Manor Park, footpath creation, Tuesday February 5th

Manor Park in New Malden is a Green Flag-winning park on the southern border of the borough of Kingston, not far from Worcester Park. To ensure the park retains this award, one of the key tasks was to pick up all the litter we could find. Luckily today we were joined by two officers of the law, who were happy to do their bit to improve the appearance of the park.
Our other task was to open up a new footpath through the woodland to allow local residents to enjoy the tranquillity of this young wood. Thinning of ash trees turned the woodland from a dark, rather forbidding place, littered with bottles and cans, into a light well-managed woodland.
The old wire fence, which had collapsed and was no longer serving a useful function, was removed and a new path created to lead walkers into the wood.
We also planted bluebell and native daffodil bulbs, wood anemone and lesser celandine, which hopefully will make an appearance in the spring. There was insufficient manpower to cut back vegetation from the pond, although rubbish was removed. Pond work will have to wait until the late summer.

The old fence had collapsed. 

PCSOs doing their bit. 

Elliot begins to open up the new path. 

Kingston Greenspace Volunteers have a few new recruits. 

Without the fence a natural path emerges. 

Now open to the public. 

And, another trailer-load of 'stuff', including a Tesco trolley.