As a follow up to our recent article on the benches which will soon be gracing the Estate, here is a sneak preview from the workshop of Roebuck and Holmes where work is progressing nicely. We hope you agree that they are looking rather magnificent.

The mild and damp winter to date has meant that the Autumn sown crops have made steady progress. Problems may arise if there is an extended period of frost since, unlike last year, the crops have not been hardened off. Treating the crops that survive the winter to protect them against diseases and pests will be a question of timing so that we can minimise the cost. The same considerations apply to the application of fertilizer which will only be used as and when appropriate.

To the North of Honley Road the hybrid winter Barley is very strong and hopefully will produce a good crop at harvest. Wheat is good, although there are a number of areas that have ponded, either through ineffective drainage or compaction of clay soils.

Planning for the spring crops is well underway and we now await weather and soil temperatures. The land between Fenay Beck, Penistone Road and that adjacent to Reliance Mill will be cultivated and a three year grass ley will be planted. The area leading to Jumble Wood will be cultivated and a crop of Spring Barley is to be planted. We aim to choose a variety which will render a barley sample that will hopefully be suitable for brewing beer. Work throughout the summer will also be undertaken to the land between Fenay Beck and Squirrel Wood. This will entail some drainage, the eradication of noxious weeds, a new fence to Squirrel Wood prior to cultivation and the planting of winter wheat.

Land on Field Lane that has been grass for three years will come back into arable cultivation. Spring Barley and Winter Wheat will be sown, after which it will revert to grass for a further three years. Alternatively, another break crop (beans for example) may appear more suitable.

By the time you are reading this update, we are hoping that planting along the bank below Glen Farm has taken place; similarly the biomass crop beneath Ludhill which will be a source of fuel in due course. In order to produce a successful harvest of trees for this purpose, Ash and Birch will grow as single stems for ten years which will then be cropped; regeneration will produce multiple stems that will be subsequently cropped at seven year periods. Squirrel Wood will also be under planted, predominately with Oak – in tubes to protect them against vermin. As an aside, out of all the timber that was felled in Squirrel Wood, there were only two butts of Oak that were up to the standard required by the sawmills. The remaining timber is good only for firewood and will be retained for the biomass project. Lack of management with no long term view as to the value of woodland a considerable number of years ago is the cause of an absence of decent quality trees.

However, this year heralds the beginning of a concerted effort by the Estate to regenerate its woodland assets. It will be carried out sympathetically although there will be times when certain areas may have the appearance of ‘de-forestation’. This will be a false impression – remedied once the under planting grows beyond its protective tubes, the remaining trees regenerate and the undergrowth/bulbs takes Nature’s course. All this work is part of the Estate’s endeavour to provide a long-term sustainable woodland capable of multiple usage and to enhance the area as a natural habitat.

The boys and girls at Farnley C of E School under the able guidance of Alison Black are in the process of designing suitable inscriptions for each seat which will either describe the location, commemorate a personality from Farnley’s history or take the form of a few lines of appropriate verse. Norman Walsh of Brockholes has been asked to quote for the engraving. Anyone familiar with Norman’s work will have admired his mosaic of intricate and beautiful carvings on the doors at St Lucius’ Church in Farnley Tyas. We recommend those who do not to pay a visit. At the moment we expect up to nine seats to be in place by Springtime and perhaps one more in Summer.

They will all be located with an eye to the many beautiful views that Farnley has to offer. We hope that visitors to this lovely part of the West Riding will be able to rest awhile and appreciate the tranquillity of our outstanding landscape. Here is one of them:

Once again we would like to place on record our grateful thanks to Stephen Gould at EPIP, Steve Robinson, Robert Holmes of Roebuck and Holmes, Alison Black, Head of Farnley C of E School and all the boys and girls who have helped to bring this project to fruition.

The Planning Hearing, originally scheduled for December and re-scheduled for January has been put back to February to ensure that English Heritage have their say on the barns at Beech Farm.

The Estate is meeting with the Community Group’s Liaison Committee on Tuesday 21st February for a post-planning meeting. Should anyone have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul Sykes on 01484 667744.

We would like to wish everyone; tenants, partners, and fellow residents of Farnley Tyas, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

If you have any questions please contact the Farnley Estates office on 01484 667744.

Minutes of the first meeting: October 19th 2011

Minutes of the second meeting: November 15th 2011

Minutes of the third meeting: November 29th 2011

Conservation work continues on the Estate with extensive refurbishment work being undertaken to a pond and the woodland of this wood (opposite the gates to Woodsome Golf Course)

A completely silted up former mill pond, with a depth of around a foot, has been dredged and the head wall reinstated. The pond will now have a depth approaching eight feet and when it has settled in will be stocked with fish by the Hillhouse Angling Association. In a couple of years when the banking has had a chance to ‘green up’ this will be a very pleasant place to fish.

In years gone by timber was taken from this small woodland, unfortunately timber of ‘value’ rather than timber that would ‘benefit the woodland in the longer term’. What remains now is a high content of very poor stock mainly Oak, with some Sycamore and limited Ash. As a result, we have had to fell rather more trees than we would normally do, but this will allow for under planting this winter with a majority of Oak and a limited number of Wild Cherry, Crab Apple and Horse Chestnut . Hopefully, with the extra light, the trees should be out of the tops of the tree shelters by spring 2013. Within two years there will also be considerable undergrowth which will give cover and food to both mammals and birds in what was a very cold and lifeless wood. Overall the long term ecosystem and the area as a woodland will become of benefit to the Estate.

The recently removed third-quality timber will only have a value as firewood and it would be hoped that the sale of timber will at least cover the cost of the work undertaken and go someway towards the cost of refencing the boundaries of the woodland. The majority of the replanting cost will be covered by the Estate with some grant assistance from the Forestry Commission.

We would hope that people will visit this area of woodland and note the work that is ongoing. If you do visit could you please give us some feedback.

During the work at Squirrel Wood (click for article), excavation work has brought to light an old road which looks like a packhorse route between Almondbury and Woodsome Road; possibly leading to Birks Mill.

Can you help? If you have any further information on this discovery please let us know at the Farnley Estate office on 01484 667744.

We have always been very proud of the lovely views afforded from different parts of the Estate and we were therefore particularly pleased when we were approached by the East Peak Innovation Partnership to site a number of benches on our land.

Following a tour around the Estate, the Partnership believes that we can offer so many beautiful locations that an application for ten high quality benches, including one at Farnley Mill, can be substantiated.  Up until now, these seats have been made in Shropshire but we see no reason why Farnley’s own local joinery, Roebuck and Holmes, shouldn’t be invited to quote for this business. Accordingly they have been asked to submit a competitive quotation for this work.

We are in the process of putting together a bid for funding which, if successful, will commence in February.  We would like to thank Mr Steven Robinson, lead consultant to EPIP, for all the help he has given in advancing this exciting project.

We also feel that there is an opportunity to add a little character to each of the benches; perhaps by naming the seat, the view, or producing a short verse or a couple of sentences which recall the history of Farnley Tyas and our ancestors. With this in mind, we have commissioned a competition by inviting the children at Farnley C of E School to come up with their own ideas on how to achieve this. We are looking forward to revealing the results in due course.

If you would be interested in creating a new woodland (big or small) please contact the Estate office on 01484 667744.