Mersey Basin Campaign Blog

Woodley Primary School - The Brabyns Park Iron Bridge Restoration Project

Two Year Six classes from Woodley Primary School visited Brabyns Park and the Peak Forest Canal in Marple recently in order to study the River Goyt and also to see the early stages of the restoration project of the iron bridge (built in 1813) on the edge of Brabyns Park.

The one day trip was partly funded by ‘The Mersey Basin Campaign’ which promotes activities and the scenery of the River Mersey. Woodley Primary is one of only two schools in the country that is linked with the improvement of this highly significant bridge which dates back to the start of the industrial revolution.

Whilst the Woodley pupils were at the site, they were given a special talk by the restoration project manager, Tim Boylan, and the heads of the fund-raising team, Peter Clarke and Mark Whittaker. In addition, Richard Booker, a Parks and Gardens Redevelopment Officer from Stockport Council, and Pat Flanagan, who represented Stockport LEA and the Construction Industry Training Board, were present.

After the talk and a question and answer session with Peter Clarke, who also doubles as a local historian, the children were shown the work in progress which included the recently removed bailey bridge which had supported the iron bridge for sixteen years . In addition, they could hear the sound of the grit-blasting which was cleaning the ironwork prior to repainting.

The event was filmed by ‘Fusion Films’, a company that is producing a film of the whole project on behalf of Stockport Council. The film will be shown in museums around the town and will be available on the internet.

Comments from Year Six Pupils:

• I was jealous when I heard how wealthy Nathaniel Wright (the owner of Brabyns Hall) was. The bridge was just to how off. I think it was a good idea to restore it. (Aidan)

• I found it interesting because Peter Clarke talked to us about how the bridge was built. I found out that it was built in 1813 and that when it has been refurbished it will not need refurbishing for 200 years. (Shauna)

• I didn’t know that bridges could be made of iron before we went to Marple, so it was very interesting. (Mia)

• I never knew that the cast iron bridge in Brabyns Park was there. I’m very pleased with Peter Clarke doing lots of things for Marple. I wish there were more people like him. (Jacob)

• I found out that if you had a bridge in those days, it was like having a Porsche in these days. (Rihaan)

• I think Nathaniel Wright was trying to show off and the bridge told me about him. I found it interesting how the park got passed through the generations like a family item. (David)

A tidy up treat for Tanhouse

Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan held a bulb planting and litter picking afternoon at Tanhouse

Community Centre, Skelmersdale. With the help of 9 adults and 17 young

people, around 1000 bulbs were planted along the pathway and on the small

patch of land at the community centre. It will help brighten up the area

in spring time and will be an eye catching centre of the community.

One young helper said 'i really enjoyed today, I've never planted anything

before and i hope to see them all come up in the spring time, it'll look

really nice and brighten the community centre up as its a bit dull

sometimes' One of the older members commented that it was great to see

younger people getting outside and being involved in something that's

rewarding.

Emma Staniforth - Community Development Project Officer

Discovering Old New Brighton

The inaugural New Brighton Heritage Walk took place on Saturday, 6 October as part of Mersey Basin Week. Our guide, Barry, took us from New Brighton Station along the promenade to Vale Park, showing us a variety of historial landmarks along the way. We learnt about the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, formed in New Brighton in 1934, the long-gone tower - taller than Blackpool's - which dominated the skyline for over 20 years, and the notorious Ham and Egg Parade, which had such a bad reputation it was eventually demolished and replaced by the Floral Pavilion Theatre in 1907. One hundred years later, the redevelopment of the Theatre is the first phase of a large-scale regeneration scheme to revitalise the New Brighton waterfront. The weather was glorious - the sun shining and, unusually on the Estuary, hardly a breath of wind. The photo shows our guide telling us about Fort Perch Rock, built as a coastal defence following the Napoleonic Wars. We finished up at Vale Park Cafe for tea and toast, generously laid on by New Brighton Community Partnership. Illustrated leaflets, written by Barry, were produced by Mersey Waterfront. For information on future walks, contact New Brighton Community Partnership on 0151 639 5798.

Wilmslow says goodbye to litter

Last week as part of the Mersey Basin Week, community groups in Wilmslow gattered at the local high school to tackle some litter 'grot spots'. Over 20 volunteers helped out on the afternoon event and managed to clear up footpaths, streets and play areas near to the school. One good sign was that not one shopping trolley was found!!

Wilmslow High School, who hosted the event praised the efforts of the teams of volunteers and hope that next year they can attract more young volunteers by leading a spring clean through the school council. This may take the form of a litter campaign and involving local businesses or even drama workshops with the feeder schools.

 

Estuary Under The Microscope

Friend of the Mersey Basin Campaign Chantelle Edwards helped to celebrate MWH Mersey Basin Week on the Ribble Estuary.  Supported by a Mersey Basin Week grant she went along to RSPB’s Ribble Discovery Centre on Saturday 6 October.  There she found minute creatures living in the water and in the estuary mud and put them under her microscope.  Their images were then magnified thousands of times larger than life and appeared on a TV screen, enabling the visitors to see every detail of the tiny creatures.

Over 300 visitors were able to get close up and personal with the creatures which are a valuable source of food for the thousands of birds for which the Ribble Estuary is famous.

Thank you Chantelle and thank you RSPB for arranging this event.

Fishwick, Cut it Out!

For the second year running, volunteers at Fishwick Local Nature Reserve (LNR) took part in a conservation project, as part of MWH Mersey Basin Week. The Mersey Basin Campaign, which supports projects in the Mersey and Ribble Basins, has awarded a £100 grant which has been spent on buying hand-tools for cutting to help with grassland management and weed control in the LNR 

Volunteers from the Deepdale Centre, a Lancashire County Council day service centre, regularly work at the Fishwick LNR used the new tools for grass cutting and helping to control Himalayan Balsam. Other volunteers, supervised by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, also helped to cut some of the areas of grassland and meadows around the Fishwick LNR.

The Fishwick site was designated an LNR in 2006 and has since benefited from extensive work to improve and create wildlife habitats and now has a network of paths to allow public access. Much of the habitat management is carried out by volunteers and the tools, purchased with the MBC grant, will be used many times on the seven grasslands found within the reserve.

Well done Fishwick volunteers and Preston CC Ranger Terry Blackburn for showing us that a Mersey Basin Week grant can be for life and not just for MWH Mersey Basin Week!

Chorley pupils get clued up on climate change

Trucking for Climate Change, a travelling exhibition stopped off at Yarrow Valley Country Park for three days to teach pupils from local primary schools and park visitors about how we are impacting on climate change.

Over 100 primary school pupils took part in a workshop run by an environmental education officer from Global Link, a Development Education Centre followed by a trip through the multi-media, interactive exhibtion.

As a finale to each session, small groups presented adverts, news reports, plays and songs to their class to promote ways in which we can help slow down global warming. We even had a 'Who wants to be a millionaire' style gameshow where teh contestant had to answer questions about climate change! Brilliant!

The exhibition was funded by a Green Partnership Award from Lancashire County Council.

Thrashing the trash in Bash

A small waterway called Woodnook Water which flows through Baxenden, the home of Hollands Pies was cleaned up as part of MWH Mersey Basin Week. Nope, we didn't find any pie trays floating down the stream but we did find some other interesting items...

The event coordinated by the environmental charity Prospects Foundation involved volunteers from the Baxenden Prospects Panel.

We found lots of wire, metal fencing, tarpaulin, tv casing and a couple of tyres - well, a clean up wouldn't be a clean up without a tyre! On the banks and hidden in bushes we found quite a few beer cans, crisp packets and chocolate wrappers.

Thanks to the Prospects Foundation and Baxenden Prospects Panel for their involvement in MWH Mersey Basin Week

RIVER GOYT SPARKS LIGHT SHOW 27TH September to 4th October

“Intriguing, atmospheric, spooky”  are some of the many descriptions you might use on visiting the ‘light show’ at Chadkirk Farm Estate near Stockport.

No less than 1000 fluorescent light tubes have been planted into a field on either side of the river Goyt.  As dusk descends, the soft glow of these light sticks that conduct the energy field from the overhead power cables, becomes increasingly apparent.  There is a crackling sound all around you.  Further adding to the experience are the Pipistrelle bats darting about overhead.

The wide TV, radio and press coverage has encouraged a wider range of people to visit the river valley than usual.  Families rub shoulders with keen photographers.

This installation is the creation of artist Richard Box and has been commissioned by Stockport Council to raise awareness of their proposed project to build a new bridge over the river Goyt.  This is one of 79 schemes that make up Sustrans Connect2 which is an exciting UK-wide project to improve local travel by making walking and cycling routes for the short journeys we all make every day.

Connect 2 will be one of the projects that will compete for Big Lottery Funding.  This will be decided by a public vote following a Granada TV programme in December this year. 

To support this project, you can start by registering your details with www.sustransconnect2.org.uk so that you can be kept updated with information on the TV vote.

The light show is on until 4^th October and the Chadkirk Estate off Otterspool Road near Marple in Stockport.

The Manchester Oriental Organisation Alliance and Chinese Elders hit the canals

As part of MWH Mersey Basin week the Manchester Oriental Organisation Alliance (MOOA) and Mersey Basin Campaign invited the elders to join a healthy living heritage walk around Castlefield and the Bridgewater and Rochdale Canals.

   

Over 20 of us made our way along the towpaths getting some exercise and fresh air while listening to our heritage guide, Mike, paint a picture of the development of the canals and people that made it all happen. One of the Elders said "We have been living in Manchester for 35 years and this is the first time we have heard the stories about the canal in the city centre". Another said "this is the first time I have walked through this area, it is beautiful and quiet".

The day was a great success, we all learnt a lot and had a fabulous time, helped along by the dry weather and dim sum buffet which followed our expedition. Many thanks to MWH and MOOA for sponsoring the day.