Summer 2001
Contents
Best Foot Forward
Miles of walking through varied and interesting landscapes, from ancient woodlands and wildflower meadows to open countryside and tree-lined lakes, it's free, it's open and it's on your doorstep!
The Foot and Mouth crisis has brought much of the countryside, including the Blackwater Valley, to a virtual standstill in the last few months, however, we are now pleased to announce that the majority of the Blackwater Valley Path has been now reopened.
The Blackwater Valley Path is a long distance route that has been created by Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership (BVCP) and follows the River Blackwater for 23 miles (37 km). The Path starts at the source of the River Blackwater in Rowhill Nature Reserve, just to the south of Aldershot and at the time of going to press, is currently open as far north as Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve at Sandhurst. The Path provides the link to a wide variety of different sites and facilities such as nature reserves, watersports centres, country parks and recreational areas.
For further information and a FREE leaflet about the Blackwater Valley area contact us at the address below.
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Path Improvements Continue
Another section of the Blackwater Valley Path is now set to be improved and upgraded, opening up even more of this long distance, recreational route to cyclists, wheelchair users and people with pushchairs.
The improvements, which are taking place thanks to a grant from the RMC Environment Fund, are to be carried out just south of Coleford Bridge Road and will involve widening and resurfacing the Path. This will create another 'multi-user' section that can be enjoyed by anybody wanting to get out and about in the Valley.
A 4-mile section has already been resurfaced between Ash Road at Aldershot and Lynchford Road at North Camp. This 'multi-user' section has proved to be very popular and is particularly suitable for families with young children as the Path provides an easily accessible, traffic-free cycle way.
There are a wide range of recreational and countryside opportunities available in the Blackwater Valley and the Path is a popular route that links many leisure sites and facilities. By continuing to work to improve the surface of the Path, the BVCP aim to open up the Valley to an ever-increasing number of local people.
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Wet and Wild Watersports For All
It's here! Horseshoe Lake's exciting new programme of courses for the summer season with everything from windsurfing, canoeing and dinghy sailing to dragon boating and raft building. Horseshoe Lake Watersports Centre, managed by Freetime Leisure is located on the outskirts of Sandhurst and offers access to watersports to people of all ages and all ability levels. There are also courses for juniors, aged 8-15 years, including multi-activity weeks for those wanting to try most, if not all, of the activities available at the centre. Alongside the 22-acre lake there is a pavilion with changing rooms, showers and refreshments and first class equipment; wet suits and buoyancy aids are provided for all participants.
For further information and details of Horseshoe Lake's summer programme of courses and events contact the centre on 01252 871808 or see their website. Alternatively contact us at the address below.
For those interested in watersports such as water-skiing, wakeboarding and jet skiing, the Valley is also the home of Blackwater Valley Watersports at Eversley. This site is a complex of three lakes, with a club boat slalom course. Private boat owners and jet-ski members can use the site and there is also tow available to non-members by telephone booking. For further information contact the centre on 01252 871182.
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Greening Green Lane
Greening Green Lane Pond restoration and hedge-planting schemes improve the landscape around Badshot Lea. The Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership is leading a project to enhance the landscape in the area surrounding the villages of Badshot Lea and Weybourne between Aldershot and Farnham.
Improvements this winter have included planting two new hedges, one of which is close to Southern Electric's depot in Green Lane, Badshot Lea. The new hedge will considerably improve the landscape in this area by helping to screen the buildings and equipment that are located at the depot. Southern Electric were happy to get involved in the project and have helped with the cost of the planting by providing funding for over two hundred trees and shrubs. Dave Kiely, Southern Electric's Performance Manager said "The environment is very important to us and being part of the community ourselves, it's in our interest for the area to look attractive".
Another scheme has involved the restoration of an historical pond within Weybourne Nature Area. Local volunteers have been working alongside the BVCP Waverley Borough Council Rangers and the Surrey Wildlife Trust to cut back trees and other vegetation from around the pond, which had been neglected for many years. The aim of this work is to improve the site for a wide variety of wildlife including dragonflies, newts, frogs, toads and water voles. Phase two on this site will involve improving the access for local people.
These projects are being undertaken as part of the Badshot Open Gap project, which was established in 1997 to protect the open countryside between the towns of Aldershot and Farnham by enhancing the landscape, increasing the wildlife value of the area and developing low key recreational uses. The Project is managed by the BVCS and is supported by Waverley Borough Council, Farnham Town Council and SITA. Through these partnerships and by working closely with the local community, landowners, and wildlife organisations, many landscape improvements have been achieved in the area.
Steve Bailey, Manager of the BVCP said, "developing partnerships with the local community, landowners and local authorities is central to the work that is being carried out in the Badshot Lea and Weybourne area. The pond restoration scheme is a good example of the many landscape improvement projects that are being implemented throughout the Blackwater Valley"
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Welcome to the web!
For those of you who are hooked up to the world wide web, you can now get all of your essential Blackwater Valley information from our new Website. Designed to be quick to download, the new Website contains information about the history of the Valley and the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership, recreational activities and facilities in the area and wildlife and conservation information.
We are still in the process of developing the site. The site will eventually include a volunteers page along with the Blackwater Valley Volunteer News, maps and information about the Blackwater Valley Path and the recreation and countryside sites in the Valley and links to other environmental and countryside organisations.
We would welcome your feedback. If you have any comments, suggestions or advice to offer please contact us at the address below.
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New Chairman of Moor Green Lakes Group
The Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve lies on the Berkshire, Hampshire border, north of the River Blackwater and is a restored gravel workings that is owned by RMC Aggregates Ltd. Work on the reserve is overseen by the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership and the Moor Green Lakes Group (MGLG), a very active group of local volunteers who are involved in managing and protecting this local reserve. The success of the MGLG is due to its large membership, currently standing at over 300 members, and the work of some very committed volunteers. The Group has recently welcomed Ken Crick as their new chairman, and he has kindly provided us with the following article.
The Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve covers 36 hectares and consists of three lakes, the River Blackwater and an area of grassland.
The Moor Green Lakes Group of volunteers are involved in managing the reserve on behalf of the owners RMC, who continue to support and finance work on the site. Membership of the MGLG falls into three main categories, those who support the Group through annual subscription of £3.00 and simply take joy in the site, members who attend work parties and involve themselves in putting up bird and bat boxes, clearing brambles and undergrowth, maintenance of fences, hides and the laying of hedges, etc., to those who like to exercise and acquire natural history knowledge and contribute to the detailed recording of the flora and fauna on site.
A site of this size and complexity, along with its large group membership, occasionally requires some administrative commitment throughout the year, if this is your forte and you would like to help, then please let us know. Whatever you inclination, all are welcome.
Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve is a haven of tranquillity where you can quietly observe wildlife activity and in particular, has acquired something of a reputation among bird watchers. There are 22 hectares of open water with gravel islands and scrapes attracting wildfowl and wading birds. The current list of species seen on the site stands at 140, 67 of which are also known to breed on site including Lapwing and Redshank.
Part of the reserve is also managed as grassland and contains a wide variety of native meadow plants attractive to many kinds of insects, including 22 species of butterfly.
Early mornings will often reward the visitor with views of fox and deer, whilst at night Pipistrelle and Daubenton's bats are present. The open water and the River Blackwater support large numbers of dragonflies and damselflies and bright sunny days may provide the observant walker with sightings of Red-Eyed Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles. Winter is always popular for the splendid variety of wildfowl.
So why not join the Moor Green Lakes Group and whether or not you work out in the gym, come and work out with us in the fresh air, with good company. Members of the MGLG are entitled to unlimited access to the two purpose built bird hides, a twice yearly newsletter and an annual report that covers all activities from conservation work to the detailed recording of plants, birds, insects and mammals.
For further information contact us at the address below.
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By Ken Crick, Chairman of the Moor Green Lakes Group.
Interested in Volunteering?
There are many voluntary groups working within the Blackwater Valley area, with regular conservation tasks being run throughout the week and at weekends.
For a list of local conservation groups and also a conservation task diary, detailing when, where and what the various local groups will be doing.
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New Leader for Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers (BVCV)
Amanda Simpson-Atkins, former leader of the Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers, has recently left us to venture back into the world of teaching and we would like to thank her for all of her hard work over the last 5 years. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Caty Woolley, as the new volunteer leader of the BVCV. Having only recently joined the group, Caty has been thrown head long into the planning of the conservation programme and leading the group and we would like to thank her enthusiasm and for volunteering (!) to take on this role.
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Wanted: Volunteers to do their 'rib'bit!
- Do you walk near Surrey's rivers, lakes, ponds and reservoirs?
- Do you hear noisy frogs calling in May and June?
- Do they leap into the water as you approach with a succession of plops?
If so, they are probably European green frogs - the Pool, Marsh and Edible frogs.
Some years ago these frogs escaped from sites where they were held and have now become part of our countryside. As part of an Earthwatch Millennium Award, a map has been priduced showing where these frogs now live and needs YOUR help to find out where they are. The males of these frogs call much more loudly than our native frog in order to attract females and volunteers will be given a short audio tape and asked to make simple recordings. They will also be given a recording form to enter details of when and where they hear the frogs. The final map will be included in the Surrey Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles, due to be published later this year.
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BEElieve it or Not!
Hundreds of busy new volunteers now working in the Valley.
Busy bees that is! As another example of a successful partnership between the Blackwater Valley Countryside Service and the community, a local beekeepers association have chosen to locate beehives in the Blackwater Valley. The following article clearly demonstrates how local partnerships create benefits for all, as Jim O'Neil from the Fleet and District Beekeepers Association briefly outlines why the Valley is a good location for the hives, how the Valley itself directly benefits from the work carried out by these busy labourers and the general advantages of keeping bees.
The Blackwater Valley provides a wide variety of trees, flowers and heather that are a veritable paradise for honeybees, with a plentiful supply of pollen and nectar over a long season.
The importance of the honeybee is often underestimated, in its importance to our well being and quality of life today.
The earliest record of bee keeping was found in Egypt, dated 2400 BC and it's easy to see why honeybees have long been highly valued.
Firstly, bees are responsible for pollinating fruit crops, trees and a wide variety of flora, which would otherwise suffer a serious set back in development and productivity. It is estimated that 80% of pollination is carried out by bees and without them, landscapes and habitats would clearly suffer.
And than of course there's honey! A natural food that is also legendary as an ingredient in cooking. In addition, honey is also highly valued for it's medicinal properties and in many parts of the world it is also used as a skin and wound dressing.
Although sugar has today largely replaced honey as the sweetener in our diet, with the growing awareness of the need to work in harmony with nature, bee keeping is once again having a resurgence. To encourage and support this revival, beekeeping associations are running introduction courses locally.
A hive or two can easily be sited in the garden and with instruction can provide a plentiful amount of honey for cooking, making mead and cough mixture and also for gifts to friends and relatives. Not to mention the surplus wax for candles and many other uses.
Beekeeping is a rewarding and satisfying craft and newcomers are supported by members of their local associations who provide advice, meetings, discounted equipment, social events etc.
For further information please phone 01252 682185.
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Fabulous Fishing in the Blackwater Valley
Angling is the most popular sport in the Blackwater Valley and it's easy to see why, with over 60 lakes and the River Blackwater in the area, there is something to suit anybody interested in fishing, from the avid, more experienced angler to complete beginners.
There are opportunities for match, pleasure and specimen anglers with many sites offering day tickets and night fishing. Within the Valley there are large, nationally important match fisheries such as Gold Valley Lakes and Willow Park at Ash Vale, which have excellent facilities including toilets, club house, car park, cafes and tackle and bait shops. There are also fisheries which specialise in large carp, difficult to catch but offering a real challenge to the dedicated angler, such as at Nutrabaits Yateley Complex. Fortunately for the pleasure angler many lakes in the Valley are owned by local clubs, which provide mixed fisheries in pleasant surroundings such as at Lakeside Park and Frimley Hatches. Many sites have disabled access, with specially constructed swims and toilets with wheelchair access.
The Valley is particularly good for younger people wanting to try their hand at catching the 'big one'. Many local sites and societies actively encourage younger anglers and are always willing to offer help and advice to juniors or novices. There are also, in many cases, special rates for juniors, junior sections and the chance to take part in junior club matches and open competitions. There may also be the opportunity to hire tackle just for the day such as at Willow Park and some organisations can arrange for National Federation of Anglers qualified instructors to offer tuition at any level.
There are fishing opportunities for the river angler along some sections of the River Blackwater, which since the mid-80's has seen fish stocks thriving with Chub, Roach, Perch, Dace, and Rudd. The rights to fish the River Blackwater are controlled by different organisations, for further information contact us at the address below or visit our angling page.
Fishing provides you with the opportunity to get out into your local area and develop a greater understanding and awareness of the local environment. It also increases our understanding of the need to protect the natural environment and the wildlife that abounds in the Valley. So why not pick up a rod, head out into the Valley and discover why angling is the area's most popular sport.
A list of the various angling societies and centres in the Valley, with details of where they fish, the facilities that they offer, costs and also the opportunities for junior angling will soon be available on our angling page.
Rod Licenses - Any angler aged 12 years or older who fishes for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels is required to have a valid Environment Agency rod license which is available from all Post Offices and via a telephone hotline number 0870 1662 662. You will also need a permit from the fishery owner before you can fish. Remember, always leave an area as you find it, take all litter, discarded tackle and bait home, as this can be harmful to wildlife.
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