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Meadows are grazed with tradition breeds of sheep

Mucklestone Spring Walk, Sunday 18th April 2010

William Friend is hosting a ‘Mucklestone Spring Walk’ at Church Farm, Mucklestone (TF9 4DN), on Sunday 18th April from 2.00 p.m.

Walkers are asked to park at the school, or nursery car park (off rock lane),

The route leaves from and returns to Mucklestone Church, and follows ‘Cemetery lane’ (please collect route plan, donation to ‘Friends of St. Mary’s’ here ) through the farm past ponds and fields for about half a mile into ‘The Cowleasow wood’.

This 20 acre wood is home to a colony of rare wild daffodils as well as many other species of woodland spring flowers and wildlife, including a colony of the endangered and secretive dormouse, and many rare ferns and mosses. The whole farm is managed under a ‘Countryside Stewardship Scheme’, to enhance and develop the range of diverse wildlife habitats on the farmland and woodlands, and a complimentary range of traditional rural enterprises.

view of church from gardens

Those with 4 wheel drive vehicles may wish to offer rides to disabled visitors, and can get to within 30yards of the daffodils with a turning circle at the end.

Walkers can do a circuit of the wood and either return by the same route, or the more intrepid can visit the ‘Winnington Waterfall’, the route to which will be marked (access by kind permission of Mrs. Flavia Friend.)

Mucklestone W.I. will be offering teas and refreshments in St. Mary’s Church from 3.00 p.m.

The nurseries and gardens will be open to visitors, from which logs from the woods can now be purchased.

It is hoped that this can become an annual community event for a Sunday in  April after Easter. For many years Church Farm played host to the North Staffs hunt’s ‘Mucklestone Point to Point’ on Easter Saturday.

For reasons of safety, and the number of ponds etc. all children must be under close supervision of an adult at all times.

Children are encouraged to pick flowers, leaves and twigs etc. for drawing and study purposes, provided no more than one of each species is collected and no root or bulb is removed from the ground. William will be on hand in the church at tea to identify any specimens brought in.

Wild Daffodil

It is hoped that other walks and tours can be arranged in due course to look at Rhododendrons, Camellias, Bamboos, Christmas trees, herbaceous borders, pond plants, nature conservation and so forth. Visits by schools/ Local interests groups are always welcome, given sufficient warning is given (as William lives 250 miles away in Margate, Kent!)

Contacts:- Ian Phillips, Smithy Cottage, 07903 101453

for Grass fed beef and lamb, and traditional breeds of pork and poultry.

Brian Watkins, Mucklestone Nurseries, plant sales 07985 425829, hm 01630 673163

Eric Watkins, log sales, landscaping. 07780970344 , hm 01784 751333

Loggerheads Community News 01630 674365

Mucklestone W.I. , Liz Vallings 01630 647542

William Friend, general enquiries and gardening/ natural history advise/lectures 07714241668 friend.northdown@btinternet.com

The nursery is now open every Saturday in winter

and Thurs – Sun from Easter to end Sept.

for further details See website/blog, www.botanyplants.co.uk

On Tuesday 20th April William Friend is taking some pupils of St. Mary’s ,Mucklestone , C. of E. Primary School,(01630 672126) on their own visit to see the daffodils, with Teacher Jane Newton. Student Steven Jackson (aged 6!) , who lives in the farm house at Church Farm , is looking forward to explaining to his classmates the principles of woodland habitat management.