Ock Path, Town End - Saturday 18th May 2024

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Blog by Eleanor, photos by Kevin, Michele and Sally

Our main task this session was to renew the wood chip path, which curves round from the main path to the northern branch of the Ock and back again to the main path. This path, very popular with dog walkers, had suffered badly in the very wet Winter.

The weir




The Ock


We were delighted to see that the Town Council had provided us with two heaps of wood chippings at both ends of the path. We had brought the Green Gym wheelbarrow and Dieuwke had also lent her own. The first job was to rake fallen twigs and small branches off the path, starting at the western end, which was the muddiest. There was the usual litter picking to be done and Carolyn nobly volunteered to do this. Sally had brought her scythe to clear vegetation off the edges of the path and to clear around the young trees. Some trees we had planted a few years earlier needed the tree guards, mats and stakes to be removed.

Meanwhile there was loading of the barrows with woodchip, tipping it on to the path and spreading it out with rakes. Some people moved to the other end of the path and started there. After the tea break


   we worked from both ends. Would we have enough wood chip or enough time to join up? There were some doubters among us.








We were so determined to finish, and the wood chip appeared to be holding out, that most people agreed to stay late and carry on. Eventually, workers at both ends were in sight of each other, and at last, with the final barrow load, the path was complete!

Several passers by thanked us for our work and said how much they appreciated having the renewed path after the muddy Winter.

A long view of the path




Carolyn moving cut vegetation


Within the boundaries of the main path and woodchip path, there is a variety of trees and shrubs, while the tall nettles and cow parsley provide shelter and food for birds and insects.


Guelder rose




A moth with very long antennae





Red beetle - pyrochroa serraticornis???

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