The sun is finally shining after a wet,

winter and CAVLP is ready to spring

into action with more training,
learning and volunteer opportunities
over 2014 and beyond.

CAVLP partners have successfully
won funding to start several new
projects over the coming months and
with more projects in development,
we have lots of opportunities for you
to get involved in. Read more inside.
Over the winter we have been busy
exploring the history of Chatelherault
and developing a conservation
management plan. This looks at
what is special about the Country
Park and how we can best look after
it to ensure it stays special for the
future. Now that the weather is
better, why not go for a walk and
explore the woodland full of ancient
trees and mysterious ruins.
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS
We are currently redeveloping our
website and need photographs that
show off how amazing the Clyde and
Avon Valley Landscape looks. We
need you to take your camera out on
walks and take pictures of the
wildlife and historical places and
send them to us.
FREE TRAVEL EXPENSES
We are pleased to announce a CAVLP
volunteer fund, to help out with these
opportunities. CAVLP is offering you
travel expenses to get to courses
relevant to our programme and to get
involved with volunteering. Contact
us for more information.
NEW ARRIVALS
We are happy to announce that
Kirsten Robb, our Community
Engagement Officer had a baby boy
in April. While Kirsten is on maternity
leave, Karen Dobbins, from South
Lanarkshire Councils Greenspace
Team has been seconded to the
team. Nicola Sykes also joins us as
our administration. We welcome
them to the Landscape Partnership.
Spring into action
Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership
April 2014
Volume 3, Issue 1
Our People, Our Land, Our History: Shaping our Future

Valley Life
Certificated and vocational training
Clydesdale Community Initiatives have spaces on their Dry Stone Dyking course in Nemphlar on the
14th and 15th June. Early booking is essential. Email dawn@cciweb.org.uk
Japanese Knotweed training, Dalziell Park, from 1st August to October. Early booking is essential.
Email karen@cciweb.org.uk
CCI run a range of courses, please keep checking our Facebook pages for new opportunities
Events, talks and dates for your diary
Our partners events program is growing and you can see the full diary on our Facebook and website
pages. We are currently creating a new online events calendar for our website, which will launch in the
summer.
Outdoor Skills, 9th August, Crossford Village Hall, Booking essential, please contact Louise on 01355
236644 or email louisa.maddison@southlanarkshire.gov.uk
A Tale of Two Institutes: New Lanark and Lanark Library Lecture, 20th June, 7pm, Robert Owen
School Building, New Lanark. Tickets 3 include a glass of wine. Book by emailing trust@newlanark.org
New Lanark and WWI Lecture, 22nd August, 7pm, Robert Owen School Building, New Lanark. Tickets
3 include a glass of wine. Book by emailing trust@newlanark.org
Falls of ClydeVictorian Grand Tour (historical Guided Walk), 17th May, 2pm. Booking essential.
Contact Laura Preston - 01555 665262 / fallsofclyde@swt.org.uk
Nature Photography for All, 8th July, 2pm4pm, photographing nature, any camera will do even a
phone camera. Adults 2, Children 1, Booking essential baronshaugh@rspb.org.uk or phone 07872
814911

FREE Training Opportunities organised by Central Scotland Forest Trust
Looking After Your Woods, 14th /15th May, Oatride College, Echlesmachan West
Broad Habitat Survey, 23rd May, Kettilstoun Mains Linlithgow
Invasive Non-native Species Identification Control, 28th/29th May, Popingjay, Rosebank
Amphibian ID, ecology and surveying, 3rd June, Gartcosh
Wildflower Identification, 9th July, Almondell & Calderwood Country Park
Booking essential. Contact Emilie Wadsworth at CSFT on 01501 824 791 or
Emilie.wadsworth@csft.org.uk
Connect With Us:
Level 1 Offices
Robert Owen School, New Lanark,
Lanark, ML11 9DB
Tel: 01555 663430
www.clydeandavonvalley.com
info@clydeandavonvalley.com
Follow: @ClydeAvonValley
Like: Clyde and Avon Valley
Landscape Partnership
Sign up to our monthly e-news:
newsletter@clydeandavonvalley.com
Volunteers needed:
New Lanark Trust is looking for you to help catalogue their historical archives or get involved
running their events. If you are interested or for more information, contact Jane Masters ,
email Jane.Masters@newlanark.org

Playing the Field
New Lanark Trust won funding from the Big Lottery
Funds Community Spaces to create an amazing, natural
play park in the World Heritage Sites Clearburn Picnic
Area. The play area will be filled with innovative ways
to explore nature including a treasure map trail.
CAVLP is providing funding for a series of workshops
involving local schools, who helped design the park, and
the community to construct beautiful willow features, an
insect hotel and a wild flower meadow.
Look out on our Facebook page and e-newsletters for
opportunities to get involved in the early summer.
Lets Talk About It!
Do you know someone who has interesting stories about
life and history in the Clyde or Avon valleys?
New Lanark Trust, in partnership with the CAVLP team,
recently received LEADER funding to buy new equipment
and get expertise training from Local Voices to help
volunteers in the area to undertake oral history projects.

CONTACT US
If you, or a group you are involved with, are interested in
getting taking part in an oral history project, or would like
to undertake your own small project, please get in touch.
Contact the CAVLP Built and Cultural Heritage Officer.
Email sarah.phillips@clydeandavonvalley.com or phone
01555 663460.
Designs in the Landscape
Garden History Society for Scotland, through its
Conservation Trust, secured funding from CAVLP
and Historic Scotland to help local volunteers
explore and discover the numerous designed
landscapes along the Clyde and Avon river valleys.

Many of these historic grand estates and gardens
now seem lost. Often places we walk through, such
as Mauldslie Woods, that look natural were actually
part of a designed landscape, created by their
owners as places for both leisure and work. CAVLP
will be working in partnership with GHSS to create
opportunities for volunteers to get training to
record these sites and to create new interpretation
to tell locals about what history is on their
doorstep.
Keep an eye out on our website to find out more, the project will launch autumn this year.
Bringing it back to life
Gerry Lewis talks about his work with CAVLP saving the historic graveyard at Dalzell.
St. Patricks Graveyard is hidden away in the
depths of Dalzell Estate, and is the site of the first
Christian Church in the Motherwell area. It
houses the Hamilton of Dalzell family mausoleum
as well as the graves of local people dating back
many centuries. The mausoleum has been
restored as part of a previous HLF funded project
but due to lack of funds the graveyard had very
little work done to it in recent years.
Through the CAVLP North Lanarkshire Council has
undertaken urgent repairs to rebuild the cemetery
wall and to the mausoleum. Elements of this
work was undertaken by Clydesdale Community
Initiatives and the Phoenix Futures charity as
training opportunities.
Further works will include historical research, a conservation action plan for the graveyard and re-erection
of priority headstones with opportunities for locals to help and get involved in creating new interpretation
for the site.
This was written by Gerry Lewis, who sadly died earlier this year. The CAVLP team would like to take this
opportunity to say how much we loved working with Gerry and our thoughts go out to his family.
Kirkfieldbank project could bear fruit for local people
What started off as a possible woodland
enhancement project, soon grew new
shoots when CAVLP partners, Central
Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT), began
exploring a vacant site in Kirkfieldbank.
An initial walk through found a remnant
orchard with plums, damsons, apples,
crab apples and even a quince tree. CSFT
Officer Linda McConaghie, saw the
potential to regenerate the orchard and
bring more benefits for local people -
from fruit on-your-doorstep, to learning,
volunteering and training opportunities as
well as improved access to some
beautiful views.
Linda came along to our CAVLP Kirkfieldbank village tour event to gauge local interest in helping to create
or maintain the orchard. She said, With the Clyde Valleys former reputation as the Fruit Basket of
Scotland and peoples increasing interest in growing their own, I hope the good response we got at
Kirkfieldbank will bear fruit and people will get involved. Well be back in touch when we hear the out-
come of our funding applications.