3 January 2014: While Sally is in hospital, David has been busy. There has been a lot of rain in recent weeks and the pathways of Sharphill Wood are very muddy. The work done last summer has created a good base, but the surface is very chewed up by many walkers and cycles on paths, with standing water filling all the footprints. Many many barrow loads of stones have been collected from surrounding fields and pushed to these paths and carefully worked in to the mud to form a stronger base.
This is the central path, mid way along its length, in what used to be called 'The Swamp of Doom' . It is really a 'mere' in that it fills with rainwater but cannot drain correctly, so it needs some tons of stone to raise the level, and allow water to drain out.
The west path has a fallen tree after the winds that have caused a lot of damage in the South of England (but none to speak of in the Midlands) . The Friends of Sharphill had a work party to clear the tree. Here is Bill Logan working at the trunk with a small forestry saw (oh for a chainsaw).
We all took turns. DNC here is working a little too fast for the camera, or else there was something on the lens!
The group has nearly cut through the log entirely. There was only a few more cuts, and it gave way.
