Fenced out!

Hello, my name is Amy and I am the new Long Term Volunteer here with the South Lakes team. As part of my degree at Aberystwyth University I have to undertake a placement in a relevant industry to my chosen degree of Countryside Management and Conservation. Even though I have learned a lot in lectures the time I spend with the National Trust will be just as important if not more, putting what I have learned into practice as well as increasing my knowledge of key practical skills.

Before shot

Having worked in the Coniston area for the last month I have now moved over to the Hawkshead side where we are currently extending fences into Lake Windermere. These fences are not to exclude people from areas of land (step stiles have been added for access) but instead cattle. Cattle can prevent natural regeneration of woodlands from occurring by grazing off young shoots from the trees. Currently the under story of the trees is pretty bare, with the extension of the fences these shoots will be allowed to grow and an understory can develop.

Adding the rails

  

However extending fences into a lake is not as easy as it seems, firstly working in water is much harder than working in bare ground as very quickly the water loses its clear appearance and becomes slightly cloudy with the disturbance of the ground. Secondly there are many rocks in Lake Windermere, all of which affect how easily or straight it is to get a post into the ground. 

Finally once the posts are in the ground and up to the wobble test it is time to attach the rails; for the majority this was the easy task but hammering in water is a new and weird experience. For this fencing task waders were a must as we all found out!

 

The completed fence into the Lake.