The Coppice

What should happen?

  • Restore the monument, shelter and paths

    Votes: 49 90.7%
  • Remove the monument and shelter and leave it alone

    Votes: 5 9.3%

  • Total voters
    54
I'm as sure as i can be that it's heavily planted to stop land slippage, could well be wrong but it always seems wet an slippy up there.

But why THOSE trees? Why not something a bit more appropriate? A bit of natural looking deciduous woodland wouldn't look as out of place. They end too suddenly too. Perhaps if they just thinned out and dwindled off it wouldn't look so bad.
 
Does anyone remember there being a map on it? My Dad used to tell me there was a map on it once.

There used to be picnic table and benches up near the motorway and there was a stone built “thing” about 3 feet high ( sorry can’t think of how to describe it) and inlaid onto the top of that there was an etched plate of the horizon as seen from that viewpoint. Also etched into it was names of various focal points e.g. Gt. Harwood, Clitheroe, Pendle Hill…..stuff like that. I don’t recall seeing a map as such.
 
is the coppice the place with all the tree's, is it off burnley road?? sorry, still getting my bearings..... is this a good place to go walking? need somewhere for some excercise and somewhere for my lad to burn off some energy... he got loads!!

It can be a bit of a trudge up there when it's wet, but great on a nice day, as cashman said. But whatever the weather the view over the town is really impressive. It's a must do thing I would say. ;)
 
Before we start, I would really appreciate this being a 'P' project free zone. Thanks.

The Coppice overlooks Accrington, it's a beautiful wild place with great views of the town but the monument is vandalised and a mess, as is the shelter and the paths are dangerous.

So, what should be done?

Sorry Gayle, I appreciate and understand why you should want this thread to be a "P" project free zone - but surely you realise by now that ANY project that is put up there is going to be vandalised?

I am for ANY eye-catching scheme including that "P" word ......... BUT ....... only with the guarantee from the council that it will be maintained and looked after!! I cannot vote on this issue purely on this basis.

Until you convince the councils to look after their investments, I cannot see any point in spending money on short-term improvements - - Why you? I think that your time on the accyweb has (hopefully) opened your eyes to the realists view of the attitudes of the youth today. Great ideas WILL be destroyed by moronic chavs, only constant surveillance and finance will secure future projects so ANY future project considered by the council MUST have future maintainance costs built in before it is announced to the public.


(For those newbies, search for "PANOPTICON" if you wonder what the "P" word is about)
 
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I'd say restore for the monument, I think its a good idea to have some form of shelter up there, a few years ago we were up there when a snow storm came on quite suddenley, it went very windy and visability was bad, we were very pleased there were a shelter at that time.
 
Restore it, and plant some Dessiduous and native trees, scrub out the phoney conifers when possible. This will encourage wild life to return to the Coppice, you will not find any wildlife amongst these small leafed or needle leafed trees. Birds won't nest in them rabbits cannot feed beneath them as they block all the light from the floor canopy, nothing grows under conifer / fir type trees, They are not native to our shores in the 'main', the are set ot like an army . Take a look at 40s 50s photographs and see the difference,you can actually see the Coppice as it should be.
 
Lets face it the tree's are hear to stay unless we start a campaign.
They look s*** fake and thick but there must be over 1000 and that would cost millions in tree surgeons.
 
it does need to be restored, have ya seen all the gravity!!

dates back since the 80's, used to go up there a lot back then when i used to vist me grandma!
 
Lets face it the tree's are hear to stay unless we start a campaign.
They look s*** fake and thick but there must be over 1000 and that would cost millions in tree surgeons.
A decent bulldozer would scrub them out in no time and then shred them for mulch and compost 3 men a fortnight should murder it10.000 to 15 grand at the most minus the money made on the shredded waste. These so called adulterated trees are a blot on the landscape, in my humble opinion.
 
Holy family pupils in the late 60's - early 70's, planted the trees on the coppice face, my dad distinctly remembers planting some, but admit they have grown wild & out of control.

Shame about the mess its in & should be restored & maintained, used to spend most of my time up there as a kid.
 
The trees are to be replaced over a long period of time as I understand, back to a more natural species/environment. It is accepted they are not ideal by all, including LCC.
 
I accept Busmans point about vandalism. I was thinking about Darwen tower and how impressive that is from distance. It may be unacceptable we replace the current monument so how can we 'improve it' short of cleaning it up an dleaving it as it is (to be vandalised again!!)

I wondered if we made some sort of a glass/glass like replica much bigger and placed it around restricting access to the original whilst creating a more spectacular monument. Is it possible to make thick enough vandal proof glass like surfaces. I am not so sure you can? Just thinking about ideas so no stupid comments please...
 
Busman

At no point did I suggest that there should be a project to REPLACE the current monument. But what I did say is that the current monument is in a bad way and probably not safe - should it be restored or removed - replace not being an option.
 
If the will and finance is there then it should be a simple excise to make safe and repair the monument. At the end of the day this is local heritage and if we can’t work together and act to resolve the issue then the future as little to offer.

Vandals will always work against the work of others, the best way to control them if not stop them is inclusion, get them involved, community punishments, school projects, special interest grounds. Get them young, get them involved, make them stakeholders in there own communities and I thing many of them will police the site for the community freeing up money for anti vandal treatments etc.

The tress shouldn’t be much of a problem, being shallow rooted they should come out easy enough but think positive, this may be low quality timber, but it’s timber and it as a value, the quality wood can be sold on to fund replanting, the lesser quality stuff can the used to make seating products, low level fencing are be chipped to make pathways or be sold on as composted bark. In essence it all as a value and a part to play the areas future, all it takes will and a little money.

What a about a community volunteer force in the vain of the challenge Anika, local and regional business, trade professionals and local the population working across a couple of months next summer.
 
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