Hull Geological Society
Mike Horne FGS
This is unfinished work that has not been edited or peer reviewed by the Society.
Hull Geological
Society conserving Rifle Butts SSSI – notes from HGS minutes
(These are notes;
actual minutes in quotations; comments in square brackets)
December 1987 – Felix
Whitham and Donald Beveridge meeting at Rifle Butts SSSI – a new face had been
created by the Nature Conservancy Council and Manpower Services Commission. HGS
agreed to adopt the site and visit twice a year to keep it clean. [visits
eventually reduced to one per year, around Easter time]
May 88 – first
cleaning visit by 10 HGS members
October 88 – second
cleaning visit
October 90 at RB –
concern raised about the state of the site – was the cleaning adding to the
frost damage? Agreed that only very loose material should be brushed away and
that plants growing on the face should not be removed before winter. Contacted
YNT and NCC.
April 91 at RB – NCC
had visited site and Donald Beveridge had forward proposal for a shelter. Donald
agreed to represent HGS at a site meeting with NCC in June 1991.
18/10/91 – Harry
Thompson had submitted plans for a shelter at RB. Due to dry summer no cleaning
required.
27/10/91 – RB warden
had agreed to approach English Nature for a grant towards the cost of the roof.
February 92 – quotes are being sought for the roof.
Soon to apply for grants, D Beveridge to act on
behalf of HGS.
8th
March 92 – meeting at Rifle Butts with warden to consider the shelter proposed
on 3/6/91.
·
Keep rainfall off the face of the exposure – 18ft shelter to right hand side
(east) of the exposure was thought not to be big enough
·
Siting shelter to east would give some protection of site from driving rain by
the hedge. Hedge will also obscure the site when looking from gate.
·
Chalk to right of the 1960 exposure now collapsing so planned to fill the old
exposure with rock filled gabions
·
Protect from frost in winter by covering with hay
·
Stabilise slope to east by planting shrubs
May 92 – applications
had been made for grants
October 92 – plans
had been submitted to planning dept. of Humberside County Council. [It was
designated as an “agricultural building” so that VAT was not payable]
November 92 –
planning approval had been granted
January 93 – Curry
Fund of the Geologists’ Association requested more information about drainage
and assurances about access. HGS had more keys cut.. HGS to obtain straw to
protect exposure from winter frost because YWT could not.
May 93 – exposure had been covered with straw. YWT
authorised HGS to lend keys to bona fide
geologists and groups.
May 93 – cheque
received from the Curry Fund. HGS opened a bank account with Donald Beveridge as
the Treasurer for the fund.
October 93 – roof has
been erected and after heavy rain the exposure was dry. No need to cover
exposure with straw over the winter. [funding was 50% Curry Fund; 25% YWT and
25% English Nature]
November 93 – the
artwork for the notice board had been completed.
January 94 – HGS
agreed to organise an “official reopening” to formally thank the granting bodies
and helpers.
19th March 1994 at 11-00 am - Joint meeting
with the Yorkshire Geological Society – “At Rifle Butts Quarry, past President
Judith Bryce formally ‘handed over’ the protective shelter and notice board to
Lesley Blainey of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Also present were Eric Robinson
of the Curry Fund of the Geologists’ Association and Mike Harley of English
Nature, Gordon Scaife the site warden and his mother who organises the
Cottingham Watch Group who help manage the nature reserve, Tony Benfield Vice
President of the Yorkshire Geological Society and Don Beveridge and Harry
Thompson who designed the shelter and Lynden Emery who designed the display
board. A total of 20 people visited the site on the morning.”
April and July 94 –
agreed that HGS would keep the remaining funds for future upkeep of the site in
a separate bank account with HGS Officers as signatories. £45 donated to YWT
towards printing of information leaflet.
Oct 96 Donald
Beveridge and Harry Thompson repainted the stand for the notice board. Water
butt has not been installed.
Jan 98 – received
shares from demutualised Building Society. Rifle Butts Fund replaced by
Conservation Fund to be used for conservation projects in Eastern Yorkshire
including Rifle Butts. Approved at AGM in March
Jan 99 – Charity
Commission instructed HGS that it could not have a separate Conservation Fund
with separate trustees.
February 99 – no
cleaning required
March 2000 – concern
over rotational slipping behind the exposure – considered getting a geotechnical
survey.
April 2001 RB closed
due to Foot and Mouth disease
March 2002 – met at
RB and agreed that the rotational slumping had not affected the stability of the
roof. The face developing at the top of the slump is about 80cm. Agreed that the
notice board stand and the lower part of the uprights for the roof needed
repainting – this was done by YWT causing minor damage to the exposure.
March 2003 – concern
raised about the removal of the hedge in front of the exposure that screened it
from view from the road –requested it be replaced
October 2004 – extra
visit to clear away a landslip
March 2005 and 2006 –
Conservation Fund merged with HGS general funds, but ring fenced for
conservation.
2006 – first Barbie
after cleaning visit for the HGS volunteers
[At some stage (date
not recorded in HGS minutes) the YWT received a grant from the Heritage Lottery
Fund for the nature reserve; a condition of the grant was that there had to be
open access to the site so the padlock was removed from the gate. There had been
a small amount of vandalism at the site which was not related to the geology;
but following the unlocking of the site there was vandalism by geologists
hammering and collecting without permission.]
Sept 2007 – someone
had been digging out the beds below the Red Chalk undercutting it. [Photos in
file - >Butts<]
March 2010 – large
blocks of the hard Red Chalk containing fossils removed by unknown geologist,
exposing softer rocks beneath to weathering.
April 2010 – evidence
of recent hammering. Rabbit activity under the original chicken wire on the
slope under the roof behind the exposure. Proposed putting new netting over the
slope and exposure – estimate £250. HGS repainted stand for notice board. Roof
needed fixing, gutters cleaning and structure repainting.
Jan 2011 – Natural
England and YWT had agreed to the plan for netting. YWT were seeking funding.
YWT asked HGS volunteers to register with YWt for insurance purposes.
April 2013 – at RB –
Netting had been added to the face but it was not to specification and the
notice board had been moved by the contractors (nobody knows why). There had
already been some geo-vandalism but someone lifting the netting. Reported these
issue to YWT.
January 2014 – there
had been some site meetings. New fencing and gates had been installed in the
nature reserve and sheep were grazing there. YWT plan to install a new notice
board but there was no decision on positioning. It was agreed that HGS should
repair and reposition the netting, also modify the gates to allow easier access
to the exposure for HGS work parties. A 2partnership agreement” was drawn up
between YWT and HGS to define responsibilities.
14/4/14 – HGS work
party did the repairs to the netting. Cost £101.
Feb 2015 – HGS
volunteers urged to complete YWT registration forms.
April 2015 – YWT gave
HGS permission to put the notice board back in the original position; agreed to
backfill hole with material that is clearly not from the site. [This was not
done]
Mach 2017 – East
Yorkshire RIGS Group merged with HGS and their funds donated to the HGS
Conservation Fund.
[March 2020 – no
cleaning necessary – field meetings were restricted by the Covid Pandemic also]
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