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Saturday 30 January 2010

Restoring Barnard Castle’s Riverside Paths

River Tees at Barnard Castle

A couple of weeks ago I got recruited as a volunteer by Durham County Council’s Outdoor peeps (not the official name!) to take part in a project aimed at restoring Barnard castle’s riverside paths network. (I’ve been a voluntary countryside ranger for the County Council a few years now…)

These are very popular paths for locals and visitors and their dogs and are an important resource for a bit of quiet wandering around in a nice bit of woodland next to the River Tees.

volunteers volunteering

Today’s work was opening part of one of the paths out because it had become overgrown with quite a bit of scrub – lots of elder and hawthorn and brambles and raspberries, so there was a full day of pruning and sawing and dragging bits of shrubbery around.

Most locals who were passing with their doggies seemed to think it was all a really good idea but one chap enquired as to the whereabouts of his favourite elderberry tree…. (doh!)

wp1 003

I think there were eight or nine of us plus the County Tree Officer and an off-duty countryside ranger with a chain saw.

Well be back in a couple of weeks to do a bit of gardening and there’s some woodland to thin out.

This is quite good exercise and uses muscles other than walking ones( I’ve been sawing all day!) and a bit of positive feedback from the Barnard Castilians and the fact that you can instantly see the difference – makes it all very satisfying. (And, of course, with being a volunteer, you get treated nicely in case you don’t come back! – Its not like having a job.)

If anybody wants any logs or firewood by the way, there’s piles of it by the River Tees at Barney.

4 comments:

John J said...

Barnard Castle is a lovely place. does the Teesdale Thrash still happen - on Mad Day Bank Holiday weekend? I've been to many happy 'thrashes', but sadly not for some years.

JJ

Mike Knipe said...

I'm not sure about this, John. There's some kind of long distance walk from Wolsongham to Teesdale and back. Walkers have numbers on and try to win and stuff - which is why I don't know much about it....

John J said...

The Thrash is/was a small but very good folk festival in Barnard Castle. I've searched around but can't find any reference to the festival, past or present.

Ho hum.

JJ

Mike Knipe said...

I wuz barking up the wrong tree there, then.
It was either that or an itchy "condition"
I prolly never heard of it.....
wait a minute, though....
Nope, I've never heard of it....