Frozen Aqueduct

Interesting Ice

The water must have been quite high, when this aqueduct froze.  It has been very cold and well below freezing for quite some time now, but it has also been dry, so the water has dropped considerably.  The result is various layers of ice, well above the current water level.

This aqueduct brings water from the neighbouring Cowsic (Pronounced: Cowzik) River.  The leat that brings it, winds around the moors and fields, all at a slight tilt from about 390 metres above sea level.  After crossing the Black brook, the waters from this leat join the waters of the other leat and go through my woods and adjoining field systems and then it goes off onto the moor, to who knows where.  I followed it for about eight miles once, but there was no sign of an end.

These two leats wind around hills and valleys, strictly following the 390 metre contour line.

 Trees

All around this aqueduct are trees I have planted at different times.  Many are getting quite big now.  I have been careful as not to put any trees right next to this structure, so as not to damage it with their roots, but close enough  to shade it, with their leaves and branches.

Many Beech trees already shade one end of it, there are also quite a few established patches of Spruce.

I hopefully have added a good balance of trees here, with lots of Oak and Hazel, a few Alder, Willow and Broom and a massive glade of Birch.  This aqueduct is a major focal point in the woods, so I want the fauna here to be quite special.

Tree Planting in the Snow

Night Time Snow Planting

Snow creates obvious difficulties for me, during tree planting season.  Mainly it makes it impossible to collect on my motorbike, when the roads are all covered in snow and then there are a number of issues when planting trees too, which are:

•  There is more digging to do.
• It is easy (especially at night) to mistake snow for soil and fill up the holes with snow.
• Its usually very cold.  I have no gloves.
• Everything you touch is wet and cold.

Fortunately this time I had already acquired quite a big stash of trees, so I was OK for materials, but short of Oaks and Alders.  

Tonight I made my way to my 'behind the houses site' with mostly small Willow an Birch.  When I had finished planting the first bag, I stashed my spade and went home, to get some more trees, but then it started to rain heavily and it's still raining now.  I'm still waiting to be able to get down there before it gets light.  I can't possibly plant it during daylight hours, because its too close to loads of houses and I would be likely to attract attention.

One advantage the snow dose bring is that; even at night, I can see even my smallest trees clearly, as the snow flattens the undergrowth, like dried grass-stems and the remains of summer perennials, leaving only the little trees clearly visible, for me to see.  The two Hawthorns in the picture on the left were only put in here last year.

Snow Method

Firstly I scrape away a patch of snow, from where I want to plant. I scrape away enough snow to have enough space to dig a hole and enough bare earth to put the soil on, so that it doesn't get mixed up with the snow.   Everything else is pretty much the same.

This snow was totally unexpected.  It is melting quite quickly, so perhaps the roads will be clear tomorrow, if it doesn't freeze. 

I should have heeded the warning of this morning's fiery red sky.

Action Acorn

Under ground Acorn Planter

Tonight I used up the last of the acorns, which I had collected with the help of some friends, earlier in the year.  I put them just half buried in a little thumb print, on the tops of banks, in the short grass between and in amongst Hawthorn hedges.  Tonight's batch went in and around the tourist car parks in the centre of Princetown.  

The aim is to introduce the Oak, also to get Oak trees to pop up here and there in these hedges before the Beech, Ash and Sycamore get in there, these trees are prevalent in people's gardens up here, once they seed in to the hedges they will become dominant and Oaks would find it allot more difficult to get a foot in the door.

Wild Daffodils

Since this site is one of my 'show-piece' Wild Daffodil plantations; I did not want to disturb the ground at all, so planting acorns is really the best method here.


These hedges divide up the tourist car park into sections and anything I have planted in here will undoubtedly be seen, by many, as Princetown is a very popular tourist destination.  Which ever way they come here, they will see Wild Daffs in the hedgerows and woods, which ever way they drive, and then when they come here and park their cars in the car park; they will be able to get out and see them close up.  The Oaks will help to ensure the success of these Daffs, as they do not grow well under Beech. 


The desired effect
I do not aim to have avenues of Oak trees here, just the odd one.  A second generation of them should be able to seed themselves here naturally.  Once this first generation reach maturity, which for Oaks can be as little as eight years, until they start becoming laden, with copious amounts of acorns.


I also want other species of trees to seed into here as well.  Many exist within seed blowing distance, so eventually these little car park dividing banks should be nice little strips of diverse deciduous woodland.