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

The hedge laying has focused on the west ridge. This provides a public benefit by opening up the view over the pool. The wildlife will benefit from the lower and denser cover that the hedge will provide.

Existing hedges in front of the plateau have been reduced in height and supplemented with the cut material at the base. This will provide a denser coverage for smaller birds.

Opposite the newly laid hedge, the bank has been partially cleared of tree and scrub to allow more sunlight to reach the ground. This will be further managed to enable wild grasses and flowers to recover. This mostly involves keeping the ivy in check.

All existing open grassland has been cut by brushcutter to provide the best opportunity for wild flowers to come through. This year, there has been the opportunity to extend the grass coverage. Rugby Borough Council have made an excellent job with tree clearance alongside the fishing platform and this area has now been included in the grass cutting for the first time.

The carline thistle is not so commonplace in Warwickshire, but it does exist in the very alkaline conditions of Newbold. Yes, we need to encourage the growth of some thistles!

Carline Thistle (Carlina Vulgaris)

Occasionally, some four-legged wildlife is spotted.

What’s this camera doing here?