The Friends are delighted by, and fully supportive of, the plans for the former Levenshulme South station, as described in this article in the Manchester Evening News. Here’s hoping these plans progress successfully and come to fruition!
Levenshulme South (photo: Manchester Evening News)
Posted in Levenshulme |
A clean-up of the Loop took place over the weekend of 28th and 29th April. Thanks to organiser Charles for this update!
Volunteers principally from the Sustrans Volunteers and the Friends of the Fallowfield Loop took part in the event and over the two days filled bags and bags with litter and collected piles of un-baggable waste. These were left at the side of the track for collection by Sustrans staff with their truck. Fortunately the weather was dry and not too windy although it was unseasonably cold, particularly on the Sunday.
The statistics were:
(N.B. The bags used were large (100-litre) refuse bags equivalent to approx 1.3 bags as used by the council for litter collection.)
Unfortunately not many pictures were taken to record the event as we had our work cut out completing the route. The real record fortunately is on the Loop for everyone to see – it’s looking a real picture!
Posted in Litter picking, Volunteering |
Many thanks are due again to Sustrans and the Thursday volunteers who have continued, on the first and third Thursday of every month, to work hard to maintain the Loop and its habitats. Tasks in recent months have included:
For the first outing of 2018, the group was out this past Thursday clearing the already-cut brash that was lying around the Athol Road entrance and consolidating it into habitat piles. As well as making the entrance more attractive, this will give the bulbs planted a year ago a better chance to see the light.
For more information about these task days, which run from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., please contact us, then Sustrans or those co-ordinating the Thursday events will get back in touch!
Posted in Volunteering |
You may have noticed some work being carried out along the Fallowfield Loop, just west of Wellington Road bridge.
Manchester City Council’s Flood team has issued an urgent notice to Sustrans to clear Fallowfield Brook. This requires removal of undergrowth along the banks for about 100m, dredging the stream to clear soil that has gradually washed into the watercourse and pulling this up onto each embankment using a digger. Some trees growing out of the bank and impeding flow will also have to be felled.
Three of the small orchard trees will need to be relocated a short distance, but this will happen when they are dormant.
The Friends of the Fallowfield Loop met with Sustrans today and discussed plans for future planting in the area after the works are complete. We will update you with details as soon as we have more information. Information about the work is also on Sustrans North West’s Facebook page.
Posted in Fallowfield |
We reported back in the middle of June on the installation on the Loop of posts (sleepers) with wildlife carvings. Here’s a full list of all the carvings together with the Loop entrances near which they are located!
Posted in Art | 1 Comment »
In recent weeks the Thursday volunteers have completed, together with Sustrans maintenance staff, the installation of the wildlife posts by entrances to the Loop! There are nine timber posts, each of which is carved with a different wildlife picture which can be used like a brass rubbing. The posts will also display information posters about the route.
The sleepers were bought with a Green Grant from TransPennine Express and the Forestry Commission. They were carved and sponsored by M3 Industries in Salford, and the drawings for the carvings were done by volunteer Vicky Holden. Thank you to all involved!
New volunteers are always welcome to join the Thursday group so if anyone would like to come along and help from time to time (it doesn’t have to be every Thursday) then please get in touch!
Posted in Art, Volunteering | 1 Comment »
Over the past several months volunteers from the Friends and Sustrans have continued their excellent efforts to maintain and improve the Loop. Recent activities have included a spring litter-pick, managing the saplings along the Loop edges, wildflower sowing and improving the grassed area at the Levenshulme quadrants!
New volunteers are always welcome so if anyone would like to come along and help from time to time (it doesn’t have to be every Thursday) then please get in touch!
Posted in Litter picking, Volunteering |
Yesterday some of the Friends were out working in and around the community orchard at the Levenshulme Quadrants. We were joined by members of the Sale and Altrincham Conservation Volunteers to help with building two willow arches, using willow harvested from the Loop. Some weeding and general maintenance around the orchard trees was also done. Meanwhile, Incredible Edible Levenshulme were also out, working on their raised beds of herbs and fruit. Many thanks to all helpers!
Posted in Community orchards, Levenshulme, Volunteering |
The final report for the “open-all-barriers” trial on the Loop has now been completed. Please find a copy here (please note that it’s a 14Mb file!).
Posted in Accessibility |
The Friends have recently undertaken a major revamp of our map and guide to the Loop. This is now complete, and has gone to the printers for an initial print-run of 10,000 copies.
The map A3 page contains much more detail on how to reach other cycle routes from the Loop (e.g., the Trans-Pennine Trail in both directions, the Ashton and Bridgewater canals, the route to Salford Quays and the different routes to the city centre), as well as showing more parks and green spaces. It also distinguishes which of the entrances are accessible for non-standard bikes.
The guide page is now divided into eight panels (instead of six) and can fit easily into the pocket. The front and back panels explain what the Fallowfield Loop consists of; inside the first fold are panels headed THEN and NOW, with the former giving a brief history of the old railway line, and the latter showing its present transformation into a Greenway and wildlife corridor. The remaining panels deal with volunteering, cycling and walking contacts, use by the disabled and basic rules of the Loop (‘share with care’) respectively.
The PDF versions of the new map and guide are available on our Maps page.
Posted in Accessibility, Geography |
Friends of the Fallowfield Loop 