Reclaiming paths

 April 2023.

The Catton park fence-line along St Faiths Road was becoming overgrown with weeds, grass, leaves etc, which was effectively reducing the width of clear pavement.

So, with the help of the city college volunteers, we have commenced clearing this back. Armed with shovels, loppers, broom & a litter picker, we are gradually making our way up from the junction. 

In between these sessions we have carried out further mulching and strimming around the park, as the need arises. The woodchip pile is, however, looking very depleted at the moment.

Other paths inside the park were also in need of reclaiming. During the autumn and winter months, some areas which are regular routes for visitors have been turned into beaten tracks. In order to get the grassland back, Matt the warden has rotavated the ground and mown the grass next to the paths as an alternative walkway. 

If the full width of this new walkway is used, it may prevent further beaten tracks whilst the grass continues to grow.

Of course, the rotavated area now needs seeding. This was our next job. The seed was a mixture of several varieties ideal for meadows and included clovers, yarrow, vetch, ribwort plantain & birdsfoot trefoil.  

Using buckets to measure out the seed, we slowly walked either side of the churned soil, carefully spreading the seed until we had covered the 300m stretch.

Since then, other beaten tracks have received similar attention and further 'mown' pathways have been added.

We're now into May and another session of clearing the fence-line along St Faiths Road, which is now all but complete.

With the woodchip pile depleted, we are using grass cuttings for mulching. The developing hedge-line by Catton Hall was beginning to get overgrown since it was last mulched. We cleared this back and surrounded the young blackthorn/hawthorn shrubs with layers of the cuttings.

There should be plenty more where that came from!