Easter at Carding Mill Valley

Learning officers Malcolm (left) and Chris running the Easter Egg Trail.

The sun was out on Easter weekend and with it came many visitors to Carding Mill Valley. Throughout the weekend National trust properties across the country were providing Easter egg trails with the prize at the end being an Easter egg and Carding mill was no different. On Bank holiday Monday the Valley filled with people most of whom tried out our new and improved ice cream kiosk, which seemed to go down really well.

Visitors queuing for Ice Cream

Running out of Parking!

A Night in the Snow

Raft Building

Raft Building!

Every Friday through August Raft Building sessions have been running throughout the day. They have been very popular rain or shine and we are all looking forwards to our last session this coming friday!

Other sessions this summer have included weekly Pond Dipping and A Land Rover Safari with our head ranger David Cowell.

Orienteering at Carding Mill Valley

CMV was a buzz of lively activity on 20^th May when over 400 students from local primary schools in South Shrops took part in an inter-school orienteering competition.  The outcome is for 8 students to then go forward in a County competition in Shrewsbury.  Similarly at the end of the school day we held a competition in the more difficult upper valley course for years 7&8 from secondary schools.  Two sports officers based at Lacon Childe & Church Stretton schools ensured an extremely well organised day with the support of our Learning team. Many schools took the opportunity to stay on and explore our lovely countryside, an eye opener for many who then vowed to return.

Our orienteering courses are really coming into their own.  Half term activities for families are based on a compilation of both courses and soon the courses will be available online. Have a go!



Kite Making This Half Term

If you need something to keep the kids (or yourself) occupied this half term, why not pop to the valley for some kite making? This activity is great fun for all ages. Drop in any time between 11am and 3pm, £2 per kite.

Isabel had great fun with hers!



Falconry in the Valley

 William Pinches brought his Greenland Gyr Falcon to visit the valley on Saturday. Once a steelworker, he is now trying to reconnect with the Long Mynd, having been a falconer all his life. The Long Mynd has a history of falconers, Pole Cottage was once inhabited by falconer! He will be around this weekend, please have a chat! He will hopefully be running falconry courses after Easter.

Christmas Decorations

Do you fancy making a cute reindeer to hang on your tree? Or how about decorating a star? From 11 til 4 visit the valley for some Christmas decorations, a perfect indoor activity if the weather is grey!

Christmas Activities

Yesterday Don and Isabel had a huge success with wreath making! The materials were collected from National Trust land and looked incredible when woven into wreaths. There are lots of events going on this Christmas, see below for more details!

Isabel needs a helping hand

The whole family joined in!

Eileen and Jackie show off their morning's work

Other events on this month:

8th December: Christmas Decoration Making 11am to 4pm, 50p per decoration

14th December: Singing in Harmony Workshop 2pm to 3.30pm, £5 per person

15th December: Christmas Decoration Making 11am to 4pm, 50p per decoration

21st December: Christmas Lantern Making 11am to 4pm, £4 per lantern

22nd December: Christmas Decoration Making 11am to 4pm, 50p per decoration

Christmas Time Is Drawing Nearer...

Countryside Manager Pete Carty made a fantastic Father Christmas at Dudmaston last week, its got all of us here at the valley in the Christmas mood! If you're a bit behind on your Christmas shopping, why not visit us on the 3rd of December, when we're having our late night opening until 7pm!

Best Day Out!

We are very proud to announce that Carding Mill Valley has won the Shropshire Star Tourism and Leisure award for Best Day Out 2013! We are absolutely thrilled! Many thanks to all who voted for us!

Lantern Making

Emily, Isabel and Don were making lanterns today! This went on in the back of the Tea Room and was a great success! Rich was very jealous, so he borrowed one! Doesn't it look great!



Photo Competition Winners

The winners from our 'Nature' photo competition have been on their Land Rover Safari! Assistant Ranger Nick took them out onto the hills, where they enjoyed some lovely weather, and listened to Nick share some of his knowledge. They all had a great time!



Assistant Ranger Nick with winner Pauline and Pam

 

Winner Calum and his mum Keren

If you'd like to see their winning pictures, have a look here http://cardingmillvalleynationaltrust.blogspot.co.uk/p/national-trust-lonphotographic.html

Carding Mill Valley's Craft Day

Saturday was Carding Mill Valley's first ever Craft Day! Visitors got to view lots of different activities, and could even try a few out for themselves!



Assistant Ranger Nick Robinson demonstrates some bush craft


 

He even shows Recruiter Ros how to start a fire!

 

Previous FTV Kate was making willow products


 

Kate Johnson was dyeing wool while Jean Huff spins alpaca wool





Overall it was a great day, lots of people learnt more about the area and how people used to make a living off the land; some people even learnt a new skill!
 

Lucy Nickless carding wool



Craft Day

Carding Mill Valley Craft Day is fast approaching and there are some fantastic activities going on! There will be activities for all the family:

Fire starting

Apple pressing 

Wool dyeing 

Wool carding

Alpaca wool spinning

Pole Lathe and Green wood products

Willow Weaving

Bush Craft

All this is going on 28th September, 10am to 4pm.

Michaelmas Fair Part 2

Pete and Isabel enjoyed some gorgeous weather at the Michaelmas Fair in Bishop's Castle on Saturday! They ran activities in the Conservation Partnership Tent, which included dissecting Barn Owl pellets and making bug hotels!

Isabel points out different bones

Owl pellets are formed of fur and bones that the owl cannot digest, and so coughs it back up. By breaking them apart we can see the different bones of the creatures it had eaten. Isabel helped kids find lots of skulls from shrews and voles on Saturday! They also had some skulls on show, borrowed from the Shropshire Mammal Group.


Domestic dog skull next to a Badger skull

Michaelmas Fair

FTV Isabel has been in the woods by the reservoir collecting birch bark. This will  be used tomorrow at Michaelmas Fair, where the National Trust is running a bug hotel building session and an owl pellet dissecting session! If you're nearby, why not pop in and give it a go?

Useful Flowers

Assistant Ranger Nick Robinson and John Worrel led a very interesting day this week. They was teaching a group about the uses of plants in dyeing and medicine, as the last part of a course of six sessions:

First a walk in Rectory Wood, where they looked at wildflowers and fungi.

Then back to Carding Mill Valley, to look at the different uses of the plants they had found.



Everyone found the day very interesting, and are keen to get out there and see which plants they can find and use! Keep an eye out for other events that are run in the valley.

Time is Running Out!

You only have 10 days to send in your entry, so get snapping!

Long Mynd Photo Competition

Send us your best pictures of the Long Mynd and you could win a prize!

The subject is:

Nature

And there are 2 categories:

Kid’s category (entrants must be under 16)

and the adults category (entrants 16 and over)

Prizes are…

1^st prize – Land Rover Safari with our Assistant Ranger

2^nd prize – Afternoon tea for two in the Carding Mill Valley tea room

3^rd prize – OS Carding Mill Valley Mug and coaster

Free to enter!

Please collect an entry form from the Carding Mill Valley tea room, shop or office or copy it from the blog here: http://cardingmillvalleynationaltrust.blogspot.co.uk/p/national-trust-lonphotographic.html 

Pond Dipping

Visitors young and old have enjoyed Carding Mill Valley's Learning Officer Chris Stratton's pond dipping sessions! These run every Wednesday and cost £1 per child. They get to search for creatures in the pond by the bird hide, with Chris on hand to help identify any finds, and there's also a chance to examine it under the microscope on rainy days. If you fancy a go no need to book, just turn up! There are two sessions: 11:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 15:30



First Step: Searching for creatures



Second Step: Identifying your find!



Setting Sail!

Last Friday, Volunteer Don Hale held two sessions of Raft Building, which included learning how to tie knots and testing the raft on the reservoir. 



Don shows them how its done!



The day was very successful with lots of children coming out to enjoy the sunshine.

A successful raft!

If you want a go there is another session on the 23rd August; its £10 per child and places are limited, so book now! Call 01694 725001 to book.