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Mike Horne FGS

Unfinished Works

 

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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