Monthly Archives: September 2013

This afternoon, Kerry Fieldhouse, a conservation officer with Leeds City Council  led a walk around Adel Woods as her third walk in a series exploring the diverse cultural and natural heritage of the Meanwood Valley.

Kerry telling the history of Adel Pond

About fifteen adults and children met in Stairfoot Lane at 1 pm.  We first headed up to the Hospice Woodland before heading over to Alwoodley Plantation and finding Cocidius, our very own national monument.

Kerry then led the happy and talkative group back to Adel Crag, down past the picnic area to the Meanwood Valley trail, and down to Adel Pond.

The Slabbering Baby and Verity’s tea rooms

From there to the Slabbering Baby, up to Adel Moor and on to the Buck Stone.

From the Buck Stone we went down to the Seven Arches, back up the Meanwood Valley trail to the pond, and back to Stairfoot Lane carpark via Adel Bog and the Ice House.

Weatherwise it was a stunningly beautiful afternoon and the woods looked glorious.

Thank you Kerry for a very informative and very enjoyable walk!

Getting ready!

Another lovely day – and another great turn out.

Two tasks today:  litterpicking and de-silting Adel Pond.  Tom, Win, Michelle, Beth and Steph set off litter picking and picked up about four bags of litter.

The rest of us set off with Steve Joul down to the pond.

On the way Brian took the opportunity to clear back the vegetation at the top of the path down to the Slabbering Baby.

Before

On reaching the pond we were amazed to see how much silt had accumulated since we carried out the newt survey on the 18th and 19th May – see the entries on our blog.

However, we were all eager to get cracking and into that mud!

Teamwork is everything.  At any one time we had two people in the pond filling buckets;  two or three people emptying the buckets into a wheelbarrow driven by Andrew, or emptying them over the bank at the back of the pond.

Eventually Beth and Steph arrived to join in the fun, having already picked a bag of litter each.  Steph was soon at work transporting buckets of mud, while Beth went round the pond cutting back branches overhanging the pond.

Once we finished at the pond, David, Brian, Andrew and your correspondent cut back some branches at horse rider height on the path back up to Buckstone Road, while Steve cleaned the buckets and waders in the stream.

Two people who have thoroughly enjoyed themselves this morning!

To see bigger versions of the pictures, click on them.  Unfortunately, the picture are not very clear because your correspondent forgot his camera and had to take pictures on his phone.

A good morning’s work!