On a very pleasant autumn Saturday 14 LBS members and friends set off southwards from St Helen’s station. On our left we followed the old sandstone wall forming the boundary of the railway land, this was generally devoid of plants apart from sparse Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) along the base and in the joints. However about two thirds of the way along there was a small colony of ferns just below the coping, mainly Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria) with some Hart’s-tongue (Phyllitis scolopendrium). On the right-hand side of the road the newly re-landscaped park was noted, with a large glacial erratic forming its central feature.

After crossing the railway we turned sharp left to follow the route of the St Helens Canal northwards, at this point the canal has been filled in but the footpath follows the former towpath, between two lines of tall steel fences. In this disturbed area a typical range of ruderal plants was found, many of which were still in flower; one of the more interesting local species was Field Woundwort (Stachys arvensis) with many flowering specimens along the path edge, others included the rayed form of Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopica) and Redshank (Persicaria maculosa).

Continuing north we passed under a road bridge to a section of canal still in water, this had also been recently landscaped with a broad screen of planting down the western side of the towpath. Within this planting the hazel bushes turned out to be Filbert (Corylus maxima) and several ripe nuts were harvested and enjoyed. Young seedlings, presumably of this species, were also noted around the fringes of the canopy. In various open weedy patches between the shrubs and trees a wide range of plants was noted, including a fine display of Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), still flowering well but also displaying many fruits as well as the black-dotted undersides of the leaves.

The canal itself is still recovering from restoration work but Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) was flowering well in the sidewall and Common Spikerush (Eleocharis palustris) was the most frequent water plant. In the stonework leading up to the former swing bridge there was a small but healthy population of Black Spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum). On the opposite (eastern) side of the canal the derelict remains of an old factory had evidently been vacant for many years and a complex mosaic of herb-rich grassland, tall herb vegetation, developing scrub and bracken patches had regenerated naturally. Black Medick (Medicago lupulina) was abundant throughout the sward, its main feature at this time of year being numerous clusters of jet black seeds, standing out against the mainly pale and mildewed leaves. Amongst the many other species looked at here were still-flowering Eyebright (Euphrasia species), Red Bartsia (Odontites verna) and Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris). A more unusual find was Small Melilot (Melilotus indicus).

Crossing the roads to the next section of canal the exotic tree and shrub planting was noted, including species that are very capable of seeding into surrounding areas, such as Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa) and two exotic species of alder. A locally unusual tree included in the plantings was Liquidamber, or Sweet Gum, (Liquidambar styraciflua). Along this section of canal we lunched by the remains of the eighteenth century Parr New Double Locks, noting various wall plants and water plants. One unexpected species growing out of the far wall of the old lock chamber was Fern-leaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina). Downstream of the double lock there is a well-vegetated stretch of canal water with areas of tall swamp and a healthy aquatic flora. Plants seen in this section included: Broad-leaved Pondweed (Potamogeton natans), Fennel-leaved Pondweed (P. pectinatus), Rigid Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) and the alien Fringed Yellow Waterlily (Nymphoides peltatus).

From these rich waters we crossed the course of Rainford Brook, now routed along the course of the former Gerrard’s Bridge branch of the St Helens Canal. The brook is quite fast flowing but has broad marginal strips of a mix dominated by Branched Bur-reed (Sparganium erectum), Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea). In the central channel the most notable species were Broad-leaved Pondweed and Fennel-leaved Pondweed.

Over the footbridge, to the north, the tall steep slopes of the southern (Haresfinch) burgy bank dominate the scene. At this point there is a wide bunded terrace at the foot of the slope where saline leachate collects from the multiple layers of waste product from industrial glass polishing; pumped here as slurry along pipes directly from the glassworks. This terrace is quite sparsely populated, with grassy islands surrounded by bare crusty surfaces; the dominant species is Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass (Puccinellia distans); seedheads of Marsh Arrow-grass (Triglochin palustris) were also noted. An indication of how inimical the conditions here are to plant growth was given by the yellowed and stunted growth of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) on the edge of this area.

From the eastern end of this terrace we followed the steep path up to the flat plateau top, being thankful for the dry weather, as the exposed waste is excessively slippery when wet. This area, perched high over the former canal and bounded by a railway line to the west and north-west and a road in the north-east, has remained unmanaged since tipping of the polishing waste ceased following the introduction of the float glass process in the 1960s. After several years of the slurry drying out, plants began to colonise the surface and developed a diverse and unusual vegetation; however, over the last couple of decades continuing vegetation development and natural succession has led to the area being dominated by increasing areas of willow/birch scrub, dense grass/herb swards and tall herb stands, with a few remaining areas of wetter ground. The plateau now represents a fairly typical area of ‘urban common’ where natural vegetation processes have progressed but involving a significant element of exotic species. The most notable aliens seen on the burgy banks were species of Michaelmas Daisy (Aster species), Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and Evening Primrose species and hybrids (Oenothera species), these are mixed with a wide range of native herbs and grasses presenting flower-rich swards that must be highly attractive to insects all through the summer.

After descending from the high plateau the group followed Rainford Brook upstream then followed the railway to the south, calling in at a small Victorian park that had seen better days but whose abandoned tennis courts and bowling green provided habitat for a range of flowering weed species, including: Field Woundwort, Marsh Cudweed (Gnaphalium uliginosum) and Toad Rush (Juncus bufonius). We followed the railway back to the station; noting en route an interesting street tree, a species of Malus with clusters of tiny orange-red fruits, and the abundance of Hemp Agrimony as a street weed in St Helens.

Black Medick Seeds	Hemp Agrimony by the canal path	Investigating the derelict factory site	Miixed herbs on the Burgy Bank	Reflexed Saltmarsh-grass	View from the top of the Burgy Bank

Meeting photographs by Peter Gateley