Deepdale Wood environmental project extended to nearby beauty spots

A PROJECT to carry out environmental improvements in a dale beauty spot is to be extended to other areas after Barnard Castle Town Council agreed to back the venture to the tune of £1,000.

Led by the Durham Wildlife Trust, work has been going on in Deepdale Wood, Startforth, for the past couple of years.

It has involved coppicing and thinning out trees, opening up areas to let in more light and improving footpaths in an effort to improve access, allow flowering plants to thrive and attract pollinators and butterflies.

As a result of the council cash, environmental work will now be extended to the lower Demesnes, Flatts Wood and the Tees riverbank.

Again, it will be led by Durham Wildlife Trust which is looking for extra volunteers to help out with the extra work.

Laura Tedstone, Durham Wildlife Trust living landscapes officer, said the intention was to link all the areas to produce a “wildlife corridor”.

“The first thing on the Demesnes is to clear scrub from the grassland,” she said.

“Then we will be working towards improving the path network there.”

Ms Tedstone said a botanical survey would take place in Flatts Wood.

“We need to find out what’s there before we start to manage it,” she explained.

“Then we will be looking at working alongside the Tees bank and improving that habitat.

“We will be putting up nest boxes, reseeding and putting in plug plants.

“Rather than just working in one woodland, which has been very good, we want to link all these sites together.”

Ms Tedstone said the town council money would go towards training volunteers, helping to improve their botanical skills and woodland work, such as coppicing trees.

“There is already a group of volunteers working on Deepdale Wood and we have had excellent feedback on that.

“We are looking to encourage more people to get involved as well,” she said.

“If people don’t want to do the physical work, there is the botanical side of things as well.”

Town councillors decided to back the project after hearing more than £7,500 had been pledged from the likes of the Tesco Bags of Help Scheme, the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and Durham County Council.

The town council grant covered a £1,000 shortfall.

Cllr Roger Peat said: “It seems very good value – for £1,000 we are getting £8,500 of work done.”

He explained that with volunteers learning the skills involved, when it came to ongoing maintenance, there would be no additional expenditure.

“We can do it ourselves,” he said.

Anyone who would like more information about the project or who wishes to volunteer can email Ms Tedstone at ltedstone@durhamwt.co. uk or call 01388 488728.