100 working holidays and counting .....

Working holidays are a great way to get involved with the National Trust’s work and some people return many times to take part in them. Some go that extra mile though and Di Lang is a great example of this. A long standing working holiday leader (the leader is not staff but takes charge or housekeeping, shopping, menus etc), Di led her first holiday here at High Wray back in 2004 and recently returned here to lead her 100^th!

Di (left) on the 100th holiday

Di has led holidays as diverse as Drystone walling and hedgelaying, woodland management and running events. We’re particularly thankful for her formidable organisational skills and boundless enthusiasm in leading our upland adventure holidays, where participants camp out on the high fells for three nights and work to reduce path erosion in the day.

‘I’m from a farming background’ Di says ‘I always used to be out with my Father when I was growing up. My career took me on a different path, running my own flooring business, but one day I noticed a hedge by the side of the road. ‘That’s a well laid hedge’ I thought, then thought ‘that’s my father talking’. So I went to agricultural college and did a few short courses, then looked into conservation holidays and found the National Trust’s Working Holidays and I’ve stuck with them ever since.’

So what is it about Working Holidays that keeps Di coming back for more? ‘The variety, the places you go to and the people you meet. I love the extra knowledge you learn as I think your brain is still a muscle that needs working. It keeps your body moving as well! I enjoy the social elements too, meeting new people and some of their experiences and backgrounds are amazing. No working holiday is exactly the same either, you may come back to the same Basecamp but the dynamics of the group are completely different.’

‘The High camp ones are really special to me and I love footpath laying too. I’m off to do scything this year, because we’ve got a grassland area close to where we live and we want to turn it into a wildflower meadow. It’s new skills again. I’ve discovered I’m not really a gardener though – it’s too tidy!’

On the fells on a camping holiday

Floored!
To cap it all, to mark the 100^th holiday Di stayed on a week at the end of it and with the help of ever supportive husband Max brought her flooring skills to bear by replacing our tatty old vinyl floors with a new hard wearing surface. This looks great and should last for years to come

‘I sort of think of High Wray as a second home now and when I was here another time I was looking at the floors and thinking I could put a new floor down to make it more attractive for people to come here. You get a pride in your work when you’re doing something like this and it’s nice to think that other working holidays and volunteer groups will get the benefit of this in the future.’

Di reclines on the newly fitted and very smart floor in the 'Acland' block, with 100th working Holiday presentation picture

We’re looking forward to many more years of working alongside Di, with another camping holiday scheduled for this May. It’s thanks to the dedication and hard work of leaders like Di (and there are plenty of others too) that the National Trust is able to offer such a varied and interesting working holiday programme, enabling many people to get involved with our work and help us look after our special places for everyone.

We’ll leave the last word to Di:

‘I’ll be carrying on with working holidays as long as I can, I’ve no intention of giving up. I still get excited every year when the new brochure comes out and I’m straight in there looking at where working holidays can take me this year.’

Rob Clarke, Basecamp Community Ranger

Find out more about National Trust working holidays here:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/working-holidays/

Friends, Romans, Hedgelayers

 Friends, Romans, hedgelayers … 

One of the great things about working at High Wray it is that we are playing our part in helping to keep traditional skills alive. One such skill is hedgelaying, which is carried out all over the country with regional variations in styles and techniques. It’s a fascinating process with a long history – according to the National Hedgelaying Society in 55BC Julius Caesar mentioned a tribe in Flanders using techniques recognisable today.

Hedge with a view

A winter task often means chilly conditions!

Hedgelaying is a job that can only be done in winter when the sap is not rising. It involves cutting hedge plants most of the way through their stems and ‘laying’ them on their sides to form a stock proof barrier. The traditional tool for this is the Billhook, although often today hedgelaying is done with a chainsaw.

A billhook - lots of regional variations available ...

 As well as looking good, a laid hedge provides shelter for the stock, encourages new growth in the plants and makes good ground cover for wildlife. The regional variations come (amongst other things) with the differences in how steep an angle you lay the plants, how wide and high your hedge is and where you put wooden stakes to hold everything in place.

Finished stretch of hedge, quite late in the season (note leaves on plants)

Collateral benefits

So it’s a satisfying, traditional skill that many regular local volunteers look forward to each winter – although for some we’re sure that has a lot to do with the fact that when you’re hedgelaying you generally have a nice big fire to burn all the excess bits of wood!

Utilizing the fire in a vain attempt to dry out the thorn proof hedgelaying gauntlets

We also run National Trust hedgelaying working holidays which adds an extra level of interest for us as we will often have some quite experienced people from other parts of the country turning up to ‘see how we do it here’. Not only do they bring different knowledge and experience we can pick up on, they sometimes bring all sorts of interesting tools and equipment for us to admire too.

That's some very interesting equipment - A working holiday participant's wood burning kettle

By the time we finish this year’s hedges the season will be over for the year and we’ll be moving on to other tasks. We look forward to this time, not because we don’t like hedgelaying but because the end of it heralds the start of spring and all that glorious sunshine that’s no doubt heading our way …..

Find out more about National Trust working holidays here:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/working-holidays/

By Rob Clarke, Basecamp Community Ranger

Holiday in the Hills

This week the blog comes from the South Lakes Upland Ranger team.
A Holiday in the Hills probably sounds like a lovely idea, however it is worth noting that this holiday involved 5 days of Upland Footpath work. (Perhaps not everyone's idea of lovely.)
The first working day was a Sunday, the participants having arrived the day before and settled into the bunkhouse at High Wray.  As an introduction to footpath work we took the group on a "drain run". This involves checking an existing footpath route emptying the drains and clearing loose stone from any "stone pitched" sections of path.
The group, including one from Australia and one from Belgium, got stuck into this task and did a thorough job. Unfortunately it was quite a harsh introdution as the weather was not kind with wind and icy rain throughout the day. Although it was a good time to see how the drainage was working.

Grim introduction: A drain run on a cold wet & windy day

After a grim first day we wondered if everyone would return on the Monday as very occasionally participants make an early exit. We needn't have worried as everyone was back bright and early to meet us at the Three Shires Stone on the Wrynose Pass. The group also brought with them much nicer weather.

Early morning warm up by the Three Shires Stone
(Much nicer weather too)

The work for the next two days was on one of the team's main projects for the year, the footpath from Red Tarn to Crinkle Crags.  The group worked on a part where people were spreading out and a widening erosion scar was developing. The plan was to use landscaping techniques to remove any side routes and create a tighter more manageable path line.

Before: Path widening and erosion scar developing 

The landscaping approach used is sometime referred to as "hump & hollow". It involves stripping turf and re-shaping the ground next to the path into humps and hollows.  The idea is to make this area unattractive to walk on so that people don't want to spread out. Once we are happy that the shapes of the humps and hollows are fairly natural looking the turf that was stripped off is re-laid. In addition grass seed (specially mixed for the fells) is used on any bare patches so the landscaping will green over and blend into the fellside.

During: Group working to remove side routes

After: Section of "hump & hollow" landscaping complete  

After a well earned rest day it was a time for a change of scenery and also a change of task. The location was the Tongue Gill path, part of the very popular Coast to Coast route. The work was to build a section of stone path using large rocks that had been lifted to site by helicopter. This type of stone stepped path is known as "stone pitching".
The rock used has an interesting background as it came out of the ground lower down Tongue Gill during excavations for a  hydroelectric power scheme completed this year. The owner of the scheme generously donated the rock to Fix the Fells .

Group get cracking building "Stone Pitching" on the Tongue Gill path

Eight happy volunteers with their completed sections of Stone Pitching

It was a very enjoyable and productive working holiday with lots of good quality work completed !

The National Trust runs a range of Working Holidays all around the country.  An opportunity for like minded people to meet, have a holiday and carry out conservation work with experienced staff.  The costs are fairly modest and cover accommodation in a bunkhouse, food during the holiday and transport between the bunkhouse and work site.  More information on working holidays can be found using the following link: Working Holidays

If you would like to know more about the daily work of the South Lakes Upland Ranger team they can be found on Twitter @NTLakesFells.

Posted by: Nick, Upland Ranger

A Valentine to Volunteers

This week it is the turn of the South Lakes Upland Ranger team to write this blog and in light of the date it seemed like a great opportunity to remind volunteers that we love them !

Tackling erosion in the fells of the Lake District is a never-ending task and there is much more to do than the teams can possibly cope with. If it wasn't for volunteers we would struggle to keep on top of the maintenance of existing path work let alone undertake new projects.

There is one group of volunteers that is particularly close to our hearts; the 'Fix the Fells Lengthsmen'.  A  'lengthsman' is a traditional term for someone who looks after a right of way.
This group of  volunteers is involved in upland path work all year round and in all weathers. We frequently work with them and have got to know them fairly well. In fact two of our current team were first involved in upland work as volunteers under this lengthsmen scheme.


A work party with Fix the Fells Lengthsmen last summer on a
path project up Fairfield. A lovely day!

Lunchtime with lengthsmen: sheltering last week with a few volunteers on a
 work party near Blea Tarn.  Not such a nice day !

The volunteer lengthsmen carry out a range of important tasks. One of the main ones is the "drain run". This involves walking existing routes where path work has been carried out, clearing the drains  and clearing any gravel and loose material from the sections of " pitched" stone steps. It is also an opportunity to check the general condition of the paths and report back on areas in need of attention. The lengthsmen do an excellent job of coordinating their own drain runs and most weeks several drain runs take place around the Lake District.

They are also involved in project work which might include repairing or building new drains, pitching sections of path with rock and landscaping to define the main path and remove shortcuts.  Much of this is done in work parties with the upland path teams and some mini projects are carried out independently.

Lengthsmen building a drain on a route up Coniston Old Man.

It is often a case of 'many hands make light work' and the progress from a work party day can be quite striking.

A section of erosion developing on a path by Raise Beck.

Fix the Fells lengthsmen hard at work on the eroding section.

The results of the work party - a much better looking section of path. 

The lengthsmen are a fantastic group & always willing to get involved & help out even at fairly short notice. Last year, when weather conditions had delayed preparations, they helped us fill bags with rock just in time for the helicopter lifts that moved the rock from the screes to the nearby project site.

Today the South Lakes Upland Ranger team are out on a drain run with some of the lengthsmen and some potential new recruits, who will hopefully enjoy this "taster" day.
More information on volunteering for 'Fix the Fells' can be found using the following link:
http://www.fixthefells.co.uk/who-we-are/our-volunteers

The focus of this blog has so far been our main group of upland footpath volunteers that we have got to know (& love) over the last few years. We are also fortunate to work with lots of other volunteers.

We sometimes have individuals who wish to work with the team, it might be just the odd day or other times a few weeks, perhaps using holidays.

Two volunteers from the Netherlands helping us with our
Fairfield path project last summer.

Our volunteer centre at High Wray Basecamp frequently involves us with their volunteer groups. Examples might range from groups of college students doing outdoor courses to rehabilitation groups.

Volunteers from a rehabilitation group working on our Blea Moss path project

'West Runton' helping on the Blea Moss path project.
(A group that have been coming to High Wray Basecamp for many years)

Other volunteers include groups that enjoy the fells in their leisure time.  Aware that they are contributing to the erosion problems they also want to do their bit to help.

Kendal Fellwalkers helping us on a drain run up Browney Gill in January
(Weather looks nice here....but not for long....)

We usually run two upland footpath working holidays each year.  This involves up to 12 individuals joining us for a week's "holiday" working on our upland path projects.

Our working holiday group on the Fairfield path project last September.
(Probably some of the worst weather we had on the fells last year.)

It has only been possible to include a selection of volunteers that we have the pleasure to work with. However our message is the same to all volunteers:
"Thank you !"

If you would like to know more about the daily work of the South Lakes Upland Ranger team they can be found on Twitter @NTLakesFells.

Posted by: Nick, Upland Ranger

The best made bin store in the west!

....... In the North West, that is. This last week the volunteer centre at High Wray Basecamp has been full of the sound of chiselling, sawing and hammering. Along with our woodland ranger Richard, we've been hard at work with our second National Trust green woodwork working holiday. Last year we made a new woodstore for Basecamp - this years project is the glamorous sounding recycling store for the grounds of Wray Castle.


Taking advantage of the good weather to work outside on the second day

So, a bin store. Could have been a hard sell for a green woodwork project, but there's good reason for making a really good job of it. The recycling at the castle is currently stored in a small, damp and difficult to get to stone tunnel round the back of the castle. This inaccesibility meant the big recycling trucks were having difficulty getting to it, so we needed a new location that was easier to get to. However, this new location is close to the front of the castle - which means our timber framed shed needs to look good! We can also use the prominent location to put some information up about how it was built and who built it, making a talking point about it and making sure the volunteers are credited.


In the woodland at the end of the first day with the hand hewn 'Transoms'

It's been a busy week. We started in a local woods and felled some trees to cut to size and shape the 'transoms', big supporting struts that run along the side of the shed. This takes a long time, so the rest of the wood was cut to size by our wood mill and delivered to Basecamp. The rest of the week has been spent cutting mortice and tenon joints, shaping jowl posts, making pegs and many other chiselling and sawing tasks. We also had to lay the foundations for the shed at the castle, a job not made any easier by the bedrock we hit a few inches down .....



The Basecamp workshop in full swing later in the week when the weather wasn't so kind ..

The first block for the base goes in ...

By Thursday evening we're looking well on track to get the frame in place tomorrow - a barn raising moment! There'll be more to do on the shed after that so look for further updates on future blogs ......

Like the sound of this? For more information on National Trust working holidays go to:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/working-holidays/

By Rob Clarke, Basecamp Community Ranger

Basecamp blitzed ......

 …… But in a good way! We’ve recently had our second ‘Basecamp Blitz’ up here at the volunteer centre, the first of which we ran back in December 2011. For five days Basecamp was a flurry of activity with a gang of volunteers and working holiday leaders turning up to work through our big 'to do' list of jobs. As well as loads of deep cleaning one block’s kitchen and communal area has been repainted, with the other having one of it’s dormitories redone. With the everything done in the last Blitz this means the whole Basecamp has been repainted over the last couple of years!

All dressed up and ready for painting

But it wasn’t just painting: A plumber has fixed some leaky pipes and a seamstress has patched up some of our most worn out old sofas, broken tools have been mended, a new barbecue area started and our garden area given a tidy up. With all the many miscellaneous little jobs that were tackled the whole place feels freshened up and fighting fit for the new volunteering year.



The new barbecue area taking shape

It’s been a fantastic team effort by everyone involved and we’re really chuffed with the results – we’d literally never have done it without all the help from the volunteers. There was also an additional benefit in that the working holiday leader contingent used the Saturday night to have a get together and talk through various issues. So not only were we getting the place spruced up, we were providing a conference centre!



The blitzers take a break





But it was all a bit much for some!

 By Rob Clarke, Community Ranger, High Wray Basecamp

A Year at High Wray Basecamp

At Basecamp we are full to bursting with enthusiastic groups keen to get their hands dirty for our beautiful Lake District countryside. This was my first year in the Lake District meeting and working with so many people on some fantastic conservation projects. Here are some of my highlights of the year…

Volunteers from West Runton Scripture Union: Hard work but a beautiful view!

1) The Wray Bay path – Partly funded through Windermere Reflections, we have been out in force building a solid footpath along the shores of Windermere in the Wray Castle grounds. We’ve had lots of volunteer help with this project with some days being wetter than others! We exceeded our target length for the year, creating a footpath that’s suitable for electric wheelchairs, bikes and pushchairs, increasing access to the wilder Western shore.

 Fix the Fells Camping Working Holiday: What a place to set up home for 3 days…

2) Fix the Fells Camping Working Holidays – I really enjoyed the Fix the Fells camping working holidays up on Martcrag Moor in the Langdale Valley in June and August. This involved a long walk in with everyone carrying their own kit to spend 3 nights up on the fell. The group worked hard in all weathers to improve the route through eroded peat bog. I don’t know how we would have managed without all the cake…

 Working Holiday volunteers: The end of the holiday saw a nearly finished frame!

3) Green woodworking working holiday - Perhaps my favourite highlight was our first green woodworking holiday to build a new woodshed for Basecamp. Our old one was very old and rickety so what better idea than to spend a week constructing a new one in traditional methods!? The oak for the main frame came from the National Trust woodlands felled by our very own foresters. The good news is the shed now has a roof, cladding and some wood drying inside.

 Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community: The reward for a hard days rhododendron bashing

4) Rhododendron Bashing - Everyone loves a bit of destruction and a roaring fire. We’ve been attacking the rhodi problem on the property as part of a large grant scheme. We couldn’t do this without the help of all our volunteers! We aim to make 2013 an even more destructive year for those rhodis!

So what for 2013?

My highlights of the year wouldn’t be so memorable without the good humour and hard work of our amazing volunteers and other rangers. We look forward to working with all the great characters that come with our groups (as well as meeting new ones!) to help conserve and protect the Lake District.

Let’s hope the weather is kinder to us in 2013…

Clair Payne

Ranger (Volunteers)