2016 Events Programme July - December Saltscape What’s New? The Saltscape is the area of central extending New courses this season include ladybird surveys, hay rake making, along the from to the Salt scything and an introduction to navigation. We are also including partner towns of , and . events which are not funded by Saltscape but are likely to be of interest to people going on our courses. For the latest up to date information on The Saltscape Landscape Partnership, funded by the courses and events run by us and by our partners visit the Saltscape National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund is delivering projects website www.saltscape.co.uk where new information is added all the time. to protect, enhance and celebrate the unique legacy of the salt Holding your own event in the Saltscape? Please get in touch via the industry in Cheshire. As well as being key to the area’s past and website and we may be able to help you promote it. current industrial importance, salt plays a crucial role in the natural environment. Salt marsh vegetation normally found on the coast All events must be thrives around brine springs while areas once blighted by industrial booked in advance Talks & Walks waste are now unique wildlife habitats. as places are limited. Relax on a guided walk in the beautiful Some courses may rolling countryside with one of our rangers be subject to change using our Public Rights of Way network. Frodsham or cancellation, in Nature & Wildlife which case you will be Join the experts for breathtaking informed. opportunities to see wonderful wildlife up close. Saltscape Northwich Look for the labels to brings together match the events to Heritage Skills & Crafts Hartford expert partners and the your interest: Events that give you a window into the community to make sure past of local places and people. that this special landscape Moulton Partner Events is managed cohesively for Salterswall future generations. Winsford Middlewich Lots more events to come in early 2017. We’re working on new events and projects all the time. Follow us on and and keep an eye on www.saltscape.co.uk

Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk Friends of Anderton Frodsham 3rd July Wildlife 9th July FoAM 10th July & Marbury (FoAM) 2nd July Festival Recording Northwich Bugs, Beasties & Wildflower Walk Sensory Stories Come along to the festival at Castle Park in Frodsham. Learn about the importance of A guided walk looking at the recording your wildlife sightings. Join the Friends of Marshall’s Arm abundant wild flowers. Experts will be on hand to help for a family friendly morning of Location: 10.00am at Anderton with identifying all sorts of wildlife bug hunting. Nature Park so that you can learn how to Location: Marshall’s Arm Local Contact: Mary Jeeves. contribute to records that help to Nature Reserve, Saxon’s Lane, 01606 77688 Wildlife Walk 4th July build a picture of the biodiversity Northwich 10.00am – 12.00pm of the area. Contact: Virginia Hunt Partner Event From Fragrant Orchids to Marsh Places limited – booking essential. 01606 42667 Helleborine… Come and see Location: Fury Wood, Northwich some of the magnificent botanical Contact: [email protected] Scything 2nd July delights in the Northwich Partner Event Workshop Woodlands and learn more about these wonderful plants. Marbury Country Park. It’s National Meadows Day! Come Location: 10.00am. along and learn the traditional 01606 77741 grassland management craft of Contact: Woodcraft 10th July or email david.james@ scything. cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk Marbury Country Park. Location: Places limited – booking essential. Come along and learn how to 9.30am. make useful items from wood, Contact: [email protected] including your very own wooden Places limited – booking essential. butter knife or spoon. Location: Pettypool College, Sandiway FoAM 16th July Contact: [email protected] Picnic in the Park Places limited – booking essential. FoAM’s celebration of summer in the park. Bring your own food to barbecue. Location: from 5.00pm at Marbury Country Park. Contact: Joanne Redley. 01606 44728

Partner Event

Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk Hay Rake Making 17th July Ladybird Survey 7th August Folklore 10th August Wildlife 17th August of Trees Recording Winsford Join Cheshire’s Ladybird Have a go at making your very specialist Jeff Clarke on a stroll own traditional hay rake. More than just firewood… Come along the banks of the Weaver Learn about the importance of Location: Marbury Country Park. along and learn some of the in pursuit of these charismatic recording your wildlife sightings. 10.00am myths, legends and uses for beetles. This area of the Weaver Experts will be on hand to help Contact: [email protected] our trees. Valley is home to several scarcer with identifying all sorts of wildlife Places limited – booking essential. Marbury Country Park species including the meadow Location: so that you can learn how to [email protected] loving 24-spot Ladybird. Contact: contribute to records that help to Places limited – booking essential. Location: Leigh Arms Car Park build a picture of the biodiversity off Rd, Northwich, of the area. First Steps 30th July Cheshire CW8 4QT Location: Weaver Valley Parkway to Navigation 10:00am till approx. 2:00pm Contact: [email protected] Places limited – booking essential. The pathways are excellent Have you ever wanted to learn but part of the route requires how to navigate using a map and the negotiating lock gates that compass? Come along and learn are narrow and not suitable for how to find your way through the wheelchair access. Saltscape. The event is suitable for all Location: Groundwork Office, ages but all children must be Northwich. 10.00am accompanied by an adult. Contact: [email protected] Bring a packed lunch and Places limited – booking something to drink. essential. FoAM 14th August Watery Wildlife

RIGS 6th August Join the Friends of Marshall’s Arm South Saltscape for a family friendly morning of pond dipping. A wonderful walk around the Location: Marshall’s Arm Local south Saltscape area looking Nature Reserve, Stones Manor at local landmarks and what Lane, Hartford 10.00am – 12.00pm geological features can be seen Contact: Anthony Powell in this lovely area. 01606 853 099 Contact: [email protected] 01606 723160 Partner Event

www.saltscape.co.uk Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk Saltscape July - December 2016 Events Calendar

Wildflower Wildlife Bugs, Beasties & Picnic in July Walk* Wildlife Walk Recording Sensory Stories* the Park*

First Steps to Scything Hay Rake Making Navigation workshop Woodcraft August Sat Sun Sat Sun Sat Sun Sat Sun Sat Sun

South Folklore Watery Wildlife Ladybird Dragonfly & Saltscape of Trees Wildlife* Recording Survey Damselfly ID Session September Volcanoes

Fungi Bushcraft Bat Heritage Foray Basics Walk* Open Days* Northwich History & October Town Walk Hotpot

Fungi Green Autumn Halloween Autumn Foray* Woodworking Ramble Fun* Birds* November

Waders & Mammal Wildlife of the Dinosaurs Trapping* Marshall’s Army Weaver Sluice Taster Day* December

Christmas Hedgelaying Decorations Workshop*

* Partner Event Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk Dragonfly & 24th August RIGS - 9th September Windsford 14-18th September Bushcraft 25th September Damselfly ID session Volcanoes Salt Fair & Regatta Basics

Visit www.winsford.gov.uk for No Matches? No problem! Join us as we take a look at An investigation into the more up to date information. Try your hand at some basic Odonata (dragonflies and distribution of past and present bushcraft skills’ damselflies). This group of volcanic activity, why some Location: Thorn Wood, species evolved around three eruptions are more explosive than Weaverham hundred million years ago and as others and look at the hazards [email protected] 9th-11th September Contact: a result are some of the most agile and resources associated with Places limited – booking essential of our flying insects. We will take volcanoes. In addition, we will also Heritage Open Days a look at the Odonata we have in review the monitoring of volcanic Cheshire and key identification activity taking place around the Exclusive access to the site features, before going out on world on the day of the talk led by of Murgatroyd’s Brine Pump site to further develop id skills Dr Ian Drew. 3-4pm. in Middlewich for the first time in the field. Contact: [email protected] in over forty years, a Heritage Location: Weaver Valley Parkway 01606 723160 Church Trail for Winsford, Contact: [email protected] Town Tours of Northwich and much more. Visit www. heritageopendays.org.uk or see FoAM 9th September our website for more information. Mammal Weekend - Bat Walk 1st September -24th December Artwork Studios & Come along and find out what Gallery Exhibition the bats are eating at the bat café and see where they hang out. Location: Marshall’s Arm Local Open Thursdays Fridays Nature Reserve, Stones Manor Saturdays 12-4. Lane, Hartford. 7.30pm. Fungi Foray 18th September Features art inspired by Contact: [email protected] Neumann’s Flashes, Thompson’s Partner Event Is it a plant? Is it an animal? NO! brickworks & Meadowbank Come along and learn about saltmine. Free entry the fascinating world of fungi… Location: ArtWork Studios & Location: Anderton Nature Park Gallery, Witton House, Station Contact: [email protected] Road, Northwich CW9 5EA Places limited – booking essential.

Partner Event

Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk RIGS 1st October FoAM 2nd October FoAM 11th October Autumn Amble 19th October Northwich Town Walk Fungi Foray Autumn Birds Join us for a leisurely stroll along A wonderful walk around Have fun finding fungi in the See migrating and wintering birds the Weaver Valley. Location: Northwich looking at local forest at Marshall’s arm Local at Haydn’s Pool, Ashton’s and Leigh Arms off the A49, Acton landmarks and what geological Nature Reserve. Neumann’s Flashes. Bridge. 10.00am. features can be seen in this Location: Stones Manor Lane, Location: Cumberland Car Park, Contact: [email protected] lovely town. Hartford. Northwich. 10.00am – 12.00pm Places limited – booking essential. Contact: [email protected] Contact: Pam Lamb and 2.00 – 4.00pm. 01606 723160 01606 75520 Contact: David Bullock 01606 781 981

Partner Event Partner Event

FoAM 29th October Halloween Fun

Green History & Hotpot Spooky tales in the wintery 8th & 9th October 11th October FoAM Woodworking 29th October woods… Enjoy blood-red drinks Parkland Trees and Halloween biscuits. Prize for Join renowned local Historian the best lantern/costume. Come and have a go at making Colin Edmondson for an evening Location: Marshall’s Arm Local some rustic furniture. of fascinating history and a A guided walk looking at the Nature Reserve, Stones Manor Marbury Country Park. helping of hotpot. wide variety of trees in Marbury Location: Lane, Hartford. 6.00 – 7.30pm Contact: [email protected] Location: The Salt Barge pub. Country Park, including the Contact: Audrey 01606 76058 Places limited – booking essential. 7.30pm arboretum. [email protected] **Please note that here is a Contact: [email protected] Location: Rangers’ Cabin/ charge of £30 to cover the cost Places limited – booking essential. Marbury Lodge. 10.00am Partner Event of the materials used. The money Contact: Mary Jeeves raised will go to the Friends of 01606 77688 Anderton & Marbury Partner Event

Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk Waders & 6th November RIGS 12th November FoAM 27th November FoAM 18th December Wildlife of the Dinosaurs Marshall’s Army Taster Day Christmas Decorations Weaver Sluice Workshop Dinosaurs are iconic but Get a taste of what the volunteer The River Weaver actually enters how do we know about their group do, helping to manage the behaviour? What is a mass woodland and natural habitats Come to the annual workshop the sea via the Ship to create some decorations Canal at the Weaver Sluice. This extinction and what causes In the reserve. There will be hot them? Do we really know why dogs too! from natural materials. Families location holds a wide array of welcome. bird species including many dinosaurs became extinct? Why Location: Marshall’s Arm Local are dinosaurs important for Nature Reserve, Stones Manor Location: Marbury Lodge members of the diving duck tribe. 10.00am – 12.00pm You may also be lucky and spot Cheshire and Saltscape? All Lane, Hartford. 10.00am – these questions will be answered 12.30pm Contact: Joanne Redley a Kingfisher, or even a Whooper 01606 44728 Swan. Join well known bird in this fascinating talk led by Prof Contact: Richard Haffenden ecologist Jeff Clarke for a fun-filled Cynthia Burek. 3-4pm 01606 76058 exploration of the areas bird life Contact: [email protected] [email protected] Partner Event On the bridge over the 01606 723160 Meet: Partner Event Motorway at Marsh Lane, off High St, Frodsham. Grid Ref SJ511779 Parking: Once gathered on the Hedgelaying 11th December bridge Jeff will direct the group to a suitable parking location. 10:00am finish approx. 3.00pm Come along and learn the Bring a packed lunch and a drink. ancient craft of hedgelaying. Wellies and Waterproofs You will need to bring old clothes recommended. and a packed lunch. Tools will FoAM 26th November Mammal Trapping be provided. Location: Bottom Pitch, Weaverham Join Marbury Country Park Contact: [email protected] Ranger Chris Moseley as he Places limited – booking essential. opens the mammal traps set in the park. Location: Marbury Country Park Lodge 9.30am Contact: Jim Jeeves 01606 77688

Partner Event

Find more events on www.saltscape.co.uk The Saltscape Landscape Partnership Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside

Yarwoods Arm, Navigation Road, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 1BE

www.saltscape.co.uk [email protected] 01606 723160

Photograph Credits: Saul , Jeff Clarke, Mike Roberts, Hannah Petrie.