Hyndburn’s Woodlands – Phase 2

Today the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were joined by corporate volunteers from EE/BT!

After a tool health and safety talk, and a site breakdown, volunteers were asked if any of them fancied learning how to scythe! We had a few very interested volunteers! The others were provided with litter pickers and set about clearing the Livingstone Road entrance from litter!

The scything volunteers were given careful instruction on how to setup and safely operate a scythe, afterwards, they scythed the Livingstone Road entrance to the site, clearing back overgrown nettles which impeded visitor access.

Afterwards, we gently worked on the paths, clearing back encroaching brambles and overhanging branches using hand tools.

Then, we broke for Lunch at the top of Whinney Hill, at our Butterfly Glade, where we have recently had work done on the benches to make them more comfortable!

After lunch, we headed back down to manage Rose Spirea, a garden escapee that was becoming invasive and spreading its way into the woodland. The volunteers worked extremely hard and managed to get every last one! This patch will be treated later to prevent re-emergence.

Thank you to our regular Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers and our volunteers from EE/BT for helping to keep our woodlands safe, tidy, and invasive species free!

As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible

On Saturday 28th April 2026 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands project took part in the Great British Spring Clean event! A national event aimed at getting litter off the ground!

We had already carried out two sessions as part of the Great British Spring Clean which removed a total of 20 bags (along with a great deal of fly-tipping) from two woodlands.

This session we removed 9 bags of rubbish along with some minor fly-tipping. Thank you to everyone who came along and helped us keep Hyndburn’s Woodlands tidy!

As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible

On Tuesday 24th March 2026 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Project was back at Whinney Hill woodland carrying out some infrastructure repair work.

The fishing dock at the pond was badly damaged due to vandalism. We first tore out all of the damaged material with crowbars and electric drills. We then removed any litter within the dock and cleared away vegetation that might hinder construction. Once the area was clear, we laid down a large sturdy post in the middle of the dock to replace a previous structure that was unsalvageable.

Finally, outdoor plywood was laid atop the structure and secured at multiple points.

We also carried out a litter pick as the area had accumulated a surprising amount of litter (in only a week!). The area is looking much tidier now and we’ve already had feedback from locals on how much they appreciate the repair work on the dock

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who braved a very wet and very muddy day to help us keep Hyndburn’s Woodlands tidy and the site accessible

As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible

On Tuesday 3rd March 2026 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Project was back at Whinney Hill to continue with the dead-hedging started last year.

Last year, we cut down several Invasive Non-Native cherry Laurel that were growing at the Livingstone Road entrance to the site. We used the brash to create a new dead-hedge where an old wire fence had begun to deteriorate. This has broken down rather quick and has begun to look quite messy.

Today, we utilised much harder wood that had been left over from recent Ash Dieback felling works. We initially moved material to the dead-hedge site using wheelbarrows. Material was then broken down into long lengths and smaller brash using hand tools. Heavy material was laid down as a new base and lighter material was laid on top. This will provide habitat for small insects, birds and mammals.

Thank you to our incredible volunteers who helped us improve biodiversity value in Hyndburn’s Woodlands

As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible