Beaufort Hill Ponds & Woodlands
2012 - Redevelopment work at the Woodlands
JANUARY 2012 - RE-DEVELOPMENT WORK AT THE WOODLANDS.
The Woodlands is part of the Ebbw Fach Trail, and some redevelopment work is being carried out by W.M Garden Services Ltd of Caldicot (To visit their website, please visit our LINKS page.) and being overseeen by Donna Vinnels of B.G.C.B.C Re-generation.
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JANUARY 2012 - REPLACEMENT OF BRIDGE AND STEPS AT THE BLAEN CENDL ENTRANCE.
The old bridge leading to the path behind Highlands Road near the entrance gate has been replaced and some new steps constructed. The area in front of the entrance was then tidied up and new heathers planted.
FEBRUARY 2012 - REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED DRAGONFLY GATE.
In June 2011, the Dragonfly gate at the top of the Woodlands site was vandalised beyond repair, it has now been replaced by a new gate fabricated from thicker steel tubing.
JANUARY 20th 2012 - WORKS STARTS ON THE RE-DEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGHLANDS ROAD ENTRANCE.
The old hoggin path was removed and replaced with a new tarmac surface and an extra parking space provided.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8th - Work restarted after a break due to the cold weather and two new trees were planted, the following morning it looked as if everything had been sprayed white after overnight freezing rain.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16th - A new information board (courtesy of funds from GAVO and Beaufort Hill Miners Welfare Trust) was installed just inside the gate this morning, by a team from Blaenau Gwent CBC- photographs below
SATURDAY 3rd MARCH 2012 PLANTING OF TREE WHIPS.
Several directors and voluteers (Fourteen in total) turned up to plant some tree whips at the north end of the Upper Boat Pond. Not all the whips were planted, and the remainder will be planted by diretor John Hillier and some of his pupils from Glyn Coed School - with the support of Gwent Wild Life.
As a group we need to thank Caroline Matthews - BGCBC and Nick Toulson - a Volunteer from Rassau for their help this morning, also we are grateful to Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) for providing a grant to fund this project from the Communities First Trust Fund'
The photographs below of the whip planting were taken by Nick Poulson & Caroline Matthews.
SATURDAY 17th MARCH
Roy Lych and John Hillier spent two and half hours re- planting sections of the hedge row that had been removed. It was estimated that another 300 whips were planted, and this time planted the whips closer together and in places - a triple row.
In response to a request for help posted on the Notice Board, they were assisted by Steven McKelvie , plus Tim and his daughter Mali from Waun Dew, the Society would like to thank them for their help.
It is planned to carry out more planting of the whips next weekend.
WOOD SCULPTURE BY JOHN JAMES INSTALLED.
We also managed to install a wood sculpture made by local resident John James near the bridge to the Upper Boat Pond - this is the third of Johns' sculptures to be installed in the Woodlands.
Pictured below are :- Des Markey, John James, Roy Lynch, John Hillier, Robert Smith and Gordon Williams.
MARCH 2012 - REPLACEMENT OF FENCE AT NORTH END OF THE UPPER BOAT POND
W.M Garden Services Ltd were back on site, and replaced the damaged area of fencing along the north bank of the Upper Boat Pond, the new fencing is now approximately six feet high, and hopefully this will now keep out the horses and cattle.
