A follow-up to my post of last week on Woodland Trust sites in Fulwood.
I had to go into Preston to pick up my camera after its repairs. Wilkinson’s has served me well over the years and many cameras with personal care.. My pocket Lumix Leica had started with a fault involving the electronic zoom – it wouldn’t. I persisted for a while using the manual setting but eventually returned it to the shop for attention under its two-year warranty. The young shop assistant tried to tell me I had damaged the zoom by dropping the camera, I explained I hadn’t. He wrote about ‘damage’ on the repair form and said he would speak to his manager – he didn’t. Subsequently, I was informed the camera’s zoom mechanism was replaced and ready for picking up at a charge of £167. I phoned to say I had disputed the cause of the failure and expected the warranty to cover the charges, the temporary assistant said he would speak to the manager – he didn’t.
I arrived in the shop clutching my warranty and asked to speak to the manager. He was very understanding and agreed that the repairers had said there was no sign of any physical damage. Of course there was no charge, I thanked him for his fairness. I will no doubt be giving this independent but expanding business, my custom in the future as opposed to the internet. Just don’t deal with the young temporary assistants.
Being keen to try it out and as I was in town I thought I would visit the two Woodland Trust woods in Fulwood omitted last week. They didn’t fit into my circular walk being more stand-alone sites. The Woodland Trust website gave me maps and access points.
ASDA WOOD.
“Public access is informal and limited. There is a stile on the southern boundary which is used irregularly as a foot access route to Asda, a network of informal unsurfaced paths run through the site for approx. 500 metres. The woodland is not thought to be well-used except perhaps by a small number of people as a shortcut to the superstore.”
“The small size of this site, and the fact that it is surrounded by housing and a superstore limits its value as a wildlife habitat. Unfortunately the woodland does not l ink with any other habitats, and there is no opportunity to extend it. However, it is a mature and stable woodland which provides a refuge for urban wildlife.”
Not exactly encouraging. I parked up in the far corner of the superstore car park and found the shortcut mentioned, a muddy informal track connecting to Eastway. What else did I find? Well everywhere along the border of the wood with the car park an unbelievable amount of dumped rubbish. Not just the odd drinks bottle or takeaway box, no everything but the kitchen sink. There was probably a sink in there somewhere. A lot of the mess was Asda packaging hurriedly discarded whilst on the premises, but others must park up here, well away from the public eye, and have a right clear-out. It was disgusting, and I am surprised Asda are not sufficiently ashamed and embarrassed to do something about it.
My enthusiasm for the oaks, birch, hawthorn and sycamore dwindled – it was so messy at the edges. The woods drop away steeply and would be difficult to access even if there were paths. Best stay away, or at least just sit in the car park listening to the bird song whilst you throw away your rubbish. I notice The Woodland Trust does’n put their usual signs up here, or more likely they have been burnt.
Eastway gate into Asda Wood.
Deeper in the wood.
CLOUGH COPSE.
“A popular wood with local dog-walkers and joggers Clough Copse consists of a wide variety of tree life including oak, ash, sycamore, cherry, beech, elder, hazel and holly. Bluebells, dog’s mercury and red campion can be spotted as well.”
Sounds more promising. I’ve never been into these housing estates alongside The Guild Wheel. A maze of roads, upmarket houses and plenty of green spaces. From one of the roads where I parked I eventually found a path onto the Guild Wheel which I followed downhill towards the Old Tannery on Savick Brook. On the map I had spotted a track heading back up into Clough Copse. This well maintained way alongside a smaller brook is local authority owned. There are bridges and steps leading off into unseen housing. The deep clough divides and there didn’t seem to be any track up the right-hand branch. The Woodland Trust announce their presence. I followed the pleasant left-hand clough and yes there were dog walkers about.
Out of the estate to the Guild Wheel to start.
Finding a way in off the Guild Wheel.
A small ‘smoke-free’ children’s’ playground appeared on the edge of the housing. I continued upwards with the stream below giving interest. Patches of Wood Anemone, Lesser Celandines and Primroses added colour. Only the Blackthorn was showing any blossom.
All too quickly I popped out the other end onto some unknown road and was able to find my way back to the car. Really this wood is just a narrow strip offering locals a welcome green way out of their estate. Again there was plenty of bird song, so it is providing a habitat for our wildlife.
!. ASDA WOOD. 2. CLOUGH COPSE. Purple, route walked.
Maybe Clough Copse would be worth a revisit when the bluebells are out and the trees leafed up. But really it is only of use to the surrounding estate. Stay well away from Asda Wood.
My curiosity satisfied and the camera tested. Now after the two visits I have in my mind’s eye an idea for a pleasant walking circuit of the best of the Woodland Trust sites in Fulwood. But let’s wait until the woods are farther on after Easter.
That rubbish in the Asda wood is disgusting! I really don’t understand why people can’t take their rubbish home with them, find a bin or take things to the local tip! One of our local CoOp supermarkets is really messy at the staff entrance and where the deliveries are made another one just six miles away is pristine. Management differences, I presume. My husband and I recently went on a litter-pick down our lane and found two bin-liners worth of litter. Until ten to fifteen years ago the lanes here were always clean.
Yes the country lanes around here are scattered with rubbish – cans and takeaway cartons.
I do an infrequent litter pick on our local fell and I feel things have improved, except for the ‘doggy poo bags’.
The trash in those photographs from ASDA Wood is so disheartening. It would be as easy to take bin sacks to the recycling place as to drive to the woods to dump it. I despair. Clough Copse looks more promising.
Camera shops are a bit of a dying breed. I’ve used Wilkinsons in Southport and found them very helpful, but the Jessops went years ago, along with Wildings in Chorley and Wigan where I’ve been buying cameras and lenses since I was a kid. You did well standing your ground. Repairs are so expensive, if they’re coming out of your own pocket they’re hardly worth it.
Hopefully the camera will be OK now. I’m only an amateur so like all the automatic features combined with a fairly decent lens.
Fingers crossed. I have a small Lumix/Leica that’s nearly ten years old now. They’re a good camera and a sharp lens.
It’s nearly better than trigpointing for getting you to places you wouldn’t otherwise visit. I’m proud of you sticking out for satisfaction with Wilkinsons, better than I did a while ago after dropping my camera in the mud on one of our joint walks.
My simple wodland discoveries are well down the scale compared to your trigpointing exploits.
Was that the camera you ‘didn’t go back for’?
I’ve had so many cameras I honestly can’t remember. By the way, I did go back and look extensively but to no avail.
I remember saying you could link your camera to the internet and see what and where was the last picture you took. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
It’s sad to see mess like that in the Asda wood. No doubt due to it’s proximity to the supermarket. It’s the same near me where the path along the river from Tesco’s is strewn with rubbish – mainly packaging for stuff purchased in the store. I think the same standards should be applied to rubbish from takeaways as industrial waste, the producer has responsibility down the line. The vendors make money from the sales and should bear some responsibility for clearing it up.
I quite agree, but it will take a mindset to change things.