Hammer and chisel – free bridges from rubbish

Flanders Moss NNR

Another Wednesday has passed and the volunteers braved another wet, windy and bitterly cold day during a volunteer work party. There has been a pattern forming recently where the days out on site are grim and the days stuck in the office are rather pleasant outside. Although the day transporting the material to site was beautiful.

The volunteers had a task of constructing 5 bridges from recycled material Dave has been retrieving over the years from the reserve. The purpose of these bridges is to allow groups visiting a more accessible route over the farm where it has been very difficult to get to due to the rise in water table and ditches.

Craftsmanship at its best involved chiseling into the old recycled telegraph pole , this way the oak beam will sit nicely which will create a stronger more durable supporting bridge (fingers crossed).

Although I think another volunteer work party of constructing some steps will be required for bridge No1.

The other bridges required a similar skill but minus the chiseling. Old display signs that were retrieved from the NNRs became the plank for the less wider ditches, all held down by wire that was retrieved from fly-tipping at Blawhorn Moss that was collected by the team.

Not all bridges were complete and a return visit of applying mesh to ease the slippiness is required.