New Play Area at Marbury

A White-letter Hairstreak butterfly success story! The population of White-letter Hairstreak butterflies in Northwich Woodlands was threatened by the loss of mature elms to Dutch Elm Disease. An avenue of 20 Ulmus ‘New Horizon’ trees had been planted in November 2019 as part of FoAM’s 20th Anniversary celebrations. This species had been selected because it […]

Throughout the project for a New Play Area at Marbury, it was planned to provide interpretation panels which would help visitors understand how Marbury Hall and the gardens which once stood on the site had influenced the design and materials of the Play Area. Unfortunately, shortage of funds meant that the interpretation panels were unable […]

In June 2021, part of the old hide was damaged and when we looked at repairing it, we quickly came to the conclusion that the hide had reached the end of its useful life and we decided to demolish and replace it. The old hide was more than 25 years old, so had lasted well! […]

A large piece of stone which came from Marbury Hall was the inspiration to create a stone bench in the Rose Garden. The stone was moved into the Rose Garden using the tractor, where volunteers mounted it on two stone blocks. FoAM commissioned local stone carver Andrew Worthington of Kelsall to carve the bench using, […]

The project was launched in 2018 with the setting up of a team to prepare ideas for the improvement of the Marbury Park play area and deliver it on the ground. Committee member, Mary Jeeves was FoAM’s representative on the Team. There was widespread support for the project following public consultations, and  a £100,000 grant […]

Listening to a radio programme from the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019, with Judi Dench talking about Ulmus New Horizon disease resistant elm trees, inspired Joanne Redley to initiate a project for FoAM to plant an avenue of 20 elm trees to mark its 20th Anniversary. Since the 1970’s, the population of White-letter Hairstreak butterflies […]

The Council obtained £10,000 from the developer at Lostock Triangle under Section 106 of the planning act, so that FoAM could undertake work at Dairy House Meadows in mitigation for the loss of lapwing habitat at Lostock. We considered digging scrapes using conventional digging machinery, but decided to adopt best practice and use a rotary […]

By 2017, printed copies of the old A2 format Explorer Guide had run out and Cheshire West and Chester Council no longer supported funding a re-print.  FoAM recognised that, although there was a growing trend towards on-line information, there was still huge demand from visitors for a printed map. The Council’s old A2 format map […]

FoAM was able to undertake a project to replace the dipping platform at the Dragonfly Pond thanks to generous grants of £1,200 from our Ward Councillors and £6,000 from INOVYN, supplemented by FoAM’s own funds. The first phase of the project, to construct the new dipping platform, fencing and a kissing gate for all-ability access, […]

The history of the hollow area which lies between the Ice Pond and the Mere has long been the subject of speculation, so FoAM volunteers established a project during winter 2017/18 to research the site and uncover more about it. James Hugh Smith Barry inherited the Marbury estate in 1837 and married Elizabeth Shawcross Jackson […]

Construction of a hide on this patch of land had long been a dream of local birdwatchers and it was a favourite place for Pete Antrobus. Providing a hide and the associated access path was made possible as a result of a generous donation to FoAM from Debbie Antrobus, in memory of her late husband […]

‘Saltscape’ is the unique landscape modified by industry in the Weaver Valley and, in July 2014, it was announced that the Saltscape Partnership had received a grant of £886,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to protect, restore and celebrate the salt-making heritage of the area. As part of the Saltscape Project, FoAM secured £25,000 to […]

FoAM Committee members Mary Jeeves, Anna Cooper and Chair Alan Redley met with Maria Byrne, Head of Place Operations and Sue Fernandes, Environment Client Manager in March 2015 to discuss how FoAM could work with the Council to improve facilities for visitors. The discussions were very constructive and recognised that Northwich Woodlands is a major […]

When FoAM’s project to construct Marbury Lodge was being planned, we envisaged installing paths to the Lodge, but had no funding at the time.  Now, thanks to regular gifts from an anonymous donor, FoAM has been able to pay a contractor to prepare the area and lay foundations for two paths to the Lodge.   The […]

To help visitors identify the bird species most likely to be seen at Marbury’s Mere and Woodland hides, FoAM undertook a project to design and install two bird interpretation panels. Following a successful application to our Marbury Ward councillors, FoAM received a grant from their Members’ Budgets.  This was supplemented by remaining funds from an earlier donation from […]

The idea for the project developed out of a woodland management seminar run by the Forestry Commission and RSPB at Quarry Bank Mill in 2008, which Alan Garner and Alan Redley attended. Part of the session discussed the benefit of softening woodland edges by planting scrub species to provide shelter and nest sites. With support […]

For many years there had been an interpretation panel mounted on two stone plinths on the site of Marbury Hall.  The panel had reached the end of its useful life and had been removed.  FoAM decided to undertake a project to design and install a replacement and was successful in obtaining funding from our Ward Councillors, through […]

The main island on Haydn’s Pool in Anderton Nature Park provides nesting habitat for a number of species of wading birds but also for the ubiquitous Canada Geese. These oversized aliens are prone to trample the nests of their smaller neighbours, making it difficult for species such as Little Ringed Plover to breed successfully. Furthermore, […]

The vision to construct a visitor shelter at Marbury developed some years ago, but there was no realistic chance of realising the vision until one of our members made a generous donation to cover the cost of the shelter itself. Following that generous offer, Marbury Ward Councillors Norman Wright, Malcolm Byram and Keith Wilson gave […]

The project to create three wildflower meadows at Marbury Country Park has been developed by Alan Redley, current Chair of FoAM, with the full support of Ranger Chris Moseley from the Greenspace Team at Cheshire West and Chester Council. FoAM has been successful in obtaining a grant of just under £10,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund of Waste […]