Permaculture Manchester . . . lets put some green on the urban scene

Location

You are invited to Middlewood Trust near Lancaster, for a weekend of permaculture forest gardening, and to celebrate the Beltane pagan festival. Not by accident, this weekend co-incides with the Scarecrow festival in the local village of Wray, where we can join the locals in celebrating this special time of the year, with a giant scarecrow bonfire parade on Friday night and the village fayre on bank holiday Monday.
 

Last summer a group of us meditated in the forest garden at Middlewood, connected with the spirits of this place, and came up with a plan to open up the forest garden, and bring about fresh energy and change. It was agreed that we would organise a series of four weekends, to co-incide with the pagan festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. This is the third weekend in our series.

Last year a tough group met at Samhain (Halloween), and set to opening up the forest garden, making it accessible, and building a large fire pit, around which we drummed and danced under the full moon ... until the wind blew up and the rains came in!

In Februay more people came for Imbolc, and camped under a dark moon, and we carried on the work, cutting and pruning, and building footpaths around the forest garden. We survived the winter frosts, and headed back to our towns and cities with cuttings and canes to plant in our community gardens.

This time round its Beltane, which marks the passage from darkness into light. The moon will be riding high and just passed its peak (Thursday is the full moon), and our spirits will be raised by the warming weather and lengthening evenings. The hawthawns will be in bloom, and the birds will be in song. There is much work to do in the garden, carrying on with the footpaths, planting, and sowing, and restoring old ponds. In the evenings there will be good food, merryment, and blazing fires. It will be a time to come together, to share, and connect with people .. old friends and new. A time to experience, observe, learn, do, and to be moved by the wild energies of Middlewood, Wray, and the Lune Valley (the Valley of the Moon).

Our intention throughout these weekends has been to connect people and build community as much as it has been to work in the garden. You are welcome whether you are an experienced permaculture gardener, or an absolute beginner. You will be expected to put as little or as much work into the garden as you like. Middlewood is a beautiful 220 acre hill farm with the river Roeburn running through its midst. If you want to spend time walking in the woods and paddling in the river instead of working in the garden, then that is fine with us. To look, learn, deam, talk to the trees, and reach out for the stars, is as much an achievement as is carving an oaken entrance arch, moving rocks, or banging in fence posts.

For more information, o to book a place on this weekend, please contact Rob: Rob@creativelocalsolutions.co.uk | 07974 658 745.
 

View photos of previous forest gardening weekends on facebook.
 

Beltane Traditions

"Beltane occurs on May 1st and is also known as: Mayday, Walburga, Bealtinne, Beltine, Beltain, Beal-tine, Beltan & Beltaine amongst other names. The days lengthen and warm, and we are greeted by the rebirth of the earth. Trees are budding, spring flowers blooming , birds sing as they build their nests. All around us are symbols of fertility, growth, warmth and light. It is the perfect time to celebrate the greening of the earth. This festival celebrates the height of Spring, the coming of Summer, and the flowering of life. Beltane is about consumation. Beltane is a time of new beginnings, of celebrating new ventures, and new starts. We rejoice in the new life around us. Beltane marks the return of vitality and passion." (The Cauldron Corner)

Wray Scarecrow Festival

Activities will be happening in Wray on Friday evening and bank holiday Monday following the forest gardening weekend. If you would like to participate in the festival you are free to camp on the farm on Friday night and / or Monday night.

Friday 30th April 8.00pm - Giant Scarecrow Parade

The parade walks the length of Main Street ending at Bridge End Farm Tea Rooms. Presentation of prizes for the Best Scarecrows refreshments and a Bonfire.

Monday 3rd May - Fayre Day, entertainment to include:

* Duck Herding
* BMX Trial Bike Display
* Birds of prey display
* Traditional Pipe Band
* Junior 5-aside FootballCompetition
* Mr Rainbow - children's entertainer
* Traditional Fairground - all ages
* Craft Tent
* Classic Car and Military
* Vehicle Display
* Rare Breeds Display
* Traditional Village Craft display
* Tea Tent and Refreshments
* Fell Race
* Fairground Games
* Digital photo display Lancaster University

Click here for more information on the Wray Scaecrow Festival.

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Cost: donations (just get yourselves up there and bring some food to share!)
For more info, or to tell me you wanna come, email Rob, or call 07974 658 745

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Stuff to bring: torches, wellies, waterproofs (top and bottom), warm socks, wooly hats and scalfs, gardening gloves, herbs for the garden .. more herbs for the gaden,  candles, food to share (cooked or ingredients), chocolate biscuits, drums, and other musical instuments..

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Accommodation:

If you want some privacy then the best bet is to bring your own tent - there is plenty of space. Its going to be cold, so make sure that you bring plenty of cover, and a good role mat, and the floor of the tent can be insulated with straw, to keep out the ground cold.

For those who don't like sleeping under canvas in the spring time(I cannot believe it but there are strange people for whom this is the case ;-) then there are also various indoor options:

- the classroom (again bring a role mat and bedding as these are not provided), we will be having a lights out policy this time round to ensure that everybody has the right to warmth and a good nights sleep;

- also there is the solar kiln, although this will probably not be any warme than a tent;
- folk with camper vans are also most welcome, especially if you can provide additional warm sleeping spaces.
 

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For those not familiar with the principles of forest gardening, there will be an opportunity to run through some theory, plus there will be plenty of practical stuff to get stuck into. I have a copy of Martin Crawford's A Year In the Forest Garden DVD (50 mins) which he has made at the Agroforestry Research Trust, so we can give that a viewing as well. 

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Middlewood is a beautiful 220 acre permaculture valley farm about 10 miles east of Lancaster. The river Roeburn runs through the centre of the valley and there are loads of beautiful walks in the area if you want to escape for a while. Also their are loads of eco attractions that you can go and see. Take a look at Middlewood's web site for more info.

Getting to Middlewood

Middlewood is in Roeburndale West, about 2 miles south of the village of Wray. Go up M6 and turn east at J34 (Lancaster North). Follow A683 for several windey miles, and look out for the sign to Wray, up the B6480 to your right (sign is easily overlooked - if you get to Hornby you have gone too far). When you get to Wray, turn right off B6480 onto Main Street, and stop of for a quick pint. Then follow the sign to Roeburndale West, and take the lane south out of the village on the west side of the River Roeburn, and up the dale. A mile or so up the hill you will come to a t-junction, turn left and carry on a little further. You will see a sign on your left to Middlewood Trust, just after the cattle grid (if it is dark you might find the sign a little difficult to spot).

Don't forget to shut the gate behind you. Follow the lane down, and round a sharp left, to the car parking space next to the wind turbine - the lane has some large pot holes, so watch out for your exhaust pipes etc. After parking up you will see another gate leading into the farmyard. There is a portacabin on your right, and behind this is a lawn space where we will be camping. The forest garden where we will be working during the daytime is just beyond the camping space.

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