Since we are now in our second year of opening we can now show some of the studies you can make at Greenheyes.

We are proud of our hedges and trees and the opportunity to study the species rich old hedges as you walk along the cow drive is the first thing (you’ll not walk along a hedgerow again with the same attitude!)

Halfway along you come to our pond .Here our purpose built dipping platform gives the chance to spy on the insect and invertebrate life living on and in the water.

This will have taken about an hour so now it’s getting close to lunchtime.

Back to the farm,NO ! Next along the walk is our pagoda, easily capable of seating a full class, plus outside benches, hand washing and the all important loo.

Lunch over let’s carry on and take a look at the banks. Here we can photo or sketch the flowers (abundant on the slopes) or just pause at the top to study the flood plain of the river Dane, our river meadows or if the day is really clear bring binoculars and take in the views of Jodrell Bank, Holmes Chapel viaduct stretching to the distant Pennines.

Carrying on you walk alongside the gully here we have a piece of untouched wooded area which in the spring is carpeted with bluebells and in one part the farm’s only patch of bracken.

Looking as we go at the wild birdseed mixture crop growing alongside us and if we are quiet maybe spotting some of our tree sparrows as this is very much their habitat.

At the end of this path we come to our small marshy area which although small, provides food and shelter for recently hatched Lapwing chicks and then on to our top paddock which this year is planted with spring oats

Cross the oats and we are back at the farmyard depending on time you may wish to use our seating to sit and discuss finds and sightings before your return homeward, visit our small museum of farm tools (including the “black museum” of conservation display) or browse our shop for that all important present/memento of your visit.

Phil Smallwood

visit@greenheyes.com

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