ChadKirk Chapel Updates
News and updates from the Friends of Chadkirk
Democracy in Stockport – latest on the bridleway
Click to access Werneth Progress.pdf
It is anticipated that a report will be submitted to the meeting of the Werneth Area Committee on 8 June 2015.
Stockport’s website suggests that the report will be available before the meeting, perhaps a week before the report is considered by the Committee. It seems that the intention is that interested parties, keen to see how any new proposals affect them, will be able to view the report on-line on June 1st. This gives a week to consider and raise questions with local decision makers.
As in the previous meeting, questions can be submitted to the Werneth Area Committee Meeting about any new plans for a bridleway at Chadkirk.
A-Z of Chadkirk: B is for Biodiversity
Chadkirk is an attractive place to visit, whether you come for a daily walk, or enjoy family time, visit for the Festival, Bat and Bird Box making or one of the other events. Part of the pleasure of this unique place is intangible: the beauty of the landscape, the buildings, the walled garden, all contribute.
However the Country Park at Chadkirk has another key aspect. Conservation. It is a place where wildlife habitats are managed to enable flourishing biodiversity. It was set up , in part, as safe place for wildlife. Whereas hedges and meadows, ancient woodlands and ponds have been disappearing from the British landscape, here there is a strong intention to protect and enable wildlife to flourish, to manage and protect.
In recent decades Friends of Chadkirk, Stockport MBC, the Ranger Service and other environmental groups have made significant contributions. During that time, there have been many projects, big and small, that have enabled the biodiversity of Chadkirk to increase.
Each of these projects has played it’s part in making Chadkirk the special place that it is today. None more than the Coronation Meadow.
The Coronation Meadows Project is led by Plantlife in partnership with The Wildlife Trusts and The Rare Breeds Survival Trust. By establishing a meadow in every county as a way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation, each meadow is a living breathing link from the past to our shared future.
Here’s how Plantlife describe the project:
97% of the UK’s wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s.
Inspired and initiated by HRH The Prince of Wales, the Coronation Meadows Project is:
Celebrating our surviving meadows – identifying a flagship Coronation Meadow for every county in the UK.
Creating new meadows by using the seed or green hay from these Coronation Meadows at receptor sites in the same county.
Increasing the area of this valuable habitat provides new homes for bees, butterflies and other pollinators and helps to secure our wild flower heritage for the next 60 years and beyond.
There is only one Coronation Meadow in Greater Manchester. It’s here. At Chadkirk. This 13 hectare site is a rare gem in an increasingly urban environment. With so many green spaces trampled or degraded because of a variety of pressures, this site is unique in the area.
Friends of Chadkirk have been involved in it’s growth and development. In 2015 volunteers will work closely with staff of Stockport MBC Ranger Service to collect seeds, so that plug plants can be grown and planted out in other locations.
Volunteers monitoring species richness in this part of Chadkirk have noted an increased diversity. They say:
The diversity of Coronation Meadow is growing year on year and in the past couple of years a large colony of Six-Spot Burnet moths has developed and plants such as Birdsfoot Trefoil have helped support Common Blue Butterflies.
In the autumn and winter months Coronation Meadow at Chadkirk provides winter grazing for cattle. The sight of a small herd of cattle grazing on meadow land is rare. A reminder of traditional links between wildlife and farming practices which allow rich biodiversity.
The three wildlife ponds in Coronation Meadow also support a large variety of aquatic wildlife including water beetles, dragon flies, frogs, toads and newts.
The successful management of the Ancient Woodland of Little Wood and Kirk Wood, the ponds and meadows at Chadkirk are testament to the careful and wise stewardship of a few which enables the many visitors to enjoy all this precious gem has to offer.
The friendly festival…
If the Commonwealth Games are the friendly games, then Chadkirk Festival is definitely the friendly festival. A few hours wandering in the sunshine, milling amongst the flock of visitors with my camera in hand provided the chance to chat with people. They came from near and far and spanned the generations, with something of interest for every one.
100 photos later…here’s a few highlights to enjoy:
It’s on Sunday…Chadkirk Festival 2014
The last Sunday in July, is traditionally the day for the Chadkirk Festival and this year is no exception.
All the preparations are in full swing this week. The Ford field is being prepared to serve as a car parking area. Creative volunteers are spending time in the Chapel at Chadkirk and transforming the design for this year’s well dressing into an eye catching display that will be unveiled at the start of Sunday’s festivities. There are banners and posters reminding people of the event. From midday on Sunday there will be five hours of activities to enjoy.
The Festival begins with the Mayor of Stockport blessing St. Chad’s Well.
From 12 midday, you will be able browse over 40 stalls, indulge in some food treats and enjoy the sights and sounds of music and dancing, wildlife and craftwork.
By the entrance to the Chadkirk Festival there will be a chance to see the donkeys from the sanctuary,and around the lawned area there will be falconry displays and the balloon show from award winning artists Rachel and Jason heart. Local craftsmen such as Austin Neeves and Arnold Parrott have stalls, along with the local taekwando group, Mellor Trust and The Heritage Trust.
On the lawned area there will be performances by local dance groups and demonstrations of taekwondo by students from a local group.
The Stockport Silver Band will play traditional music in the courtyard area outside Chadkirk Chapel.
In Chadkirk Chapel are the craft stalls of Country Fayre, Elaine Redford, Christine Smith, Maggie Harwood, Samantha Taylor and Irene Clare. The Chapel is also the place to go to see and hear the Tin’stle Bells Hand Bell Ringers. They perform at regular intervals throughout the afternoon. (A special thanks to this group – in 2013 Tin’stle Bells generously donated their fee towards the Window Fund.)
Outside in the Walled garden there will be face painting, willow weaving and barn owls to interest and entertain, as well as food stalls.
In the corner of the walled garden under the awnings, Friends of Chadkirk will be serving scones and tea and places to relax and refresh under the apple trees. Other members of the Friends of Chadkirk group will be offering plants for sale. This is one of the way that The Friends of Chadkirk group is able to raise money that can then be used to maintain and improve the environment of Chadkirk, the Chapel, Walled Gardens and the Country Park.
This year look out for a new stall: Romiley Remembers.
Entrance to the Chadkirk Festival is £2 for adults, Children 5-15 years £1. Under 5s : entrance is free.
Chadkirk Festival 2014
Today’s Chadkirk Festival was a day with many of the usual ingredients which have made the event so popular, a mix of people and place that makes the Chadkirk Festival special for so many.
There’s an ease of access and well organised parking thanks to the combined effort of local authority and local adventure scouts. Then there’s that tucked away world a few hundred metres down a country lane off the A627: wooded slopes and meadows, walled gardens and ancient chapel.
Within the gardens a feeling of beauty and shared pleasures, as families throng around the flotilla of tented stalls. There’s amazement and delight as people watch with fascination at the birds of prey displays. Other aspects of our relationships with wildlife draw interested crowds at the beekeepers tent, or the barn owl stall.
Plenty of skills on display at the craft stalls selling jewellery, cards…
This year that extra ingredient: almost perfect weather. In the warmth and sunshine people relaxed, ambled around the festival and watched some of the local groups who performed and entertained. There were places to sit in sun or shade, in the gardens, or under trees and picnic and just enjoy.
A seat with a view
During the winter and early spring, there have been small yet significant changes at Chadkirk. Regular visitors will have noticed that some of the paths have been upgraded. If you use the path that leads through the lower slopes of Kirk Wood, you might notice too that the area behind the Walled Garden has been cleared. The scramble of brambles in front of the east wall has been cleared by the Friends of Chadkirk team of volunteer gardeners. For those lucky enough to have some time to sit and stare, there’s a chance to see over the garden wall.
The Walled Garden from the east. Photo: Artemisia
As welcome as the flowers in spring…
Early April…as welcome as the flowers in spring Photo: Artemisia
If spring flowers are something you welcome, then now is your time and Chadkirk is a place to enjoy them.
Celandines and wood anemones light up the slopes. As April moves along they are giving way to the next wave of woodland flowers.
In early April, the odd bluebell in flower, then a brushstroke of blue under the trees of Little Wood, followed by a scattering on the higher slopes of Kirk Wood. Now is their time and the bluebells give the woodland floor that special zing. Azure blue and the freshest of greens delight the eye. Today, the scent spreading through the woodland as the sunlight warmed the slopes. Sweetness of bluebells with the suggestion of something more a tangy as the wild garlic leaves hint at the flowers to come. Today, a sign of spring’s vibrant response to the warm weather, as an early wild garlic flower raises it’s head, perhaps a month ahead of last year’s flowering cycle.
As the wild flowers move through their succession of colours and forms, there’s also much to enjoy in the flowers of the Walled Garden and the area around the Chapel. The gardening team have cultivated a variety of plants which offer visitors a rich and interesting mix to be savoured.
Photo: Artemisia
If your own garden cannot accommodate a magnolia or a fruit tree you can revel in their blossom during this time at Chadkirk.
The view from the new footpath. Photo: Artemisia
This weekend …
Spring has sprung and the Friends have been at work in the Walled Garden. Come rain or shine there’s work to be done. Although this afternoon there were grey skies and some occasional drizzle, a small group of gardeners cleared weeds, lifted plants and prepared flower beds for the spring and summer of growth ahead.
With a spring in their step, Friends of Chadkirk tidy up the garden and prepare the Walled Garden for future growth.
Volunteer weeding one of the beds in the Walled Garden.
This bed has been cleared and dug over. Poppy seeds will be planted to flower during the summer.
The Chapel was open for visitors to enjoy refreshments. And Mary was offering chicks for sale to raise money. Funds raised support this delightful local space.
Chicks in the Chapel (knitted ones – for sale)
Sorry! I think my snapping nearly put this visitor to Chadkirk Chapel off his flapjack!
New window on the world
Each year has its own rhythm, unfolding with the seasons, something of the expected, some times new or different. 2013 had the seasons alright, though as Eric might say… not necessarily in the right order. Snow and sharp frosts in April. Wild garlic carpeted the woods in June. Leaves on the trees in November. Amongst the variety of our British weather and climate, most of us will remember 2013 as the year we had a summer. The best since 2006.
Marigolds in summer sun. Photo: Artemisia
Photo: Artemisia
August in The Walled Garden. Photo:Artemisia
At Chadkirk this meant that the Walled Garden was lush with blooms and the new window was installed in days of glorious sunshine, ready for it’s timely unveiling at Chadkirk Festival 2013. True it rained on the big day. For some of the time. And while this meant that there were fewer visitors overall than for last year’s festival, many danced their way through the sunshine and shower mix.
For those who managed to squeeze into the Chapel for the unveiling, a special moment was shared. Mary unveiled the window with her great grand-daughter. After spending her early years living at Chadkirk in the farm house next to Chadkirk Chapel, Mary has been one of the most active of Friends, giving time and energy with enthusiasm and generosity. To see a family spanning four generations, linking from the first decades of the twentieth century to the second decade of the twenty-first century, heart-warming and encouraging. In caring for Chadkirk and it’s Chapel, a unique and extraordinary place is here for us all to share and enjoy.
Although I arrived at the event after the official ceremony, I was able to catch Mary afterwards. Here she is (with civic dignitary).
The new East Window was celebrated in the 2013 well dressing design.
*Colour* Light * Connection*
The new East window is a beautiful addition to Chadkirk Chapel. Designed to enhance the sense of place and resonate with the landscape of Chadkirk, it allows light in and views out to the wooded hillside beyond the Chapel.
Yesterday the window was unveiled at the Chadkirk Festival 2013.
The photographs below show the team of local craftsmen working to install the window.
Chadkirk Chapel: Work in progress. On Monday 22 July, work on the new stained glass window and preparation for the well dressing. Photo: Artemisia
Installation of the first window panes of the East Window, Chadkirk Chapel. 22 July 2013 Photo: Artemisia
Steve and Rob put the finishing touches to the new window. Photo: Artemisia.
Steve secures the work with putty. Photo: Artemisia.
he cross of St. Chad, East Window, Chadkirk Chapel. Installation completed July 2013. Photo: Artemisia
Steve adds the finishing touches. Photo: Artemisia
The team of craftsmen towards the end of a long day’s work. Photo: Artemisia
It’s today…
The Chadkirk Festival, today, 12 midday – 5pm.
Official opening with the unveiling of the Well Dressing.
Later: unveiling of the newly installed East Window in Chadkirk Chapel.
Walk down to Chadkirk or drive and park in Ford Field.
Admission: Adults £2, children (5-15 years) £1. Children under 5 years free.
Craft stalls in Chapel.
Refreshments: at kiosk in Chapel.
Strawberry Cream Teas (and sandwiches) at Friends of Chadkirk stall in The Walled Garden.
Entertainments on Lawn.
Hot off the press…newly installed window is unveiled
East Window unveiled. Photo: Artemisia
Dancing through…Chadkirk Festival 2013
Pulses of rain passed over the country park at midday and later at about 3pm.
Undeterred, the visitors came along and enjoyed spells of warm sunshine after the showers.
There was plenty to see in Chadkirk Chapel. In addition to the craft stalls, the East Window unveiled attracted much attention and comments of delight from visitors.
In the Walled Garden, early visitors snapped up healthy plants at bargain prices. Later there was the chance to enjoy (is that the right word?) a Spider Hunt.
Around the lawned area, an interesting mix – birds of prey, balloon artistry, crafts and local heritage – and throughout the afternoon demonstrations and dancing.
Dancing through the raindrops. Photo: Artemisia
Bell ringers performing in Chadkirk Chapel. Photo: Artemisia
Picnic time at Chadkirk Festival 2013. Photo: Artemisia
Early visitors snap up healthy plants at bargain prices. Photo: Artemisia
Enthusiasts await the Spider Hunt. Photo: Artemisia
Award winning balloon artists draw a large audience. Photo: Artemisia
A satisfied customer. Photo: Artemisia
Ki Taekwondo demonstration: people gather to watch their moves. Photo: Artemisia
Under the fruit trees, in the Walled Garden, early visitors enjoy their Cream Teas. Photo: Artemisia
Craftsman and daughter at the stained glass stall. Photo: Artemisia
Austin and Arnie, Master Cabinet Makers and experts in the use of our local beeswax. Photo: Artemisia
Watch this space
By midday the old window is gone and the new frame is being installed. Photo: Artemisia
Once the newly installed East Window is unveiled I will be posting photos of the window here.
Watching the craftsmen at work on Monday and hearing more about their craft added to my delight in the finished work. So while the photos are not available before Sunday, in the meantime I can share a few snippets.
The window is made from handblown glass.
It is made up of over 500 pieces of glass cut by master craftsmen in their Derbyshire workshop.
The coloured centre piece has 170 pieces, 9 beautiful colours in a stunning design.
It took 180+ hours to cut all the glass and assemble the design before transporting it from the workshop in Doveholes to install in the Chapel at Chadkirk.
Went to know more about the stained glass? Talk with Steve Parsonson of Classic Glass Studios at Chadkirk Festival 2013.
The bespoke wooden frame and moulding is hand crafted from specially seasoned oak.
The mouldings around the window echo those in the adjacent timbers in the original beams of ancient oak.
The oak is protected by beeswax sourced from the bees of Chadkirk.
Arnie, the beekeeper, collected the beeswax from our hives in The Walled Garden. He passed it to Austin, the Master Cabinet Maker who made the frame. In a nice bit of serendipity, Arnie is a Master Cabinetmaker (now retired). Both Arnie and Austin can be congratulated on their attention to detail and in making this small yet significant link between garden and chapel, past and present, life and art.
Looking to learn more about the window? Talk with the team of craftsmen on Sunday 28 July. The team will be at the unveiling and then available to chat. They have stalls on the lawn, near to the entrance for the festival site: Austin Neves, Master Cabinet Maker and Steve Parsonson, Stained Glass Artist. Together their teams have produced a beautiful addition to Chadkirk Chapel.
Watch this space.
Chadkirk Festival Sunday 28 July 2013
Attractions and demonstrations to enjoy on Sunday afternoon:
Blessing of St Chad’s Well at 12 noon opens the 17th Chadkirk Festival
Tin’stle Bells – Handbell ringing in Chadkirk Chapel
Willow Weaving – in the Walled Garden
Donkey Sanctuary – Chapel Field
Face Painting – Walled Garden
Stockport Silver Band – Chapel Yard
Water Green Morris Dancers and Musicians – English folk dancing on Lawn
Martial Arts Display – Black Belt Academy, Stockport on Lawn
Flying Demonstration – Birds of Prey, Lawn Area
Amazing Balloon Twisting Show – Lawn
Parking for visitors on Ford Field
Admission: Adults £2, children (5-15 years) £1. Children under 5 years free.
Chadkirk Festival and Well Dressing…this coming Sunday
Sunday 28 July
12 noon – 5pm
Fun for all the family
This Sunday the 17th Chadkirk Festival opens at 12 noon offering it’s usual delightful mix of the traditional and the slightly quirky.
There will be more than 40 stalls.
Some will be showing craftwork and perhaps giving you a chance to try something new. Ever tried Willow Weaving? Lesley Bardsley can show you how at her stall in the Walled Garden. Look out for it next to the Friends of Chadkirk Plant stalls.
Other stalls are staffed by enthusiasts keen to share their passions. Interested in history? Look out for the Mellor Trust and Stockport Heritage Trust stalls by the Lawn. Maybe you like animals? Then you might want to take a look at the animals from the Donkey Sanctuary in the corner of Chapel Field. Or watch the flight of the Birds of Prey. SMJ Falconry will be giving a couple of demonstrations during the afternoon. This year for the first time spider lovers can develop their interests by visiting the stall of the Arachnological Society in the Walled Garden.Love ’em or loathe them, there’ll be plenty to invite your curiosity!
Just want to play? Then there’s face painting and the chance to make your own balloon animal. Look for the face painting stall in The Walled Garden and the Balloon Show by the Lawn, next to the Falconry display. Rachel and Jason Heart are Award winning Balloon Artists, so you’ll want to see what they can do when they give their demonstrations during the afternoon.
No Chadkirk Festival would be complete without the Friends of Chadkirk Cream Tea. Scones with jam, cream and strawberries at £1-50 each. Other refreshments are also available.
Chadkirk Chapel Monday 22 July 2013
Chadkirk Chapel: Work in progress. On Monday 22 July, work on the new stained glass window and preparation for the well dressing. Photo: Artemisia
Both the Well Dressing and the new East Window will be unveiled at the Chadkirk Festival during the afternoon on Sunday 28 July 2013.
East Window Project
By midday the old window is gone and the new frame is being installed. Photo: Artemisia
Preparing the frame for the new stained glass window. Photo: Artemisia
After measuring up, the frame is in places and the panes of glass can be inserted. Photo: Artemisia
At the end of a good day’s work – 6.30 pm and the job is nearly finished. Photo: Artemisia
A-Z of Chadkirk: Bees
For now there are no honey bees in the hives. Instead you will see bumble bees, mason bees and solitary bees feeding on the flowers of the walled garden.
The latest news from the BumbleBee Conservation Trust tells us how bees have fared during the spell of weird weather we have experienced over the last 12 months.
Coldest spring in 50 years!
Following on from the wettest summer in 2012 since records began, bumblebees have been hit again by the slowest start to spring in recent times. Although temperatures were lower than average in both April and May, March was the coldest since 1962. The average temperature of 2.2°C in March was a full 3.3°C below the long term average, according to the Met Office.
This has had a huge effect on bumblebees and their usual life-cycle. During a warm spell in February and the very beginning of March, the first Queens emerged from hibernation. Very soon freezing temperatures left us struggling to see bumblebees again until the weather broke about mid-April! Thankfully bumblebee queens have the ability to re-enter hibernation when conditions change dramatically.
The bumblebee life-cycle could now be between one to two month’s behind depending on location and species. Records for Tree bumblebees started to trickle through to BeeWatch towards the end of May, compared to last year when they were at their peak at this time. Similarly Early bumblebee males should be plentiful now. Although the first record was added to BeeWatch on the 5th of May, further records accumulated slowly. Just in the last week or two, the bumblebee season seems to have finally got underway with lots more records of Tree bees, Early males and new cuckoo queens.
ID Tips from Bumblebee Conservation Trust
As the bumblebee season is finally hotting up, you should start to see more males and even male and female cuckoos if you are lucky!
Males can be distinguished by their longer antennae, thinner hind legs as they don’t possess pollen baskets and general fluffy appearance. Males of four of our common species, very helpfully, also possess extra yellow banding and yellow moustaches! Three of these species are shown below. The Heath bumblebee (Bombus jonellus) is missing.
Cuckoo bumblebees are much stronger and tougher than our social species and use this strength to overpower and often kill the queen in her nest. They are therefore longer, have dark wings, have hairy hind legs as they don’t possess pollen baskets and their fur is much more sparse and scruffy in appearance.
A-Z of Chadkirk: Ancient Woodland
Kirkwood and Little Wood have both been designated as SBIs. They are sites of biological importance. The presence of indicator species such as Dog’s Mercury tell us that this area has been woodland for many centuries. During that time the composition and the structure has changed. For centuries it seems likely that they would have been dominated by oak trees. Place names locally are reminders of that: Oakwood Hall, Oakwood Mill.
In the past, oaks have been felled for timber. Instead of more oaks, beech trees were planted. Why beech trees ? They grow faster and can be cropped earlier. However, while they do support wildlife, the ecosystem can be less diverse than an Oak Woodland. As a result, the management of Kirkwood involves active intervention to increase the possibilities for an extended range of plants and animals.
The current management plan has attracted grants from the Forestry Commission.
Visitors can see evidence of the work being done throughout Kirkwood.
By the walled garden, the felled beech tree is part of a strategy to increase biodiversity.
Overlooking the Walled Garden, a Beech tree has been felled.
The standing stump and the logs around it’s base will provide a microhabitat for a range of plants and animals. Over time the wood will rot. Fungi will germinate and spread contributing to the decomposition and decay. Beetles will make their homes in any crevasses that develop. To give this process a helping hand and accelerate colonisation, cuts have been made into the stump with a chain saw. Starter homes.
Beetles attract birds. They will forage among the stumps for food. Stumps, rotting wood and the beetles, all part of the mix for a woodland rich in wildlife. This woodland ecosystem provides a valuable habitat for birds. Some are resident, others passing through; siskins feed here, blackcaps breed. Mandarin ducks nest high in the branches. Flocks of hirondelles 60 strong swirl above the river feeding.
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