Gingerbread Lane

The entrance to Gingerbread Lane, which looks like a country lane, is found on the left off Beacon Street, just past Little Harbor. This narrow dirt road leads to a fork; bear left towards Old Burial Hill and Redd’s Pond. Continue straight along a grassy path bordered by a stone wall on the left. This path becomes a narrow paved road at the point where it turns right before ending on Norman Street. Cross Norman Street and continue up Gingerbread Hill (See second map below) following it around to the right at the top of the hill. Continue along until you arrive at #26 Gingerbread Hill. To the left of this house you will find a well-defined 10-foot path leading between two stone walls. Follow this path across the open area and down the hill to return to Norman Street.

Gingerbread Lane


 

Gingerbread Lane entrance from Beacon Street
1. Gingerbread Lane entrance from Beacon Street
Turn to the right then left to follow the path
2. Turn to the right then left to follow the path
Path through the woods
3. Path through the woods
End of the path
4. End of the path
Gingerbread Lane entrance from Norman Street
5. Gingerbread Lane entrance from Norman Street

 

Fuller Lane

This paved lane off Ocean Avenue extends for 342 feet. A sign on the chain link fence at the end claims the beach beyond is private property.


 

1 Fuller Lane entrance
1. Fuller Lane entrance
2 Fuller Lane sign
2. Fuller Lane sign

 

Desmoulin Lane

This mostly-paved lane runs 254 feet from Ocean Avenue all the way to the water. A narrow path at the left end of the pavement leads through trees and brush to a rocky beach prized by local fisherman for bass fishing.

 

a_desmoulin_lane_1
1. Desmoulin Lane view
a_desmoulin_lane_2
2. Path through the trees and brush

 

a_desmoulin_lane_3
3. Rocky beach

 

Cove Lane

This 20-foot wide lane begins on Kimball Street and continues for 225 feet to the low water mark. A set of wooden steps leading to a small cove and beach can be accessed by crossing a lawn (which is a public way) beside the stone wall.


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Cove Lane entrance off Kimball Street
1. Cove Lane entrance off Kimball Street
Cove Lane wooden steps to cove and beach
2. Cove Lane wooden steps to cove and beach

 

Castle Rock

Castle Rock Lane leads from Ocean Avenue to Castle Rock with its magnificent view. Steps to the left of the rock descend to a small beach and some deep tide pools full of sea stars and anemones.


 

1 Castle Rock entrance
1.Castle Rock entrance
Castle Rock from the middle of the path
2. Castle Rock from the middle of the path
Castle Rock stairway to the beach
3. Castle Rock stairway to the beach

 

Alley – Market Square

Mechanic Street to Market Square

This public way near the Old Town House at #4 Mugford Street begins as a paved pathway divided by a wooden railing.  The alley leads uphill to stone steps with a rusted iron railing, exiting at the top near #22 Mechanic Street.

 

Alley entrance from Washington Street
1. Alley entrance from Washington Street
Lower section of alley
2. Lower section of alley
Top secton of Alley
3. Top section of Alley
Alley entrance from Mechanic Street
4. Alley entrance from Mechanic Street

 

Alley – Elm to High

Elm Street to High Street
Across from #17 Elm Street, just west of the corner of Elm and Dunn’s Way, are seven stone steps leading to a small landing then four more steps. From there the alley becomes a partially-paved, mostly dirt path up a hill to High Street where one encounters a stone wall.  While appearing to be private property, with abutters storing boats on either side of the path and cars parked at the High Street entrance, it is nevertheless a public way.


 

Alley entrance from Elm Street
1. Alley entrance from Elm Street
Alley entrance from High Street
2. Alley entrance from High Street

 

Alley Steps

The Alley Steps, a set of steep granite steps located between #11 and #15 Washington Street, provides a shortcut to High Street. Traditionally lined with hollyhock flowers, the Alley Steps were once used by fishermen to climb the hill to their fish flakes – fish spread on wooden racks to dry.

 

Alley Steps entrance from Washington Street
1. Alley Steps entrance from Washington Street

Half way up Alley Steps
2. Half way up Alley Steps
Alley Steps entrance from High Street
3. Alley Steps entrance from High Street

 

Family Fun for Earth Day 2024!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 4th to help the Conservancy celebrate Earth Day/Arbor Day this year! 

This year’s Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration will continue the Conservancy’s work in Lead Mills with activities that include planting wildflowers and cleaning up the beach.  Individuals, families and small groups are invited to meet at the Conservancy’s tent at Lead Mills, just off Lafayette Street near the Forest River bridge.  Activities will run from 9 AM to Noon and seedlings, tools, water, and trash bags will be provided.  Participants are encouraged to wear gloves and sturdy shoes.

This is an annual community effort to preserve and protect Marblehead’s open spaces and is co-sponsored by Gilbert & Cole, the Conservation Commission, and the Recreation and Parks Department.

For additional information contact Maureen Ashley at 781.367.0923 or maureenashley@gmail.com

 

What’s coming next?

Horticulture professionals tell us that, after proper preparation and care, the 3rd season of a newly sown meadow will be when one begins to see many native wildflowers in bloom. Until then, seeds are expected to sprout after normal dormant periods. Wildflower seeds planted at Lead Mills have a variety of dormant periods, some more than two years.

Work on this project began in 2020, when the first  12,000 sq. ft. field to be seeded was scraped of its topsoil and sown with a selection of native wildflower species chosen to be beckoning to native pollinators. Some sprouting was seen in 2022 so, one might hope to see plants blossoming this summer and going to seed in the fall..

The second field to be sown, planted with the same mixture of native wildflower seeds, was prepared differently, undergoing several tillings at the end of 2021. We might expect to see some blossoming here as well, in this its 2ndseason.

But blossoming of native wildflowers doesn’t happen by magic! Despite much time spent by a small group of dedicated volunteers, thus far mostly weeds seem to have proliferated. The amount of time needed for this project was not well understood and we probably underestimated how tough the weeds would be.

Season 2023 will be a time for reflection, to re-examine the methods used in preparation, and the various maintenance efforts employed. The reduction of the weed seeds in these two fields was not adequately achieved to allow the sought-after wildflowers to take hold. Weed control is said to be critical in a newly seeded meadow. We suspect we won’t see all the results we hoped for. If that is the case, we will need to consider other methods.

For 2023 the plan is to take a different approach, rather than seeding large areas as previously done. We will plant wildflower plugs in much smaller plots, where weeds are sure to have been minimized. With fewer weeds to start with, and continued weeding throughout the growing season, we hope for greater success.

– The Wildflower committee