It's been some time..

So, since we last left.. Not a lot had happened down at The Dell whilst waiting to hear back from the Alec Dickson Trust for funding etc. just the odd case of litter picking and we had a big party to celebrate everyone who helped out down there and of course it tied in with my 25th!

Excellent night, one or two photo's floating around on here, asides that I have been focused on my college studies and my move to university where I will be studying forestry..

A load of bulbs for native flowers were planted in one of the borders which contained 2 hawthorn, 1 oak and 3 rowan trees. Clearly outlined as a border with sections of limbs. Some people who use the space had come down and decided to rip up the borders and use the space where the bulbs were planted to create a shelter to sit under. This space was no doubt a really good up-cycled den and the time and effort put into it must have been epic. The time and effort put into selecting bulbs/plants after researching what was missing, aerating the soil and planting them then carrying heavy sections of timber up a slope after spending all day cutting them up however outweighed this..
Not to mention that I suspect the den was only built as somewhere to sit due to the original communal area being absolutely destroyed, the benches burnt, the fire pit over flowing with cans, metals, plastics, wrappers, bits of wood from the borders etc. by making the den they have also snapped all the saplings in the process. All this was done in the matter of 2 weeks.

I got a message from a man who photographs wildlife (Richard Milligan) who wished to come and snap some wild things at The Dell. We both arranged for the 16th to be a good date to get down and have a wonder round. I then decided this would be a great opportunity for Friends Of The Dell to come down and drop in, drop out to help clean up the area and make it nice once again.

Between this date some people had gone down and done their bit in cleaning up, this effort was also ruined by people just taking the bin bags left for collection and burning them on the fire. This meant the collected rubbish just spilled out of the bags as soon as the bin bag had melted away.

On the day Rich took some lovely shots of insects, some of which he hadn't seen before and he said he will send them off to be identified. He also mentioned that if any of the species are rare The Dell will be able to get funding for fences to fence off the conservation areas! More than 15 wonderful chaps and chapettes turned out to show their skills and have good conversation. We completely restored the fire pit and extended it to allow for over spill and used the material from the den to create a huge bin cage in which we will be in touch with Knowsley Council to come to some arrangement for collection (hopefully).
Whilst we were there the group of people who had made the den showed up and wanted to know why we had taken it down. I explained as best as I could that The Dell is for everyone and if they'd had kept the fire area clean and tidy there would not have been a need to build a new area to sit. I asked them why they destroyed a bed of wildflowers, why they had snapped/ripped up whips, why they had ruined the borders, why they didn't take rubbish home.. In the calmest and nicest way possible I tried to reason with them. They seemed to understand which is good, I want The Dell to be enjoyed by everyone for the natural beauty it contains, for the fun it can inject into you, the mystical feeling you get from stumbling upon it.

If people want to build a den down there, lets do it! Lets apply for funding and build the best possible den The Dell will ever see! The only problem I have is destroying something on purpose to build when there is plenty of unused, uninhabited space to utilise. More of the group who made the den came over and stared at us from the top of the quarry, I would rather them have come down and talked about what is happening at The Dell and what it means for them as a place.

We have the power to come together and break down boundaries if they can just let us.

I will be up at The Dell on Friday night from around half 7. If anyone wishes to come up and have a mooch about or just sit and chat feel free :).

I hope the work that we do up there does not offend anyone and if you wish to ask anything don't hesitate to!

Remember The Dell is ours to share along side nature.

FOTD

P.S. I have lost my phone, this is why there has been such a long wait between the posts!

Trees!

Had a great day yesterday down at Carr Lane woods planting over 1000 trees! These were spread over 4 small copses and included Hawthorn, Rowan, Hornbeam, Oak, Crab apple, Alder and Black thorn. The people helping out got really stuck in and soon got the hang of things.
We worked alongside The Conservation Volunteers and liaised with Eric on where to plant them. We had some great ideas planting Hawthorn next to the existing bramble to create habitat for birds next to a feeding station.

Epic spade skills!

Getting stuck in!

Changing the landscape

Mucky boots

Fun in the sun

Hard at work

Small whips will one day be tall trees

As you can see from the pictures the work is not too strenuous and if the weather is as nice as it was yesterday, the day can be really relaxing!

Thanks to everyone who joined in and helped out especially TCV who will be donating trees on Tuesday for The Dell.

If you wish to be involved in the plantation on Tuesday 18th please meet us on Huyton Lane at the top of Carr Lane, L34 between 9:30 - 10:00am

FOTD

Good Times Ahead

We have had a great start to the spring. Today started with a meeting held at Carr Lane and The Dell with Tony Siebenthaler who has fantastic experience with community projects (he had a big role in the organisation of the lamb banana project) it was really great getting to know him as well as his background in urban development and being able to share ideas about The Dell. He also had a lot of fond memories and history to get a bigger picture on how the dell has changed in his lifetime.

Tony is getting in touch with some contacts who he feels will benefit the project and hopefully get things moving quicker.

The past few weeks have been outstanding seeing groups of people using the benches, taking interest on whats going on, telling us stories, giving advice from dog walkers to school kids mucking about.
A while ago work was stopped by a security guard (Geoff) he took interest in what was going on and today he came over and said how brilliant him and the other lads feel direction of the project is going.

Tomorrow is our planting day and will be held from 9:30am onwards at Carr Lane, L34. Please feel free to come along and help!

Today the sun was shining, the water was cold and the work was fun this is what we got up to..

Completing the first leg of the pathway..

 Mushroom to be completed tomorrow

Decayed Rhododendron packed with macro organisms is just one of the occupied logs along the path

 Dangerous holly tree (Ilex aquifolium) taken down and used for footpat

Pip trying out the footpath 

And Poppy..

Dangerously diseased white poplar (Poplus alba) felled and used for footpath

The daffodils felt quite welcoming in the warmth

We have decided on a logged bridge for the dip by the Sweet Chestnut, this will not only aid users of the wood but it will also protect the trees roots from cracks and fractures caused by compaction

And lastly we made two new habitat areas which will be followed tomorrow by another three

The peculiar thing about The Dell is, no matter how many times you visit and small it may be, you can never fully see/take in everything. There is always something new to look at. The seasons, the weather, your outlook/mood, forever effecting something different to spot or intrigue even the least enquisitive of people.

Today we found a squirrel nest, watched some great tits (jokes welcomed) begin construction on a nest, seen a display of a flight from birds and bees, watched a rabbit scale the cliff face and discover an abundance of habitats hidden away in pockets that go unseen.

As Tony said today "There has always been something spiritual about the place" and to that statement we take our hats off!

The Dell is not just a wooded area with its own micro climate and excellent tree specimens. Its one of the rare places you can go to and swear you seen a fairy or an imp. It cleanses your mind, creates time for thought and allows for fun!

If you've not been down to The Dell yet to check out whats been going on.. Why?

FOTD

Rolling On..

Today was a long day but with good progress.

We met up with Frank Jones of 20/20 Knowsley at Carr Lane woods to discuss the plantation to take place there this coming month.
After this we took Neil McMahon project organiser of The Conservation Volunteers up to The Dell and he looked like he enjoyed what he seen so far. He gave some great advice on what to do next, promising to look over our management plan.
He has advised for 1100 trees to be planted so we need as much help as possible!

We cleared the dangerously unstable trees and took down hung up trees, these were then used to outline the footpath clearly.

We also made habitat area which will have wildflowers planted within the space..

This allows small woodland mammals to travel through one area to another whilst being protected from predators. We will begin to make more of these to create a network of corridors for smaller wildlife to use.

The seating area has also been finished with the addition of two benches and two stools..

Great progress made on removing the large Beech and large Sycamore fallen across the central area, the timber will be used for boundary and to hold back the soil in the excavated steps.

We will be writing to Beesley and Fildes to ask for donations of wild flower bulbs and seeds. These can then be used to create the wild flower meadows and bring some colour into the woodland.

The Mersey Forest is also to be contacted under instruction of Neil to ask for help with applying for a Woodland improvement grant from the Forestry Commission. This will fund for the footpaths and signs needed for The Dell.

It has been nice to speak to some of the locals passing through and getting feed back while working up there.

If you have any feed back or ideas for The Dell, feel free to leave feedback on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/friendsofthedell

Thanks for all the help and support,

FOTD

Oh My Days..

Finally!

So we have been through a lot of phone calls, chasing about, emailing etc. and we now finally have the go ahead and luckily enough, picked up some useful contacts on the way..

Neil McMahon from The Conservation Volunteers (who will be helping out with demonstrations on tree planting)

Frank Jones from 20/20 (who I've worked with before, he will be able to help with where the trees are to be planted)

and Philip Hurst from Green space KMBC.

Dates for the tree planting have been put on the Facebook page www.facebook.com/friendsofthedell

They will be running throughout March and you can pick and choose which days you want to do.

I have applied for funding from the Alec Dickson Trust so hopefully we will have a bunch of brand new high-vis vests, new spades and rakes as well as travel expenses and dinner for everyone who takes part!

The Woodland trust have received our application for a wild wood tree pack of 106 trees and we are looking into registering Friends Of The Dell as a non-profit company or charity group. That will mean we can apply for Lottery Funding to enable us to construct the wood chip pathways and erect signs.

The woodland trust has also been in touch regarding the Sweet Chestnut and they will help apply for a TPO. They also said they will help to survey the woodland and take a look over the management plan.

I will be meeting up with Neil McMahon next week to let him have a look at the area and see what TCV can do to help out with the project. He has already stated that we may be able to get trees from TCV too.

We have been out and cleared the area of most rubbish although there is some still left on site. Knowsley Environmental Services have been informed and will hopefully come to collect the fly tipped items and litter once we have it all in one place.

4 of the many bags picked up!

Fallen trees cut up to create pathway

Started the clear out of fallen trees and making use of the timber. This is aimed to be finished by next week!

Site of proposed entrance

This is where we will have the entrance, we just pruned back a few branches and made it roughly accessible for now. The mound of spoil need digging into and some objects need to be taken away such as wire mesh, bricks and tires. 

Please be in touch with any ideas or plans that you may have. This is an open group for anyone!

FOTD

First draft of the proposed management plan..

 So here is my first draft of the management plan, feedback welcomed..

Huyton/Prescot Dell

Management Plan

Friends Of The Dell

(FOTD)

Contents:

·         Introduction

·         Management Objectives

·         Funding/Income

·         Schedule of Works

·         Other Data

·         Conclusion

Introduction

Basic details

Location:

Between Huyton Lane and Liverpool Road with the M57 running beside it,

KINGS BUSINESS PARK,

Knowsley,

Prescot,

L34

Owners:

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS LIMITED

(Co. Regn. No. 993768)

Huddersfield Road,

Elland,

West Yorkshire,

HX5 9B.

Lattitude:

53.427211

Longitude:

-2.8210992

Access Points:

See Fig.1

Site Description

Huyton/Prescot Dell is a small man made wooded area which belonged to a former estate which now consists of a business park (Kings Business Park). There is little history available online about the area but it would seem that the quarry was used to extract the robust metamorphic rock in order to create the boundary walls to the estate. The boundary fencing in place today does not cover this area, however, it is owned by Commercial Development Projects Ltd (a sub group of Marshall CPD).

The area discussed runs from the unused entrance situated on Huyton Lane at the back of the business park and includes: an avenue of trees, a small stretch of wooded grassland between the M57 and the left hand side of the business park, a wooded disused stone quarry with a clearance and a small stretch of overgrown grassland leading to Liverpool Road. (See Fig.1)

The site is currently disused and has fallen subject to antisocial behavior and vandalism. The site contains an array of trees but mainly plays host to Beech and Sycamore.

Meteorological Information:

This information is averaged for the general area, as The Dell is contained it is sheltered from most harsh winds. The site consists of composted leaf litter which also helps retain the moisture. As the site has a mixture of terrain, no drainage ditches are needed. We may look into adding a bog garden or a small pond to the left of the steep slope of spoil.

Soils

Consist of mainly a clay loam, some areas contain a sandy clay loam and the top layer of the wooded dell is a mixture of composting leaves/deadwood giving it good aeration. Soil is densely compacted on pathways.

Tree Cover

Beech (Fagus silvatica), Elder (Sambucas nigra), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), Silver Birch (Betula pendula), Downy Birch (Pendula pubescence), Common Yew (Taxus baccata), Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa), Holly (Ilix aquifolium) and Rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.) the canopy structure of the dell can be seen on Fig.2.

Management Objectives

The proposed management objectives for The Dell are as follows:

1.       Make use of fallen deadwood and burnt out trees by cutting sections of the large stems into stools/benches.

2.       Use medium sized limbs to create a clear pathway which follows the already existing desire line around The Dell.

3.       Use medium sized limbs to create shelter and habitat for wildlife under Rhododendron and other sub canopy growth.

4.       Fell dangerous trees that have fallen subject to vandalism and decay.

5.       Construct bird housed from timber and introduce them into tall trees, tying them in with wire.

6.       Construct 3 bat roosts for the large Sweet Chestnut tree.

7.       Clear site of litter and fly tipped waste.

8.       Divide snowdrops into smaller clumps when they are still “in green” to establish more around woodland.

9.       Excavate steps into steep slopes using timber to secure the soil in place (with possibility of hand rail).

10.   Chip smaller branches and limbs between logs on pathways to establish pathway.

11.   Plant native species of trees and shrubs close to fence line and in cleared spaces from burnt out/decayed trees.

12.   Start work on establishing native, bee friendly wild flower meadow in the grassed areas by Huyton Lane and Liverpool Road.

13.   Introduce litter bins for the public to use and set up a management plan for these bins with help from KMBC.

14.   Sculpt any stumps left into mushrooms etc. to give character to the place.

15.   Leave standing deadwood that is a safe distance from the path for bio diversity.

16.   Prune deadwood out of trees close to footpaths.

17.   Carry out conservation pruning in areas away from the footpaths.

18.   Plant native woodland bulbs alongside footpaths and between trees.

19.   Safely remove hung-up wind thrown trees.

20.   Create composting base for cuttings to go.

21.   Maintain composting base.

22.   Maintain wildflower meadows by cutting back to 2”.

23.   Maintain steps looking out for erosion and decay in timber.

24.   Clear out birdhouse waste.

25.   Sow more seeds of desirable wild flowers in meadow (if needed).

26.   Survey trees.

27. Check tree ties/shelters/guards and remove/loosen if needed.

Funding/Income

Funding for this project will be applied for from: Prince’s trust, KMBC, Community Development Foundation, Big Lottery Fund, Co-Operative Community Fund. There has already been a steady response of people willing to help out with the project voluntarily, some of which are unemployed gaining work experience. Others are students studying in a similar field. A tree pack for the trees to be planted will be applied for from the Woodland Trust, this will supply all the trees needed for the project. Any timber will be sourced on site (where appropriate) and any other resources found on site will be recycled in a creative and tasteful manner. Any income (if any) will be ploughed straight back into the project as this is a non-profit group. We will have useful links with Myerscough College in Croxteth park to help students studying Arboriculture understand woodland and habitat management. Currently in talks (at the time of writing) with faculty members regarding students coming in and working on the project for experience in the industry.

Using a community group for voluntary work will raise a sense of pride in the community and have the added benefit of taking future pride and care of the woodland for other generations to enjoy.

Schedule of Works

Year	Spring (March-May)	Summer (June-early September)	Autumn (September-November)	Winter (Late November-end February)
1	MO21, MO7, MO13, MO5, MO12, MO20, MO18, MO8	MO21, MO9, MO7, MO14, MO10, MO26	MO21, MO22, MO9, MO7, MO14, MO10, MO27	MO21, MO7, MO3, MO5, MO24, MO4, MO11, MO6, MO19, MO16, MO17
2	MO21, MO7, MO25,	MO21, MO7,	MO21, MO22, MO7, MO10, MO26, MO27	MO21, MO7, MO24, MO16
3	MO21, MO7, MO25, MO18, MO8	MO21, MO7,	MO21, MO22, MO7, MO10, MO27	MO21, MO7, MO24, MO26, MO16
4	MO21, MO7, MO25, MO26	MO21, MO7,	MO21, MO22, MO7, MO10, MO27	MO21, MO7, MO24, MO16, MO17
5	MO21, MO7, MO25, MO8	MO21, MO23, MO7, MO26	MO21, MO22, MO7, MO10, MO27	MO21, MO7, MO16, MO24

Other Information

The Sweet Chestnut tree at the end of the wooded grassland appears to be rather old. A tree preservation order (TPO) will be applied for to protect this tree and further inspections are to be carried out to conclude if it is an ancient tree or not. Other species look rather old and it would be in the best interests to carry out a tree survey using the DBH equation to determine the average age of the trees.

Conclusion

All of the management objectives are within safe and reasonable timings of the year to enable us to carry out work safely and efficiently, causing as little disturbance to wildlife as possible. They have been thought out carefully with the aim to promote and attract an array of species in the hope to develop sustained bio diversity within The Dell.

With the proposed five year management plan, Commercial Development Projects Limited will have their woodland well managed and used for recreational and conservational purposes. It will help develop community spirit and peoples social and career skills. The project will help to motivate and inspire people giving a real sense of purpose. This disused, decaying area can be enjoyed by dog walkers, runners, ramblers, nature enthusiasts, education etc. if only we get the go ahead to begin applying for funding. This will be an opportunity not to be missed out on.

A small update..

So far.. A wild goose chase to establish who owns The Dell..

I started my search by contacting Green Space Management of KMBC. They informed me that they did not know who owned The Dell but were absolutely certain that it wasn't Knowsley Council.
After waiting on hold and being transferred a few times this was a small blow, however, every cloud has a silver lining right?
RIGHT!
I managed to get myself on board with a definite tree planting project in Carr Lane Woods. This is just down the road from the site of The Dell and has enabled us to participate in a tree planting demonstration helping take out willow and poplar from Carr Lane Woods and replant oak and ash (a secure cash crop for future Knowsley). The great thing about this is we can now get the skills from a conservationist to be able to plant up our new trees correctly with the best chance of survival. This will take place in mid-late March and may also lead to another plantation project in Woolfall Meadow the following month.
Anyone interested in taking part please feel free to message me either on here or on Facebook.

Trailing through endless Google searches of "Who owns Kings Business Park, Prescot" etc. lead to nowhere but a headache..
I then decided to pay for a landownership property search with www.landregistry.gov.uk and now have the name for the people we need to be in contact with,

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS LIMITED (Co. Regn. No. 993768) of Huddersfield Road, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 9B

HOORAY!!!

I found out that this company is a sub company for Marshall CPD and have sent out an email explaining who we are and what are intentions will be in hope for a response. I will also call them this weekend or Monday for an even quicker response.

This is a great break for FOTD as the sooner we get the yes word the sooner we can apply for a grant!

Yesterday we took care of some litter and deadwood whilst making use of the new bench, had a leisurely climb in a strong Beech

AND we managed to measure the main stem of the Sweet Chestnut at being almost 4 adult hugs, this was really exciting as we may have an ancient tree among the wood, if this proves correct (with one of two more tests) we can apply for a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) and this would secure the trees future as well as the other trees around it. We are also going to contact The Woodland Trust and The Forestry Commission to see if we can get help conducting a tree survey at The Dell in the future.

I have found easy designs for the bat roosts and bird houses to make and will be announcing a date on workshops to be held in helping to make them soon.

Next week will open the opportunity to start work on making the steps down the steep hill, should we have any contact from the above.

Off out litter picking tomorrow if anybody wishes to join? (gloves and bin bags to be provided)

Again I would like to stress that we do not mean to cause any harm towards the Dell or the surrounding area, nor do we wish to breach any trespassing legalities,

FOTD

The beginning..

Nobody I know is quite sure on what "The Dell" was, is or will. This blog will capture the moments of a journey the Friends of The Dell (FOTD or Dell Boys if you will) go through in discovering, nurturing and just simply enjoying the great place.

I remember when I first stumbled across the gem and feeling rather tranced, as if I had travelled back in time. The pathway up towards it is a lovely avenue of mixed trees consisting mainly of oak, sycamore and birch with the odd ash dotted here and there -

This then leads to a grassed wooded path leading to a great Sweet Chestnut and then on to the old quarry(?)

Although the area had not been measured, its safe to say its not as big as I once remembered.

Pondering on its becoming raised a theory of how this man made dell was formed.. with the site being situated on an old estate, the Dell is thought to have been made to extract the rock to make the endless lengths of wall needed to establish a boundary. The steep slopes, lumps and bumps are made from the spoil taken away to gain access to the robust metamorphic rock.
As this blog goes on we aim to find out as much history as we can to give this lost world back its character.

In recent years the trees have been left to decay aswell as being subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour..

 Burnt out Beech tree

 Fallen Ash tree

 Strangling tree ties due to poor

management

 Vast amounts of litter

 ..With this sad news came the idea that such a beloved place with fond memories should be used well, to conserve and promote a much larger array of organisms big and small and give back habitat in hope of bio diversity establishing for everyone to enjoy.

So the foundations have been laid!
With the aim to create a wildlife haven and recreational Mecca, lets get down to business.

The first proposed key tasks will be as follows:

1. Create a clear footpath following the already existing disire line with possibly logs or woven fence.
2. Create central focal point; seating area for people to sit, relax and enjoy the surroundings (half created today).
   
3. Construct bird boxes for within the main trees.
4. Create a bat roost for the sweet chestnut tree.
5. Thin out Rhododendrons and place log piles under remaining ones for Hedgehog habitat.
6. Fell dangerous trees and remove hung up trees safely.
7. Use any stumps, limbs, stems we can in a creative recycling manner.

Secondary proposed tasks:

1. Excavate steps into deep slope and create hand rail.
   
2. Sow wild flower seeds to create a meadow in both sections leading into The Dell (Huyton Lane/Liverpool Road)
3. Plant new trees with funding from the Princes Trust and Woodland Trust along fence line within the Dell and cleared areas due to dead/vandalised trees.
4. Remove dead wood from trees by pathways.
5. Away from pathways carry out conservation pruning. 
6. Look into renting a woodchipper to clear site and add walkways.

It was a hard days carving today and sincerely welcomed the display of a snow shower. Hopefully will get the chance to finish off the benches next week.

In the mean time we will be putting together a management plan in the aims to propose this to Knowsley Council come March.

The main purpose of this blog is to document all the work that goes on whilst waiting to recieve contact from the council. We in no way intend to cause harm to any part of the Dell nor do we intend to breach any trespassing legalities.

If you have stumbled upon this blog by accident please feel free to follow and suggest tips. We are a budding group of amature conservationists!