Friends of Baildon Moor Public Meeting May 19; 7:30 – 9:00 at Baildon Link, Cliff Avenue

As you may have seen from our newsletter and other publicity, Friends of Baildon Moor have arranged another Public Meeting for consultation on our activities and actions concerning Baildon Moor, Shipley Glen and the adjacent woodlands in the short and medium and longer term.

This is important opportunity also as part of feedback to our partners such as Baildon Town Council and the landowner, Bradford Metropolitan District Council.

Announcements:

• We are urgently appealing for new active members to support what we do in trying to balance preservation of the area with its use as a public space .
• We are suggesting we have a set day of 2nd Thursday night in the month through the summer for volunteers to gather for a couple of hours of litter picking and bracken/path clearing. An alternative date can be discussed. Time and place TBC.

Main items for discussion:

• Feedback on any new path works is sought
• A broad proposal has been made to extend the path to a circular walk around the moor. This has a wide impact and merits but there are also valid concerns. Funds will be required.
• Moratorium on all new/refurbished memorials on the Moor/Glen has been proposed until Local Access Forum (LAF)/Council can consider the best way forward
• Top car park is full of sizeable pot holes and in its present state we cannot encourage people to use it. We can plan rationalisation of car parking and reduction of illegal vehicle access and with parking improvement in specific areas. This would be a longer term plan and one that requires substantial funding.

Other possible topics, if time permits:

• Proposed reduction of vehicle speed limits on the roads across the Moor from 50 mph
• The reservoirs are of much concern and one of the main things we are asked about. We would like to collect opinion and try and influence the decisions of the landowner
• Another source of concern is an individual’s deliberate intention to clear Baildon Moor of trees.  Some may wish to keep it as moor land but to wilfully vandalise the trees and leave the moor looking barren is unacceptable.  There are now some 30+ trees which have been subjected to this treatment.

If you have any other topics you wish to bring to the meeting these would be most welcome.

Please let me know in advance however; ideally before the meeting but if not when the Chair calls for any other business.

A number of frequently asked questions have been covered in our Information for Users and other documents that can be found on our website: www.baildonmoor.org.

You are also encouraged to contribute to discussions on our Facebook page.

Friends of Baildon Moor had a table in Ian Clough Hall for the Baildon Xmas Fair on Sunday 1 December. We had a raffle for various prizes and a raffle for a home made Xmas cake.

We also had on display some of the history and geology of the Moor, our latest newsletter, photos taken on the Moor and copies of Riches of the Earth.

The cake raffle was won by Mr Chuck with ticket number 651.

Thank you everyone who turned up and supported the fair and the Friends.

Apologies to those intending to turn up for the Bracken clearing tonight, 20 June.

We have decided to cancel it. Rain has been on and off and more is forecast for later.

Please watch facebook, @BaildonVillage on twitter or the website for an update.

Another way of keeping updated is by subscribing to this website. You will then get an email when something is added.

We have 3 activities planned for the next 2 weeks. 7pm 18, 20 and 27 June.

Tuesday 18th June meet at 7pm in the Eaves car park for a litter pick. Come with appropriate shoes/boots and gloves. Bags and pickers will be provided.

Thursday 20th June 7pm starting from Low Springs to start on bracken clearing from the main paths.

Thursday 27th June 7pm starting from the road leading to Crooke Farm.

Volunteers are welcome. Please bring appropriate shoes or boots and gloves.

Please spread the word.

Don’t forget the Bird Walk 22 June 9 til 12. Starting at the Eaves car park and heading for Sconce.

Today I joined 5 other people up on Baildon Moor to look for the Green Hair Streak butterfly. The search was organised by Bradford Urban Wildlife group in conjunction with Friends of Baildon Moor as part of the Save Our Butterflies Week. It was conducted by Susan Stead.

It was quite cold and wet after heavy rain earlier in the day so we didn’t really expect to see any. One reason for going was to see where I could expect to find them when the conditions were better. However we had not been looking for long when we found one.

According to Susan they can be found sheltering in the extraction pits on the Moor near Bilberry. And she was right. Even though the Bilberry is not as “far on” as you would expect for this time of year.

Peter Hughes found the next one in amongst the grass in the shelter of another extraction pit.

Note that this is a copy from my Marfell blog.

A tremendous amount of work has been done recently in mapping the archaeological features of Baildon Moor. The Moors have carved stones dating back thousands of years and more recent coal extraction pits and shafts. You can see some of the documents and maps produced by the teams in the Information section of the website. Baildon Moor here and Bracken Hall Green here.

EXHIBITION –Baildon Library- Mon 22 April -Sat 4 May

This will cover all aspects of Baildon Moor history, geology , natural history and the aims of FoBM.

AGM-Baildon Link, Cliffe Avenue , Baildon Monday 29 April 7.00 pm.

Guest Speaker – Louise Brown (Community Archaeologist , Pennine Prospects) who will talk on Archaeological Investigations Around Baildon, Archaeology of and within the community.

Sat 18 May

SAVE OUR BUTTERFLIES WEEK

Search for the Green Hairstreak butterfly which frequents the extraction pits.

Meet Susan Stead at the Bingley Road car park , from 2.00pm

Organised by Bradford Urban Wildlife group

Sat 22June

BIRDLIFE OF BAILDON MOOR.

Meet Shaun Radcliffe (Bradford Ornithological Group) 9am

Read more about this event here.

Wed 26 June (part of Otley Walking Festival)

SHIPLEY GLEN/BAILDON MOOR CIRCULAR

Meet Mike Lawson( Baildon Local History Society) at the Glen House , Prod Lane Baildon 2.00 pm

Archaeology, natural history with a touch of Dad’s Army.

2.0 Miles 1.5 hours

Friday 28 June

BAILDON BOUNDARY WALK (part of Otley Walking Festival)

Meet Frank Baildon, junction of Glen Road and Lucy Hall Drive for a perambulation of the boundaries of Baildon. Includes a ride on the Glen tramway and visit to Denso Wildlife Park

Packed lunch required, sorry no dogs. 6.75miles , 5 hours . Rated moderate

Sun 7 July

RICHES OF THE EARTH WALK

Meet Malcolm Leyland (Friends Of Baildon Moor)at the Eaves Car Park 2.00pm (2 hrs)

A walk looking at military, archaeological and mining history on the moor.

Sat 10 August

GEOLOGY OF BAILDON MOOR

Meet Alison Tymon (West Yorkshire Geology Trust) at 2.00pm , Eaves Car Park. Approx 2.5 hours, looking at Eaves Crag Quarry, Baildon Hill and the fireclay mine.

Although this month is in the middle of winter, the birds are already aware that the daylight hours are lengthening. This produces an increase in bird song, searches for breeding sites and the disputes over these sites. The woods around Baildon are home to all three of our woodpeckers so listen out for the loud drumming of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, the “yaffing” call of the Green Woodpecker and the less common drumming of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker whose drumming is very fast and drill like. Baildon Bank is a good area to locate Green Woodpecker as the bird searches the rocky outcrops for ants.
On the edge of the moors, we should expect a build up of Lapwings and Golden Plovers especially in the Glovershaw area. Nearer towards Weecher Reservoir, the feral Greylag Geese will congregate in fields adjacent to the reservoir and the odd Oystercatcher may be seen. On sunny days the early Skylarks may well be persuaded to sing.
This winter, flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing numbers have been disappointing but if the ground is frost free, we may still see some flocks feeding up before they depart to Scandinavia. The odd Curlew may be heard as they return early to the moorland fringes.

Friends of Baildon Moor had a table at the Baildon Christmas Fair today (Sunday 2 December)

Several new members signed up and hopefully many more people are now aware of our existence.

During the day the Parish Church had a display of many wreaths. The one shown below was sponsored by the Friends of Baildon Moor.

The next FoBM Public Meeting will be held on the 3rd December 2012 at Baildon Methodist Church 7-9pm. Please come along to discuss issues relating to Baildon Moor that are important to you. Members and non-members are welcome (you can also join on the night).

This will be a meeting at which we want and welcome open comment and discussion from all.

By having several of these meetings each year, and by welcoming comment by other means, we can make sure that we are working to achieve what is best for Baildon Moor.