February 2012 update

Representatives from NatWest visited Rothley station in January to present project volunteers Lucy and Steve Cramp with the Community Force competition winners cheque for £6,275.

This has helped the project to secure enough sleepers to complete almost all of the remaining distance to Mountsorrel. Track laying is now pushing on towards the end of phase 2 which will see track extend for half a mile in total. Rail is still required for phases 3 to Wood Lane and 4 to Mountsorrel. The funding shortfall for phase 3 currently stands at £22,500. Please donate if you can as we are entirely dependent on support from the public to raise this money. If you would like to donate please send you cheque made payable to "DCRT" (David Clarke Railway Trust), with "Mountsorrel Railway" written on the back to 112 Balmoral Road, Mountsorrel, Loughborough LE12 7EW.

On the ecology side there has been much activity as well. Ecologists have recommended the laying of some of the boundary hedgerows to help the hedge recover from decades of neglect and to enrich the local wildlife habitat. Hedge laying is a very skilled, time consuming and therefore expensive task to undertake, but thanks to our volunteer hedge laying team led by professional tree surgeon Martin Piggins, we have been able to complete the laying of the hedge along both sides of a 200 yard stretch of the railway just east of the farm track crossing. This work has transformed the branch line and made this section look much tidier. Already birds have been spotted going in and out of the hedge and it's very satisfying for the volunteers to see the ecological benefits of their hard work.

Since Christmas volunteers have also planted over 400 new hedgerow bushes to fill gaps in the boundary hedge and planted 40 mature native tree standards at Nunckley Hill. All of these plants were kindly donated to the project. We have also signed up for the Jubilee Wood scheme which aims to plant 1 million trees in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year. All being well we should get a further 420 trees and bushes to plant along the sides of the formation this October.



Last but not least volunteers have been planting thousands of native wild flower seeds in strategic areas along the railway. The aim is to boost insect numbers and encourage native bumble bees which will also help the local crop fields neighbouring the railway.

The project has always been much more than restoring a railway with great care being taken with the ecology of the route as well. We have many varied and interesting tasks going on this year, both on the trackbed and supporting the restoration from home. We have work parties every Tuesday or Thursday with the main session each Saturday morning. If you would like to get involved please get in touch with: steve@mountsorrelrailway.org.uk