The Bulls Hollow Restoration Project.

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26th November 2004.

Web Site has been updated as an archive and general info resource. We now plan to maintain Bulls Hollow with occasional working days. The Sandstone Volunteers Group has gelled and is now operating in the Southern Sandstone area. Most of our time and effort is currently being spent on the High Rocks Project!

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30th August 2004.

TWCC have been in and cleared the remaining trunks from the area below the crag. Our thanks to them as they've done a great job.

There's been quite a bit of climbing in the Hollow - but what was a promising start to the year has turned into a bit of a damp summer. This hasn't done the crag any favours although at the Climbers' Club meet on 11th August, despite some rain, many routes were climbed, most of them in good condition. (As was the Harveys in the Toad Rock Retreat afterwards!). The Wall remains an excellent climb but there have also been ascents of The Shield, The Knott, Hanging Crack (!!), Apis, Crossply, The Bitch and the meal ticket, Full Moon (back to good condition after the yew was cut back and maybe 5b), Centurian's Groove, Bramble Corner, Conway's Cracks, Slab Variant, Gangway Wall, Possibility Wall, Pseudonym and Broken Nose - the latter now deserving 5c.

There remains a plan to dig some drainage ditches in an attempt to drain the bogs, one of which ( below Centurian's Groove) has come back with a vengence, although I've not seen any of the crocodiles back so far. It may be that we'll wait until the autumn but if they're going to have an effect, they'll need to be in place before the winter.

Any comments you have on your exploits, climb grades or the effect of the work is welcome!

Cheers,

Graham.

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31st March 2004. Still waiting for TWCC to organise a tractor and digger to finish the trunk dragging and the drainage work in the Hollow..

I've had three e-mails in the last week from ex- Rusthallites who have come across the website from references in the various climbing magazines. All have offered their support for the work. One is a civil engineer specialising in ..... drainage!

I've had letters from both TWCC and English Nature expressing thanks to all who have contributed to the work done at Bulls Hollow. The letters are thumbnailed below. Click on them to enlarge.

The Hollow is looking drier and I reckon is becoming ripe for some climbing. It will only improve if the crag gets used so get to it!!

Looking back through my old climbing journals I see that we were there in March 1980 climbing a hybrid of Centurian's Groove and Pseudonym (we used to call it 'The Flakes'). The crag must have been in reasonable condition. I also note that we missed a Sunday lunchtime beer in the Retreat as the hour had gone forward and we were blissfully unaware - until, that is, we tried to get in.....It used to be 2pm closing Sunday lunch times!

Although there has been some coverage in the climbing press, it has been limited to the 'access news' and 'crag news' pages. I wrote a 500 word piece on the work for 'Summit' along with pictures, to wave the ACT fund's flag. We await publication...

Signs have been designed and it remains only to finalise the emergency advice wording before these are made and fitted.

Cheers,

Graham.

	TWCC Letter
	English Nature Letter

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21st February 2004. I'm waiting for confirmation that we can go ahead and dig the ditches to drain the bogs. The crag could also use a clean on the shelves of Knott, Shield and The Wall where a lot of sand was brushed away from the top. I'll e-mail round shortly with an update. There's a CC meet at Bulls Hollow on August 11th - all welcome!!

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Sunday 7th December 2003.

Arrived 08:45 to find two piles of embers and the place completely quiet. This was soon transformed into flames by feeding it. 3 others arrived and we continued the job of clearance. Mainly brushwood from the beeches but some yew and other stuff. Whilst this was burning, made the remaining wood safe ready for the Commons Conservators contractors to shift to their final positions. Most of the work was completed by 14:00 and after taking a few photos, three of us left for Harrisons to take advantage of the weather! Steve stayed for a while to ensure the fires were safe.

The Hollow now looks completely different and open. Clearly, the scrub will return and at some time I've no doubt, will require cutting but that is something for another time.

We had planned a final clearance next weekend but there would appear to be no necessity now. Consequently, that's all for this year. We are pencilling in a crag clearance in January to clear the crag top of the moss and other foliage that has appeared over the past 10 to 15 years and undobtedly contributes to the dampness.

I'll e-mail out to all during the next week or so with updates but I offer my sincere thanks to all who took part in this project in whatever way. It certainly wouldn't have happened without volunteer support and I think we can all be justifiably pleased with the outcome. It does demonstrate what can be achieved by a bunch of keen individuals. I've got a report to write for the ACT and an article for 'Summit' so if you've got anything yo feel should be included, please let me have it ASAP. There should be a report of some kind in the 'Courier' next issue (Friday?).

There should be some pix available shortly but if you've any in digital format please let me know and I'll arrange to get them on the site.

Cheers, Graham.

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Saturday 6th December 2003.

Another team out today...Got stuck in, reviving the embers from yesterday's fire and also getting a second fire going to deal with the remainder of the scrub cut back in November. Felled the remaining sycamores and finished the crown lifting on the remaining beeches. Removed the Yew from the crag near triangle arete. Cleared the arisings from the beeches above waistline. Remaining work is mainly clearing the remainder of the brushwood and cut limbs and making the site safe and tidy. I shall be there for 9 to 9:30 in the morning.

Glenn and his cutters from 'Down to Earth' finished their work and will not be there tomorrow. A big thankyou to all who turned out and particularly to Glenn and his guys without whom this project wouldn't have even got off the ground.

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Friday 5th December 2003.

Today was the first day of tree cutting. Everyone got stuck in traffic - who arranged for a 09:00 start!!
While Glenn and his guys got sussed, Rob did what he does best - started a fire - there was plenty to burn but drier stuff from the tops of the trees helped and soon there was a respectable blaze. The local paper arrived and suitable photos were taken.

Branches rained down from the three cutters and with Graham West on ground based chainsaw, the wood started coming thick and fast. There was no time to think as before we'd dealt with the cuttings from one tree, the next was shedding branches. The first tree dropped was a Sycamore - Whump! The fire grew in size and the sound of the chainsaws was interspersed with cracklings from the fire as Yew and Holly went on.

We stopped for lunch (which seemed to last about 2 minutes) and with a gaping hole in the fire, we got stuck in again, clearing the arisings from another huge Sycamore. By now, the fire was really greedy and swallowing everything we could throw at it. We continued to 3:30 at which point we decided it would be judicious to stop feeding the fire and let it burn down a bit or we'd be there all night.

There remains 4 Sycamores to come down and the arisings from the crown listing of the beeches above Waistline to clear and burn. I'm sure the fire will be plenty hot enough in the morning for the next crew.

Well done and thanks to all who turned out today and not least to Glenn and his guys.

The Hollow now looks completely different and it's possible to see the whole crag from almost everywhere.

More tomorrow!

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Old news/report from 13th and 14th November...

I've just returned from Bulls Hollow after two days of scrub clearance.

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Saturday 13th November saw 10 of us starting on the scrub in the central area. This was cleared in about 4 hours using swop hook, bowsaw and a dose of hard work. A huge pile of cuttings is now waiting to be burnt or chipped. After we'd finished there, we headed to the top of the crag. Two more joined us (as the rugby had finished!) and we split into teams tackling the saplings and scrub working from the 'Waistline' end toward 'Bramble Corner' and along toward 'Gangway Wall'.

The Holly above 'Coal Cellar' was removed, revealing the rock underneath and 'Coal Celler' itself was cleared out - it having been blocked by a huge root and about 500 copies of a local freebie newspaper, so if you're wondering where your copy is.....

The saplings at the top of 'The Wall' and 'The Shield' were removed along with a significant amount of root and earth revealing the sandstone under. There is more work required in this area to rid the crag edge of the earthy covering.

Work ceased about 4:30 and after clearing up, we retired to the Toad Rock Retreat for a well earned drink. (The Harveys was excellent!).

Sunday 14th November saw 4 of us (at the start) tackling the huge piles of cuttings at the base of 'Coal Cellar' and 'Centurian's Groove' from Saturday's crag-top work. These arisings were dragged into the central area in a new pile for burning/chipping. Other helpers arrived (making 8 in total) and a few more saplings and small trees were removed, making access for the arborists to do their work. Attention then returned to the crag-top with further work above 'The Wall', 'Knott' and 'Shield' removing a huge root, some of which remains, and the top of 'Pseudonym' where the unchecked scrub growth has caused damage to the crag edge resulting in some loose rock. This has been cleared and the area stabilised. Again, further work is really required to this area and in fact along most of the crag edge. When I left (early pm) work was continuing to the top of 'Slab Variant'.

Many thanks to all who came along to help - some on both days. It was a great effort and has achieved what we set out to do and more.

The next session is the cutting on 5th 6th and 7th December. We need volunteers to 'sign up' to a day (or two!) in order to ensure we have the right level of help for the three arborists enabling us to get the most out of the time they're on site.

The table shows the level of support at present.

If you've not already done so and are willing to commit to a specific day, please call or e-mail me.

Thanks,
Graham.

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