Our conservation work has now completed for the season. Our last few sessions have focused on the area adjacent to the Oxford Canal. There used to be a house sited here and a variety of fruit trees would have been there. Most/all have been lost to the vigorous growth of scrub and ivy. The volunteers have been clearing this ground and will restore to semi-shaded flowering grassland.
Continue reading “The Canal Glade/Old Orchard Progress”Newbold Quarry Canal Glade
Recent work party sessions at the quarry have focused on clearing what use to be a private garden alongside the canal towpath.
Continue reading “Newbold Quarry Canal Glade”Newbold Quarry – Letting the Light In
On the 14th February 2023 a number of ash trees were felled on the southern side of the quarry. The primary purpose is to allow more light in, which will allow the adjacent grassland to support a wider range of native flora. In turn, this will be beneficial to the wider wildlife within the park. It will also make the site more welcoming to the public. The aim is to open out the corridor from where this cut took place through to the Egerton Close entrance. Unfortunately, the second planned cutting session could not take place due to the temporary access closure put in place by Warwickshire Police.
Continue reading “Newbold Quarry – Letting the Light In”Newbold Quarry 2022 Autumn Update
Management work for nature conservation resumed on 4th October and will continue through to the spring of next year
The work so far has concentrated on two main areas:
– Grassland cutting
– Opening up an aeriel corridor from Gun Hill across to the Plateau.
Great progress
The volunteer work group has made excellent progress in the first half of the maintenance season, working on two main fronts.
- Cutting and raking off of the existing grasslands, to provide the best environment for the native wild flowers and grasses
- Reducing scrub encroachment on the areas adjacent to the maintained grasslands
Newbold Quarry Update – November 2021
The Autumn/Winter work parties resumed in early October. The primary focus has been on cutting the existing grasslands. There has also been some additional scrub clearance to both extend and enhance the existing grasslands.
Continue reading “Newbold Quarry Update – November 2021”Look closely as you walk around the quarry
The poor calcareous soil on the quarry spoil banks are ideal for supporting wildflowers that are not so readily spotted elsewhere in the local area. The plants in the picture gallery can only thrive where not trodden, so look beyond the path edges and in areas where the vegetation has not been disturbed.
Continue reading “Look closely as you walk around the quarry”Newbold Quarry – December 2020 Update
The volunteers have been meeting every Tuesday, to work on various fronts:
- Hedge Laying and hedge cutting
- Scrub clearance
- Grass cutting
- Major clearance on the west ridge to create a sunnier habitat for wild flowers and the invertebrates that depend on them
Work resumes at Newbold Quarry
The first work party of the Autumn/Winter season took place on Tuesday 6th October 2020.
Continue reading “Work resumes at Newbold Quarry”Newbold Quarry – June 2020
The open grasslands at the quarry have unfortunately seen too much human activity during the warm weather, with a lot of the ground smothered by sunbathing. This has taken its tool on the orchids. Fortunately, some have still thrived where there has been no disturbance.
Continue reading “Newbold Quarry – June 2020”