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3. Patten Beck Community Project

Hayton Castle Fields are lucky enough to manage a 2 acre woodland and 3 acre meadows, through which flows Patten Beck.The site benefits from several ecosystems including riverine, marsh, sand banks, lowland meadow, stand-alone trees, deciduous woodland and wet woodland. However it has suffered some neglect resulting in fly tipping, poor water quality and invasive species. We are working with Hayton Castle Fields and the local community to clean up the woodland and river and create a haven for people and wildlife.

     

This project is kindly funded by Greggs Foundation and will be combined into an existing weekly permaculture project. This will allow the young disadvantaged people involved to also learn about woodland ecosystems as well as woodworking and construction skills. We also welcome other groups of any age to come and get involved.

The plan of action in 2017 involves

• Removing fly tipping from Patten Beck. 
• Managing the woodland to safely benefit water and land habitats and biodiversity, including surveying the current flora and fauna and re-introducing native wetland and river plants.
• Creating leaky dams in the wet woodland areas where flood waters can be safely stored to reduce flooding in downstream Allonby and as a demonstration site for the local area.
• Creating a sensitively constructed access route into the woodland and bog for groups of all ages and abilities to learn about river and woodland conservation and for local people to engage more with their environment without damaging the habitat.
• Removing Himalayan balsam from the site and potentially the surrounding area.

For more updates see also Project Dirt and Hayton Castle Fields as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages