Just home, been for a walk in beautiful woodlands. Cold, crisp, sunny....little burns and the river flowing merrily by, and *lots* of trees 
This message started out on the FM forum as I didn't want to swamp the site until all of the details have been thrashed out. The couple of posts at the end are probably the most relevant ones.
The woods are open to the public but not much used, and away from the road they are really quiet. I've visited them with GrahamS and PatrickM and both agree they are very suitable for a centralised meet up.
I visited again today and Andrew took photos (I'll post them when they're downloaded) but after four visits now I still have the same impression; beautiful, very handy and quiet.
Problems with parking more than half a dozen cars can be overcome if we have a little patience until I can get all of the interested bodies on side and the key to the forestry road. In the meantime, if you would like to visit and have a wander and post your impressions I'd like to read your opinions too.
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Graham_S, Mike Brady & Toddy visited woodlands today just above Garrion Bridge. There is a very good chance that the woods will be available for bushcrafting weekends at least once per season throughout the year. There is no financial cost involved but in return for the use of the woodlands, mixed native timbers, some plantation conifers, pond, burns and river frontage, it is envisaged that members may contribute a little effort to help fell, copice and otherwise thin trees as part of the management of the woodlands. (Great hardship, I'm afraid we'll just need to use the stuff for fires, shelters, carvings, charcoal, etc., )
Seriously folks, I'm chuffed to bits. The two woodlands are beautiful playgrounds for us Central to road and rail links but off road enough to be quiet and with wonderful natural resources that we can use. Everything from oak and ash to elm and plum, with the usual Clyde valley flora and fauna too and masses of fungi out today.
The pond has reed mace and could do with some clearing out and the willow, hazel and oak could do with some coppicing, but the variety of landscape within the woodlands is wonderful, Graham reckoned Basha's or tarps and hammocks no problems, me I saw dry footing for tents and easy river access.
If any of the local (ish) members would like to come and have a recce too, would they pm either myself or Graham_S ? We're not trying to exclude anyone, just hoping not to flood the area with bodies all at once
Not sure about acerage, maybe about 20? might be nearer 30
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Graham_S
as toddy said, it's a great bit of woodland. there is plenty of ash, elm, silver birch, etc available. also some decent looking willow and holly. lots of fire drill potential there.
there is plenty of area suitable for hammock use, lots of wood suitable for making debris shelters.
we have easy access to the river for canoeing or fishing (with a permit only though) and decent road links.
if the weather is ok i'll probably head down there in the morning for another wander
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Okay....
Have a look at this site
http://www.clydevalleywoods.org.uk/clydevalleywoodlands.htm
The woods we're interested in aren't marked as such on the map, they lie between Garrion Gill and Jock's Gill where the Garrion water meets the Clyde.
I have verbal agreement with the Countryside Ranger responsible that we can have a recce meet to have a look and see what we think of the area and whether we would be prepared to work with them to help bring the woods into better management. Things like, "Okay prune the oak but don't fell it but yes we can take down the conifers that are starving it of light and use the material as we choose".
It is clearly acknowledged that this will be a long term thing, no one expects things done overnight
The site is ten minutes from the M74 and about 20 mins from Lanark Railway station. There's a new railway line due to come into commission shortly that will run even closer as it passes through Chatelherault.
So..... who's up for a Saturday or Sunday visit? The recommendation is to keep it to a, "Bring a rucsac, not the kitchen sink!", type meet.
Cheers,
Toddy
This message started out on the FM forum as I didn't want to swamp the site until all of the details have been thrashed out. The couple of posts at the end are probably the most relevant ones.
The woods are open to the public but not much used, and away from the road they are really quiet. I've visited them with GrahamS and PatrickM and both agree they are very suitable for a centralised meet up.
I visited again today and Andrew took photos (I'll post them when they're downloaded) but after four visits now I still have the same impression; beautiful, very handy and quiet.
Problems with parking more than half a dozen cars can be overcome if we have a little patience until I can get all of the interested bodies on side and the key to the forestry road. In the meantime, if you would like to visit and have a wander and post your impressions I'd like to read your opinions too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham_S, Mike Brady & Toddy visited woodlands today just above Garrion Bridge. There is a very good chance that the woods will be available for bushcrafting weekends at least once per season throughout the year. There is no financial cost involved but in return for the use of the woodlands, mixed native timbers, some plantation conifers, pond, burns and river frontage, it is envisaged that members may contribute a little effort to help fell, copice and otherwise thin trees as part of the management of the woodlands. (Great hardship, I'm afraid we'll just need to use the stuff for fires, shelters, carvings, charcoal, etc.,
)Seriously folks, I'm chuffed to bits. The two woodlands are beautiful playgrounds for us Central to road and rail links but off road enough to be quiet and with wonderful natural resources that we can use. Everything from oak and ash to elm and plum, with the usual Clyde valley flora and fauna too and masses of fungi out today.
The pond has reed mace and could do with some clearing out and the willow, hazel and oak could do with some coppicing, but the variety of landscape within the woodlands is wonderful, Graham reckoned Basha's or tarps and hammocks no problems, me I saw dry footing for tents and easy river access.
If any of the local (ish) members would like to come and have a recce too, would they pm either myself or Graham_S ? We're not trying to exclude anyone, just hoping not to flood the area with bodies all at once
Not sure about acerage, maybe about 20? might be nearer 30
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham_S
as toddy said, it's a great bit of woodland. there is plenty of ash, elm, silver birch, etc available. also some decent looking willow and holly. lots of fire drill potential there.
there is plenty of area suitable for hammock use, lots of wood suitable for making debris shelters.
we have easy access to the river for canoeing or fishing (with a permit only though) and decent road links.
if the weather is ok i'll probably head down there in the morning for another wander
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay....
Have a look at this site
http://www.clydevalleywoods.org.uk/clydevalleywoodlands.htm
The woods we're interested in aren't marked as such on the map, they lie between Garrion Gill and Jock's Gill where the Garrion water meets the Clyde.
I have verbal agreement with the Countryside Ranger responsible that we can have a recce meet to have a look and see what we think of the area and whether we would be prepared to work with them to help bring the woods into better management. Things like, "Okay prune the oak but don't fell it but yes we can take down the conifers that are starving it of light and use the material as we choose".
It is clearly acknowledged that this will be a long term thing, no one expects things done overnight
The site is ten minutes from the M74 and about 20 mins from Lanark Railway station. There's a new railway line due to come into commission shortly that will run even closer as it passes through Chatelherault.
So..... who's up for a Saturday or Sunday visit? The recommendation is to keep it to a, "Bring a rucsac, not the kitchen sink!", type meet.
Cheers,
Toddy
