges in the south boundary wall. 

10th and 12th February

Long-reining tutorials in Cumbria. 

12th February

Bird hide Willows netted. Barn owl seen hunting over the Wetland and along near Top Strip. 

14th February

Bird box fixed in scrub near (s) of south west corner of Meadow. 

16th February

All bird boxes cleaned and checked, No 4 resited to Orchard; shed section 3 started; logs moved from top strip. (Even referring to 'shed section 3' hints that there will be more to come...)

20th February

3rd shed section completed. 

21st February

Paul the Fell pony arrives!

23rd February

Meadow wet area refenced and additional stile. Seat made on old wall line. Wood cleared for chip from Rowan felled in quarry and logs split. 

Between 16th February and 23rd February owl seen regularly! Pellets found.

Barn owl over Wetland

Barn owl pellets

While we work, life carries on

Shed 3, construction day 1

Shed 3 construction day 4

Our property expansion

Recycling to make a log shelter

January 2016 - wire on the treads

2nd January

We filled 37 bags with chipped brash...

3rd January

... another 11 bags filled, then all 48 stacked over the fence in the Top Strip and the unchipped brash from the same area moved too. 

4th January

John made a start on the shelter for Paul. (Please note we have already discovered we need more sheds.) Clare continued in her attempts to remove humps/molehills from the Meadow and excavate surplus stone from near the road wall. 

11th January

More work on pony shelter - frame now stable (pun intended) Clare would like it noted that while the photographs she took show John at work, she fixed every single board to the frame. Just saying.

12th - 28th January

Work continued on shelter to completion. Stumps cut in Top Strip. Stiles completed on new fencing at top of Crag; all stiles now have wire on the treads.

27th January

Chris visited with a drone camera and took footage of Liddells. Clare had a go at flying it - probably the most technologically advanced thing she has ever done.

29th - 30th January

Wildflower seeds collected locally last year, sown in pots/trays at home. 

Bags of bags

Kissing in fashion

From this...

to this...

to this...

to this

December 2015 - ending the year preparing for a new resident

2nd December

John and Clare visit Paul the pony at Roadhead. 

3rd December

Hedge started - Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Guelder Rose, Dog Rose, Field Maple, Crab Apple and Hazel. 

9th - 11th December

Clare worked on hedge in adverse weather! Mole hills decapitated!

10th December

Torrential rain, spring burst its capping, 2 Ashes blown down in Pit Wood.

14th December

Hedge completed, Crab Apple planted in Orchard hedge line; Christmas tree cut for Tynedale Community Choir party. 

15th December

Christmas trees cut for John and Clare and for Hal and Beth. 

16th December

Paul vetted at Roadhead; he passed!

21st December

2 metres of hedging planted to screen bee hives from the west. 

27th December

Damson and Wild Cherry moved from Meadow to Orchard. Post tidying/topping on lower entrance. 

30th December

We dug a pond on the site of the old water trough on the wetland. 

31st December

Luke came to visit Liddells having not seen the land since before we bought it. Pond so full, the stepping stones are covered! John made 2 stiles along the new fence. Clare worked on taking humps and molehills off the Meadow. 

Hedging and mud - Bramble in her element

More mud

Stylish stile

IMG_0273.jpg

Paul's favourite trick is putting his hay net on his head. Clare also thinks he is punning. He clearly has a sense of humour.

November 2015 - trees for bees from Trees Please

3rd November

Magnificent Meadows - Northumberland Wildlife Trust talk with Naomi Thwaite. 

11th November

Hedging to shelter bees ordered from Trees Please; woodcock sighted. 

During November John completed work on Top Grazing fence - made a gate into Scrub; strimmed, tidied and sawed Ash in Orchard; strimmed for Meadow edge. 

27th November

Hedge plants arrived; trench dug. 

October 2015 - Woolly new arrivals

1st October

John visited Barry at Quarry House and so began the idea of borrowing his sheep to graze the Wildflower Meadow. 

During October, Clare finished brashing all the Hawthorns on the Meadow; replanted the bird-watching arbour with sprouting Willows; Spindle Trees moved out of meadow to new site near spoil heaps west of Meadow; all brash to bonfire site. 

11th October

Mike T came to help collect Barry's sheep - 8 Rylands and 6 Shetlands - now grazing the Meadow. 

12th October

John began preparations for fencing the Top Grazing - strainers/stripping. 

24th October

Robbie came to help with the fencing - bottom wire, barbed wire and post in; help from Derek and loan of tractor and knocker from Barry; John hired a digger and began levelling site for shepherd's hut. 

September 2015 - (b)log shed

2nd September

A fox strolled along the top of the Crag east to west. 

7th - 14th September

Shed painted, still awaits guttering. First logs cut and stacked inside. Top path restrimmed and in Orchard. Rosemary's Oak, Penny's Plum, Mathilda's Bird Cherry and our Damson all weeded!

One of the bird boxes in the Pit Wood had been filled with leaves. We suspect by a grey squirrel.

21st September

Logs from Top Strip cut and stacked in shed; tools now stored there. Note the log shed is already changing its purpose. Read on for developments in the shed department.

August 2015 - summer shedding

3rd, 4th and 5th August

Preparing for Green Gym days - hauling brash out of Top Strip. 

7th August

Green Gym: Tim, Sally, and Rachel: more Top Strip path; weeding around Meadow trees; Hawthorns brashed in Meadow; chipper. 

8th August

Green Gym: Mel, Sally, Jane E, Pat, David: more path; more weeding/brashing in Meadow and round Sally's trees; tree-felling; chipper.

12th August

Perseid meteors seen from Top Grazing. 

13th August

John dismantled shed from Mike D and it was trailered to Top Grazing to become a log shed. 

Application (2) to Countryside Stewardship. 

20th August

Preparing site for log shed - levelling, making base; 7 trees felled in Top Strip; clearing site for shepherd's hut; thistles taken out of planted section of Meadow. 

26th August

Mel came to help and we erected the log shed. It awaits roof and guttering. 

John not leaving a twig unshredded

Clare usually taking photographs, so good to have proof she works too

And here's what she helped to achieve

It's not a proper Green Gym Day without a picnic

Mel in a vital role

Shed erection stage 1 complete

Mel reckoning his role might not be so vital

Brashed Hawthorns on the Meadow

Putting the world to rights no doubt

John and power tools - a match made in heaven

Birds and bugs welcome here

July 2015 - a partridge on a boundary wall

2nd July

Grey partridge on south boundary wall. 

6th July

We lined and back-filled second and larger wet area in meadow and planted Yellow Iris, Mints, Monkey Flower, Ragged Robin, Purple Loosestrife. 

8th July

Brashing Meadow Hawthorns and brashing at east end of top strip; clearing at west end of Top Strip; completed rabbit proofing meadow. 

6th - 27th July

Work on Countryside Stewardship application. 

13th July

We built the bonfire for Lughnassa.

25th July

Green Gym Day - path at west end of top strip started, 30 metres completed, with Mel and Tim.

27th July

Brash hauled out of Top Strip and some clearing in quarry. 

Building bonfires is proving to be one of Clare's favourite activities. Here's one in progress...

June 2015 - injury time and a pair of hares

1st June

John had an accident felling and bruised his thigh very badly. (Clare took a photograph, at John's request, so that he would remember how easily accidents can happen. Although John has very fine legs, there might be readers of a sensitive disposition, we decided not to publish it!)

Throughout June

More planting in meadow. Hares seen several days, 2 on one occasion. John took the first step towards his plan to build a Shepherd's Hut and bought a flatbed trailer at the local farm sale.

May 2015 - evidence of a green woodpecker on the land

4th May

Bird box survey. 

4th - 29th May

More planting, majority in meadow. 

10th May

Jonathan made his first visit. 

14th May

Keith helped with this year's bird survey. 

14th, 15th and 21st May

Tim began helping us think about a website. 

18th May

Mel came to help with digging the pond/wet area.

21st May

We planted Willows for the bird-watching bower on the wetland.

23rd, 24th and 25th May

Much work in the Pit Wood - paths - strimmed and brashing started; re-strimming of path in top strip and brashing at west end. 

25th May

Nick visited and offered to help map the history of the land; we was of a mind that there might possibly have been ancient woodland here; we heard a green woodpecker in the Pit Wood. 

29th May

Andrew from Cottage Garden Flowers in Bingfield came to see the site; he has donated some Lady's Bedstraw plants. 

Please use your imagination to see this as a woven bower in years to come, encircling a binoculars-wielding Clare

Nick identified some of our trees as Red Oaks, pointing out the 'pins' or 'whiskers' on the tip of each lobe, and the red base of the stalk

April 2015 - lots of planting and more Green Gym days

Ongoing work to flatten the Meadow. 

2nd April

Forget-me-not, Wood Anemone and Primrose planted in the Top Strip. 

6th April

(Easter Monday). Wood Cranesbill planted in Top Strip. 

7th April

White Violets planted in Top Strip. Ponies collected and taken to Geltsdale. Campion planted on grassy bank in SW corner, Alchemilla and Wild Strawberry planted on Crag. Bendy Larch in NE Strip felled; stile built at western end of Top Strip. 

8th April

Purple Violets planted in top strip; Larch felled in NE plantation. Pied wagtails on top grazing.

10th April

Green Gym: Pat freed more trees in Pit Wood; Tim planted Teazel and Honesty on spoil heaps west of Meadow; Sally planted Leopard's Bane, Monkshood and Dame's Violet in Pit Wood near the spring; John made a stile into the Pit Wood; Clare did more Meadow flattening!

11th April

Green Gym: Mel and John felled the second bendy Larch in the NE plantation; Sally planted Bladder Campion, Solidago and Yellow Loosestrife on spoil heaps in the Top Strip; Clare and Sally started the Ramsons Ramble at the far end of the Top Strip path; Clare continued to hone her mattock management skills on the Meadow. Mel and John planted one Rowan and one Birch from Sally. Stoat hunting at east end of the Crag base.

13th April

John rotovated the eastern quarter of the Wildflower Meadow and 2 paths from the gate to the stiles in the north fence. More work on these paths and banking up the edges of the wet areas in the Meadow. More mattocking.

Seed mix (Sweet Cicely, Garlic Mustard, Wild Carrot, Wild Parsnip and Weld) scattered in Scrub, on Top Grazing and along eastern edge of Meadow. 

17th April

We decided to distribute the plug plants around the Meadow by delineating several circles laid out with string and apportioning the plants between them.; Foxglove and Hedge Woundwort planted under Hawthorn stands on Meadow; Wood Sorrel planted in Top Strip and more Geranium Sylvaticum. Brash on paths. 

18th April

More path brash in Meadow; 3 circles planted, one by entrance; Plantains to ward off serpents and serpent-like thoughts planted in quincunx and triangle either site of gate; tray of Sweet Cicely seedlings planted on north edge of Scrub; discovered bank of Cowslips on spoil heap west of Meadow. 

19th April

Trip to Egglestone Hall Gardens to buy 3 Spindle Trees, 1 Wild Cherry, 1 Damson and 1 Rowan. 

20th April

1 more circle planted; Wild Cherry, Damson, Rowan planted. (NB we were to discover later that planting specimen trees on a meadow is Not a Good Thing, so we had to move them!)

22nd April

Bird box survey.

23rd April

Eastern quarter of Meadow seeded. 

24th April

2 more circles and 3 Spindle Trees planted.

25th April

Spoilheap planting.

27th and 28th April

Digger for roadway from lower entrance and ponds on Meadow.

29th April

Bonfire prep.

John helping to flatten the meadow

Pat - Tree-Freer in Chief

Result of rotovating

Bramble helping Tim plant on the spoil heaps

Sally planting in the Pit Wood

Ganymede and Anonymous awaiting departure

Specimen trees on the meadow

Meadow path

More meadow trees

Plug plants waiting to go in

Spindle Trees west of the Meadow

February 2015 - bird box alterations

13th February

We realised we needed a gateway to give access to the lower part of the land. Hal helped with clearing this new entrance and completing removal of hunt jump and re-walling. 

14th February

Both above tasks completed. Bird box entrances altered. 

19th February

Snipe on Wetland; hare on Top Grazing.

Hunt jump before

Emboldened Emily meets emboldened Ganymede

Hunt jump gone

Where there was wall...

The cap is not a permanent fixture

...we now have a gate

First fire festival party

Having spent January working on the lower entrance, on 1st February 2015 we held our Imbolc fire party. Fire and ice make a great combination. Thanks to Sally and Jane B for photographs.

We made a cross of St Brigid from of rushes from the Wetland. Such crosses were to protect from harm. Clare also made a broom from fallen twigs to sweep out the old and make way for the new. 

December 2014 - time to deliver Christmas trees

2nd December

Keith came to advise us on the Wetland - he affirmed idea of digging out ponds where the water is backing up. 

3rd December

We met at The Rat with Robert Charlton to talk about the possible ways to pump overflow water from the spring. 

7th December

We planted 21 Willows on the wetland. 

15th December

We cut down and delivered Christmas trees. 

31st December

Juliet came to take 4 ponies away.

November 2014 - willow cuttings and family help

16th November

We helped Wenda and Matthew take down a Willow tree and we collected a trailer load of cuttings for Liddells. 

18th November

Nick, landscape historian and fellow chorister, visited and suggested that there might have been a wood on what we call the Wetland. There are certainly tree stumps remaining. He says:

'I think that the southern boundary of the wood is the stone in my attached photo (together with a stretch of old wall below the little old Oak near the stone). If this is right, then the wood was on the north-facing slope below the stone and on the low ground visible in the back of the photo which has deep trenches running across it. The stone, the remnant of wall and the trenches all look pretty ancient to me. This makes your wood - if it still survived (there's a Scots Pine on the low ground - visible on my photo - which presumably survives from the wood) pretty old and so it may have been an ancient wood. The trenches could well have been made to enable planting on that low, badly drained ground - such an approach to planting is an 18th century method. Also a lovely line of old Beech beside the wall by the lane - these look early 19th century to me.'

(John has since measured the roadside Beeches and calculated them to be roughly 240 years old)

23rd November

Hal and Beth gave us a day's work. Beth and Clare fixed the wire netting (stitching and stapling) on the Wildflower Meadow; Hal and John fixed the netting to the posts.

In spite of the protective fortress, the ponies managed to get in and eat some of the willows. Maybe they had a headache...

The stone Nick suggests might mark the boundary of an earlier wood