New Cut team celebrate a successful year

MEMBERS of the New Cut Trail team reflected on a successful year at their AGM at Alford Sports Club.

During the AGM Kevin Price, Chairman of the New Cut Ecology and History group, gave a very upbeat presentation about the achievements of the group and its volunteers during 2022.

Regular work parties and litter picks have been held during the year with the aim of creating pristine clean open spaces for people to enjoy and nature to thrive.

Possibly the main feature of the year was the work carried out on the new wildflower meadow on Paddington Meadows, which was beginning to produce results and regular surveys of moths and butterflies have shown nature is returning to the meadow. Volunteer teams also paid particular attention to improving access points and pathways.

Woolston Church of England (Aided) Primary School invited the New Cut group to give a talk on the history of Woolston in July to Year 1 children and asked the group for help with the children in September planting daffodil and narcissus blubs at the front of the school, with every child in the school planting a bulb.

On the weekend of 9th and 10th July the team spent a total of 23 days counting and identifying different species of moths, butterflies and bird life present on the meadows. The team were rewarded with some 30 types of moth specifically identified and others awaiting expert identification; 10 butterfly species and 35 species of birds. Elephant Hawk, Lunar Thorn and Drinker moths were especially noted whilst the stars of the show were the colourful butterflies that arrived including Holly Blues, Small Tortoiseshell, Ringlet and the ever popular Red Admiral.

Local History Show
Promoting the industrial history of the meadows and the canal to the local community was also a keen aspiration of the group and in October in Alford Sports Clubs main function room they relaunched the Warrington Local History show which was postponed by Covid lockdown. There were stands from 10 local history groups were present including Warrington History Society, Daresbury History Society, Friends of the Warrington Transporter Bridge and well in excess of 300 people came through to the doors. Most popular were the photographs of old Warrington in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Tree Planting to honour the late Queen Elizabeth

At the request of the Woolston and District Women`s Institute (WI) a rowan tree, donated by one of their members, was planted adjacent to Woolston Lock in November. The New Cut group prepared and cleared the site into pristine condition for the planting ceremony and a plaque provided by the WI to honour the late queen was fixed in position.
Mr Price was keen to thank the local officials from the Carbon Landscapes organisation and both Warrington Borough Council and the parish councils for their advice, support and financial assistance with materials and wet weather clothing.
Anne Price Press Officer New Cut group said: “The New Cut towpath has developed into an important safe integral part of the Warrington footpath network which showcases our waterway history brilliantly whilst Paddington Meadow being so close to the urban areas is an improving clean open space for all to enjoy and nature to thrive.”