Last updated April 14, 2020

Work Party News

19 February 2014

We installed a wooden kissing gate and a metal kissing gate. Both are on the land of Mill Farm, Bradnocks Marsh Lane, Solihull. This is not an ACW walk, but the path links to the kissing gates we installed on 8 May 2013.

 

The wooden kissing gate is on the same path where we installed two kissing gates on 8 May 2013, and the farmer tells us that the improved bridge and drainage system, that we also did, have proved excellent in dealing with this winters rain.

The wooden kissing gate was as usual a long task, taking time to drill all the holes for the hinges before we were joined by the team who had completed the metal kissing gate and speedily dug all the remaining holes and erected the “hoops”, made good the fence and finished off by adding way marks and installing an ACWA label.

The site was by the Lane and the driveway to the farm, where we were able to park our cars in very smart surroundings. The farmer also supplied us with bacon butties mid-morning, and let us have a look at his garden, woodland and lake sloping down to the River Blythe.

The metal kissing gate was about 100yds south, also by the lane but close to a stream feeding the Blythe and right next to a ditch with fast flowing water helping to fill the stream and drain the marsh. The team, all smartly dressed in the yellow hi-viz jackets supplied by SMBC, made short work of installing this kissing gate, clearing the ditch and checking out the beginning of the path following the Blythe towards Barston.

 

An excellent day, with fine weather, dry working conditions and well looked after. The only sad point was that we again finished too late to go the The Bulls Head at Barston for lunch – we must find a shorter task for another return visit. Some of us did however return to the Bear at Berkswell for a light lunch of mostly just a starter or just a dessert.