SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

As posted in the transport forum, the countryside service at Leeds council wants to set up a Friends of Hawksworth Wood group. There will be an action day on the 25th of August (this Saturday) meeting at the Butcher Hill entrance just round the corner from the Bridge Inn (http://goo.gl/maps/wcV9g on Google Maps). I'm guessing it would be sensible to wear clothing suitable for some heavy duty gardening work. The person organising this is Katie Farrell from Leeds Countryside Rangers (email Katie dot Farrell at leeds.gov.uk) and an email she sent me is below: Quote: Hello all,I am writing to invite you all to come and join the rangers for another working day at Hawksworth Wood on Saturday 25th August. I will be leading the task which will involve general site maintenance. We can meet at the entrance on Butcher Hill at 10am and will work no later than 1pm. Grid reference: SE 25274 37585. Postcode: LS5 3QA. I will bring some tea / coffee and biscuits! Thanks for those who attended the ‘action day’ on the 21st of July. We got the entrance on Butcher Hill cleared and made good progress starting to pull the Himalayan Balsam.We are trying to promote this area and create a new ‘Friends of’ group which means if a group is started the area will be maintained and managed better in the future. I have attached a document on how to start a friends of group and what it’s all about. I have also a attached a list of possible tasks that need attention on the site.Hope to see you all there on the 25th and if anyone has any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.Kind regards,Katie FarrellCountryside RangerStable CourtyardTemple Newsam EstateTemple Newsam RoadLeedsLS15 0ADTEL: 0113 3367549MOB: 07891270864

Depending on how things go on Saturday I might have a stab at setting up a website for the group. It would be interesting to have some stories or photos about the place that I could put on it. I'll see if I can get some of my own as well.

Best not "have a stab at"http://greatnorthforum.co.uk/four-in-ho ... ds-estate/

A little alarmingly I actually cycled through the estate a couple of days before the fight happened. Hopefully one didn't cause the other.I don't think the group has really got going yet but once it does I might see what sort of funding is available to pay for things over and above what volunteers can do. This might include crime prevention funding to make the place a bit more welcoming and make sure it isn't used for dumping stolen cars or similar. I've got a few other ideas as well, but one thing at a time.

Sounds good, do you have a link to the 'friends of' document or its title so I can fight with the council website. Thanks.

The task list is at https://docs.google.com/open?id=1Z5WfIq ... UMfZLVKQyB and the "How to set up a friends group" doc is at https://docs.google.com/open?id=1EOTYU7 ... pAo2hRuhf7 (both on Google Docs).While I'm there on Saturday I'll see what photos I can get. There's always Flickr as a holding space until I get somewhere else to put them.

Should Secret-Leedsers wear their badges............if they still have them!

Of course Hawksworth Woods is the location for my 'Kirkstall Abbey Tunnel' entrance which definetely makes it a Secret Leeds hotspot! see:http://www.flickr.com/photos/12267018@N ... 21/Perhaps the Countryside Rangers could help us excavate the entrance and find out for sure where the tunnel leads to and clear up the matter of someone on Flickr claiming they squeezed through a 3" gap to find out the tunnel was a dead end?

That was my first though too, jon...Well, no, my first thought was whether I could remember to get somewhere at 10:00 on a Saturday, the next was "will we be able to look for the tunnel".

Hmm, I reckon excavating the tunnel will be bottom of the list of any woodland improvements! I know what you mean about getting anywhere at that time on a Saturday morning, fortunately I'm not far away and if I dont overdo it on Friday night I might not be too hung over.