It seems no time at all since the last inspections but once again it was time to make the quarterly checks on old mine shafts. These are scattered around many places here in the Lakes and we need to make sure that fencing and warning signs are all in place. The following picture will give you an impression of the potential danger.
One of my visits was to a site I can drive to so Reiver was able to revisit a familiar haunt and enjoy a potter around. She still likes to be out and about.
Later in the week I was working with volunteers at High Snab Farm where we have been building fences and hedge-laying. Hedges may go almost unnoticed amongst the magic of the hills and lakes but they are massively important. They act as barriers for livestock; they add to the beauty of the landscape and, probably most important, they are mini-ecosystems. So their upkeep is well worth the effort.
We had two jobs to do at High Snab. First we laid a hedge that we had previously planted and then we pitched in helping Tom (farmer) to install some new fencing. So we are first scrubbing out some of the trees that would damage the hedge that we want to thrive on each side of a stream. Then we will build fences on each side to contain the hedge and stream. This will create a 4 metre-wide wildlife corridor. There is an unexpected sense of urgency about this project because the signs of spring are so much earlier than we would expect at a hill farm at these latitudes. We do need to lay the hedge before it bursts into leaf and it looks like that will be soon.
Fortunately, my volunteers are great workers and are developing a range of skills very quickly so, if there are no unplanned hitches, we should complete it in good time. A bonus for us is that High Snab is in such a superb location – great place for the picnic lunch.
This link will take you on a quick tour of High Snab and you can get an impression of life for one of the farmers at a Trust farm.
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