Maps: 1:50.000 OS Map 101 (Scarborough, Bridlington & Filey)
1:25.000 Explorer OL27 (North York Moors, Eastern area)
Meeting place: Parking is limited within the valley but the main meeting place for registration and health and safety information will be in the central car park at SE984871 at 10am.
There are three car parks in Forge Valley. Sieve Gate Gill car park is at the East Ayton end of Forge Valley (SE989858) with the remains of a limestone quarry on the right hand side. Going north up the valley the next car park is a fairly large one on the left at SE984871; the last, with the bird feeders, is also on the left at SE983874. There is a further car park round the corner on the low road into Raincliffe Woods at SE985876.
Indoor Meeting: West Ayton Village Hall will be open from 4pm for tea and cakes and reports from the different sections. The Village Hall is just off the A170 before the turn up to Forge Valley on the left hand side. The contact for the Village Hall is Joy Tomlinson on 01723 862170.
The area: It is over 10 years since the YNU last visited the area and several changes have happened or are about to happen. Discussions have been taking place to hand over the day-to-day management of the adjoining Raincliffe Woods from Scarborough Borough Council to a local charitable trust. The main area of Forge Valley is now managed by Fallon Mahon and his team at Natural England, and they require more up to date information on the flora and fauna of the valley. It is over 60 years since the Scarborough Naturalists’ Society published the first volume of The Natural History of the Scarborough District, edited by G.B.Walsh & F.C. Rimington, and many alterations and additions to our knowledge of the area have been made since that date.
The western side of the River Derwent has had a wooden walkway running most of the length of the valley for many years but the West Ayton end has never had access to this walkway from the eastern side of the River. Some discussion has taken place about a bridge across the River at the weir opposite Sieve Gate Gill to access the walkway or that the walkway should be replaced or even removed, which would make the western side almost inaccessible due to the marshy nature of the area. The access paths into the forest from the northern bridge have had to be repaired and the wet woodland was drained to allow this work. Recent studies noted that this has had a drastic effect on the flora and fauna as well as the development of tufa in this very wet area.
All members of SFN are affiliated members of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. YNU website: http://www.ynu.org.uk/events