NORTH PENNINES NEWS & 2011 INSIDE

Transcription

1 NORTH PENNINES NEWS Spring & Summer 2011 INSIDE Make Friends with the North Pennines 3 Altogether Archaeology underway 5 Events programme details 8 & 9 Get involved in WildWatch 11 Eco home leads the way 13

2 A letter from the Chairman Stublick Chimney, near Langley, Northumberland Natural England/Charlie Hedley 2 Welcome to the latest edition of North Pennines News. As ever, the purpose of the magazine is to inform local people of the work that the AONB team and their many partners and collaborators are doing. There s never been a more important time to showcase the work done to conserve and enhance the North Pennines and to help people enjoy, understand and care for their countryside, and to highlight opportunities to get involved. I m especially proud of our new dry stone walling apprenticeships and we ll be using a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to create eight new long-term bursaries for local people to set out on a career in walling, working alongside professional wallers. In this edition you ll be able to find out about our WildWatch project, for which we ve just received a Stage 1 Pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant of 300,000. WildWatch is all about encouraging local people and visitors to get out and about recording the wildlife of the North Pennines and about providing many opportunities to get involved in its conservation. You ll find out more on page 11. At the same time we ve been developing our community archaeology project, Altogther Archaeology, again funded by the HLF with additional support from English Heritage. Through this project we ve already been helping a great many people to take an active part in exploring the history of local communities and there have been some revealing finds. There s still plenty of time to take part in this fascinating work. In this edition we go from the past to the future, and highlight the fantastic work we ve been doing with the scientists of tomorrow through our CELL (Changing Environments Landscape Laboratory) project. On page 6 you can read about how we ve worked with pupils from Brampton and Alston to help them explore, understand and monitor their environment, and also given them opportunities to meet real climate scientists at a major international conference in Durham. The team and partners have continued to make a little go a long way and there has, of course, never been a better time to have that happy knack. I do hope there will be things in these pages that inspire you to find out more and to get involved, including, perhaps, the chance to become a founder member of the new charity, the Friends of the North Pennines. Best wishes Cllr Richard Turner, Chairman, North Pennines AONB Partnership Cllr Richard Turner We can provide a summary of the information contained in this publication in large print, different formats and other languages on request. Please call for details. After you have finished with this publication please give it to someone else to read, or recycle it. North Pennines News is produced by the: North Pennines AONB Partnership Weardale Business Centre The Old Co-op Building, 1 Martin Street Stanhope, County Durham DL13 2UY T: E: info@northpenninesaonb.org.uk W: The North Pennines AONB Partnership holds a Gold GTBS Award for its corporate office and tourism activities. This publication has been supported by and the area s five Local Authorities: Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham County Councils, Eden District and Carlisle City Councils. North Pennines News is printed on 130gsm Cocoon 100 Silk 100% post-consumer FSC certified-recycled fibre, chlorine free. North Pennines News is designed by Mosaic Print Design and edited by Elfie Waren (North Pennines AONB Partnership Staff Unit). Front cover: High Whitestones Farm, Weardale NPAP/Rebecca Barrett twitter.com/northpennaonb facebook.com/northpenninesaonb 04/11/17k

3 LET S BE FRIENDS! Anew organisation has been established for people who care about the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and want to play a real part in looking after it and members can join for as little as 15 a year. Friends of the North Pennines, a charity set up by the AONB Partnership, has two main aims: To look after the North Pennines, promoting the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in and around the AONB; and To increase the awareness of the North Pennines and its special qualities. To achieve these aims, the charity will raise funds, complete projects, promote and carry out research, provide advice and training, publish information and work in partnership with other organisations. Members will receive e-newsletters telling them all the latest news, have the chance to attend Friends only events, get discounts on publications and be invited to an annual meeting just for them. Ian Forbes, Chair of Friends of the North Pennines said: The establishment of the Friends represents a tremendous addition to the ways in which the special qualities of the North Pennines AONB are currently conserved and enhanced. This new charity will be working to support these objectives through the efforts of its members for years to come. In the longer term we anticipate working closely with community groups, trusts and organisations to deliver mutually beneficial projects. Our first year already finds us with some exciting propositions and we look forward to charting our successes in future issues of North Pennines News. I urge anyone with an interest in the future wellbeing of the North Pennines and its communities to join the Friends now. Come and join us On signing up to join the Friends of the North Pennines you will receive three e-bulletins each year to update you on progress, invitations to Friends only events, activities and talks and you ll have the chance to get involved in the projects that the Friends develop. Members will also be entitled to a 50% discount on selected North Pennines AONB Partnership publications. Whether you are looking to support the Friends for a year or for life, individually or with your family, joining could not be easier. Clockwise from top left: Weardale hay meadow NPAP/Rebecca Barrett; Black grouse Brian Rafferty; Nine Standards NPAP/Shane Harris; High Cup Nick NPAP/Shane Harris. Centre: Spring gentian NPAP/Shane Harris 2011 is the Friends foundation year and to mark this, North Pennines News readers are being offered the chance to become a Founder Life Member (this applies to members joining on or before 31 March 2012). Founder Life Members will receive a certificate, will have the option of having their names featured on the charity s website and will be invited to a Founders reception at the end of the first year. Why not make membership of the Friends of the North Pennines a gift to someone special? See How to join Simply go to the Friends website and download the application form, or phone the AONB Partnership office on (info@northpenninesaonb.org.uk) to ask for an application form to be sent to you. Individual 15 Group 30 Joint (two adults, children under 18 free) 25 Life individual 150 (50% discount) Life joint (two adults, children under 18 free) 250 (50% discount) Interested in corporate or affiliated membership? Please contact us for further details. As North Pennines News was going to press we learned that the Friends have their first group members! A warm welcome goes to the Friends of Killhope who have signed up for group membership. 3

4 VOLUNTEERS DIGGING DEEP INTO NORTH PENNINES PAST 4 Almost 300 volunteers have signed up for the North Pennines AONB Partnership s Altogether Archaeology project, now underway with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and Natural England. So far, volunteers have participated in excavations on Bollihope Common (with Newcastle University) and at Muggleswick Grange. The Bollihope work forms part of a long-term investigation initiated by Rob Young, extending over many years, to investigate a previously unrecognised archaeological landscape in the hills above Stanhope. At Muggleswick, volunteers undertook excavations linked to the conservation of the medieval grange ruins as part of the AONB Partnership s Living North Pennines project. The excavations, led by Tom Addyman, resulted in the discovery of substantial buried remains of 12th or early 13th century date. The remains show that the upstanding ruins, though spectacular, are only a small part of a once extensive complex; although much medieval masonry has been recycled into present-day houses and agricultural buildings, much more survives in A fragment of decorated window glass, probably 13th century, from the Muggleswick excavations NPAP/Paul Frodsham Volunteers excavating at Muggleswick Grange NPAP/Elfie Waren An old view of Muggleswick, probably dating from the 1890s, discovered in a local archive by an Altogether Archaeology volunteer excellent condition underground. In medieval times Muggleswick Grange was owned by the Prior of Durham and supplied large quantities of timber and agricultural produce to the monastery at Durham. Today the site serves to demonstrate the extensive historic links between the Durham World Heritage Site and the North Pennines landscape. It is planned to make the visible ruins accessible to visitors during 2011, with on-site interpretation provided. Earthworks of as yet undated fields and trackways at Holwick Oxford Archaeology A landscape survey at Holwick in Teesdale, designed with the help of Strathmore Estates and with the support of local farmers, combines air photography, LiDAR and field observation to record all visible archaeological features in a strip of in-bye land south of the Tees centred on the ancient village. The survey was timetabled for the winter when vegetation is low and archaeological earthworks correspondingly easier to see, but unfortunately the entire landscape was buried under snow for much of November and December! Fieldwork eventually began with a training day in late January, and survey work got underway in March. The project, led by Oxford Archaeology North, also includes documentary survey at the Durham Record Office, where volunteers are studying large numbers of old maps and other historic documents to

5 NEW JOBS FOR AONB Aerial views of a late prehistoric settlement and associated field system at Wynch Bridge Oxford Archaeology supplement the work in the field. The aim is to produce a comprehensive record of human activity at Holwick from prehistory to present; this will be important for future landscape management as well as being of great interest in its own right. In addition to the fieldwork modules, a number of other successful events have included guided walks, talks and practical workshops, many more of which are planned. During 2011 further fieldwork is planned to investigate the lost castle of Westgate in Weardale, prehistoric cupand-ring rock carvings in Teesdale, a probable Roman signal station near Appleby, and the Maiden Way Roman road near Alston. Survey work will take place at a number of historic buildings, and a group of volunteers will be visiting museums to record artefacts, such as prehistoric flints, from a number of North Pennines sites. Further details of the Altogether Archaeology project, including how to register as a volunteer, can be found at by clicking on Special Projects, or contact the AONB Partnership s Historic Environment Officer Paul Frodsham on , pfrodsham@northpenninesaonb.org.uk Altogether Archaeology volunteers at a survey training day, Holwick, January 2011 NPAP/Paul Frodsham Two local men have been chosen to take up a six-month bursary in dry stone walling as part of a North Pennines AONB Partnership project, which is being grant-aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund. David Armstrong was born in Haydon Bridge and has been a local builder. He said: I always wanted to learn dry stone walling and it was good to be offered a bursary. I d like to get through the course and hope to eventually employ somebody to work with me in future. Jason Ker was brought up on Teesside and moved to Alston when he was 15 years old. He said: This means a lot to me: it s another trade and there s a lot of walling to do in the area. I love working outside in the fresh air surrounded by countryside. David and Jason will be working with local wallers who have agreed to offer training. This will be accredited by independent assessors throughout the bursary period. Building a new career Jason Ker has taken up one of the AONB Partnership dry stone walling bursaries NPAP/Lesley Silvera GREAT YEAR FOR GRANTS Over the last financial year, the North Pennines AONB Partnership has supported nineteen different projects through its Sustainable Development and Small Grants Funds. The funds, which amounted to over 50,000, have supported a wide range of activities, from helping businesses to expand and develop, to work at the cutting edge of nature conservation and renewable energy developments. Simon Wilson, Project Development Officer with the AONB Partnership, who manages the funds, says: We have seen another great year where the Partnership has been able to use these funds to support a range of practical and beneficial projects that will help provide a bright future for North Pennines. Cllr Richard Turner, Chair of the Partnership and the Sustainable Development Panel added: We were particularly impressed with the range of businesses and community organisations right across the area who have taken up the challenge of becoming more sustainable. The quality of the proposals show that many people clearly recognise the value of the designation of the Lesley Silvera, a Project Development Officer with the North Pennines AONB Partnership said: We are pleased to offer the training bursaries to David and Jason and hope that this will enable them to develop the skills to set up as selfemployed wallers. The training programme is supported by several local walling businesses and advised by the Dry Stone Walling Association. Lesley said: We couldn t offer the bursaries without these organisations. We are also grateful to Allendale Golf Club for allowing us to use their premises and their walls for the job interviews! A warm welcome awaits visitors to Weardale s Cromer House Camping Barn which was awarded AONB Partnership grant funding towards a cosy wood burning stove North Pennines and are working to see it prosper. Through the funding we ve been able to support the development of eight businesses and organisations with a clear link to increased employment opportunities. The application process is kept as simple as possible and applicants are supported where necessary in bringing good ideas forward for consideration. The call for applications for funding in the 2011/12 financial year has already closed, though details of a potential second round call in the summer and future opportunities will be advertised in the press and on the AONB Partnership website, 5

6 SCHOOLS LOOK INTO THE SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE 6 Two Cumbrian schools are carrying out research which will help scientists ensure the North Pennines AONB can adapt to climate change in the future. In the North Pennines AONB Partnership s nine-month Changing Environments Landscape Laboratory programme, students at William Howard School in Brampton and Samuel King s at Alston have been working alongside field scientists in different North Pennine habitats to collect real environmental data and monitor any change occurring in their local environment. The data the students collect will go towards informing future land management decisions. William Howard A-Level Biology students started their programme by attending the International Conference on the Importance of Peatlands held in Durham by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Peatland Programme (IUCN) and the AONB Partnership. This was an opportunity to see and hear leading scientists discussing the role of peatlands in mitigating against climate change. Their first field day last September was spent studying and comparing two woodland sites in the RSPB s Geltsdale Reserve led by Farmland Warden Ian Ryding. They were looking at ancient woodland pasture at Binnie Banks and the recent regeneration of rowan from an upland steep-sided gulley to investigate the natural regeneration of native North Pennines woodland vital for black grouse conservation under different types of land management. Measuring environmental conditions at Geltsdale In October the students were at Yad Moss, south of Alston, taking peat depth measurements for the North Pennines AONB Partnership s Peatscapes project and trialling new vegetation sampling techniques for monitoring the revegetation of blocked grips. The following month the students were on the Garrigill Burn working with Ceri Gibson of the Tyne Rivers Trust. Ceri helped the students to take water chemistry readings for the site. They also collected and classified fresh water invertebrate samples. The students findings will contribute to Ceri s ongoing research at the site. Testing peat samples in the labs at Lancaster University s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology In February the group visited the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) at Lancaster University with Dr Andy Lloyd from the AONB Partnership. Working with Dr Andy Sier and Jan Poskitt of CEH, the students learnt how to analyse their dried peat samples from the Yad Moss area and ascertain the carbon content of their peat and the Dissolved Organic Carbon in the water samples taken from streams draining the peatland around Yad Moss. Staff at William Howard have greatly valued the contribution the experiences have made to the students core work as well as their personal development. Teacher Pam Patrick said: The students work has been made very relevant to their A-Level course and it was great for them to collect data which was being used by real scientists. This spring Samuel King s Year 9 Science students will be working at Moor House Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve tying in with a national peat monitoring programme and finding out about the changing patterns in upland hill farming and grouse moor management on the fells around Alston. Discovering climates of the past by analysing peat samples All pictures NPAP/Fiona Knox and Nick Mason Finding out about water quality on the Garrigill Burn

7 TEESDALE FOUND TO BE THE BEES KNEES! The buzz of a bumblebee as it moves from flower to flower gathering nectar and pollen will be familiar to most people. But which of the 24 British species are found here in the North Pennines and which habitats are most important for them? To help answer these questions, the North Pennines AONB Partnership teamed up with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust to undertake a survey of bumblebees in Teesdale during the spring and summer of Nett gain Natasha Rolph from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust surveys bees in the meadows of Teesdale NPAP/Rebecca Barrett Fifty-three different hay meadow, moorland, road verge, riverbank and garden sites were surveyed in May, June, July and August, and a total of nine true bumblebee species were recorded. Six of the species found are common and relatively widespread throughout the UK: buff-tailed bumblebee, white-tailed bumblebee, common carder-bee, red-tailed bumblebee, early bumblebee and garden bumblebee and three are locally scarce and/or rare: moss carder-bee, heath bumblebee and bilberry bumblebee. The survey found that sites which had the highest diversity of flowering plants tended to support the most diverse bumblebee communities for longer periods. These tended to be hay meadows with the greatest number of flowering plants and flowery habitats like riverbanks and some road verges. Rebecca Barrett, Project Development Officer with the AONB Partnership, said: The survey findings also emphasised the important role that gardens play in providing sources of pollen and nectar for foraging bees during the spring and autumn. In spring when the queens emerge from hibernation, often the only sources of food available to them are The moss carder-bee Bumblebee Conservation Trust from people s gardens. Similarly, in August, the cutting of meadows for hay inevitably reduces the availability of flowers for foraging bees and frequently destroys the nests of surface-nesting bumblebee. Again they depend heavily on gardens for food to enable them to complete the breeding cycle for their colonies. Another important finding was that uncut banks and edges wider than one metre in hay meadows provide an important foraging source for bumblebees after the hay crop has been cut. By leaving wide uncut margins in their meadows wherever possible, farmers can significantly help to encourage and support our bumblebees. For more detail, contact Rebecca Barrett on or rebecca@northpenninesaonb.org.uk 7 GIANT MOOR MOWER COMES TO ALLENDALE The North Pennines AONB Partnership has completed the first phase of a new moorland restoration technique on severely damaged moorland near Allendale. After more than a year of consultation and research, repair work has begun to restore an area of bare peat soil which is roughly the size of five football pitches. Specialist machinery, including a giant heather mower, has been used for the first time to harvest and spread vegetation onto the bare peat area. This brash as it s known will help to protect the soil, by slowing the erosion of peat by wind and frost. Once spread, seeds in the brash drop onto the soil, beginning the process of new plant establishment. The giant mower and spreader were modified to work in these sensitive wetland habitats without causing damage. A long-term agreement between the owners and graziers of Allendale Common and Natural England has made it possible for the AONB Partnership to begin the restoration process. Durham University has also been engaged to help monitor the recovery of the bog. It is hoped the restoration will be completed by 2015, allowing temporary fencing around the bare bog to be removed. Paul Leadbitter, the AONB Partnership s Peatscapes Project Manager said: Historical evidence shows this moorland has been bare for over a century, perhaps due to unintentional damage during lead production activities on the Common. Brash cutting on Allendale Common NPAP/Nick Mason Despite sensitive management by the current landowner and graziers, this fragile area of bog was continuing to wash away. Working together, we will halt the erosion and restore a valuable habitat for people and nature. For more information contact Paul Leadbitter at the North Pennines AONB Partnership on tel: , paulpeatscapes@northpenninesaonb.org.uk

8 NORTH PENNINES AONB EVENTS PROGRAMME 2011 Explore the North Pennines with knowledgeable guides and uncover the area s special qualities Please book Most events must be booked in advance to ensure enjoyment and safety for each group. Leaders will not accept you without a booking. And if you do need to cancel let us know! Please don t bring dogs! Dogs are not allowed on any of our events. Event costs Walks and events are free unless a cost is stated. We will tell you how to pay when you make your booking. Public transport At the time of printing North Pennines News, events with the bus symbol are on public transport routes. Travel information: or Walk grades Easy suitable for most people. Easy comfortable walking, may be some stiles. Moderate typically a country walk with some hills, stiles and muddy paths. Boots advisable. Hard hill walk with steep strenuous climbs. Rough moorland. Boots essential. Full hill walking kit required. Families/age guide Events specifically designed for families are marked. You ll find further information on ages next to the birthday cake symbol. If in doubt, please ring the AONB Partnership on Sat 14 May 4.45am 8am Sat 14 May 10am 5pm Dawn Chorus Walk North Pennines AONB Partnership Dancing with Dotterel North Pennines AONB Partnership The dramatic ancient woodland of the Derwent Gorge is home to variety of birds. On this dawn chorus walk we will listen for species such as chiffchaff, redstart and wood warbler. Bring binoculars if you have them. Start: Hard standing on junction of roads to Crooked Oak and Wallish Walls NZ Distance/duration/grade: 4km(2.4miles)/3.5hrs/medium Bookings (AONB P ship): Ascend to Cross Fell summit in search of the dotterel, an arctic mountain bird that can sometimes be found on migration on the highest points of the Pennines. Includes 600m ascent, bring binoculars if you have them. 8 Start: Road verge just west of St Lawrence's Church, Kirkland NY Distance/duration/grade: 14km(9miles)/7hrs/hard Bookings (AONB P ship): Sat 14 May 4.50am 8.30am Black Grouse Lekking Phil Warren Watching the dance of the black grouse at dawn is an experience that will stay with you forever. Join Phil Warren of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to watch these iconic birds and finish with breakfast at the Langdon Beck Hotel. Bring binoculars if you have them. Start: Langdon Beck Hotel NY Distance/duration/grade: 3km(2miles)/3.5hrs/easy Cost: 8.75 (includes breakfast) Bookings (AONB P ship): Sat 14 May 8am 10am Cuckoo Calling RSPB staff Geltsdale Join staff at the RSPB Geltsdale reserve on this early morning walk in search of the cuckoo. Venue: RSPB Geltsdale NY Distance/duration/grade: 3km(2miles)/2hrs/easy Cost: Free for RSPB members and children, others 3 Bookings (RSPB): Great Green Bird Race Between 1 and 13 May you can take part in the Great Green Bird Race using sustainable transport. Register your team with the AONB Partnership by 28 April. For details visit. Sun 15 May 10am 4pm Big Birdwatch Family Day North Pennines AONB Partnership and partners Join us in Blanchland for a family day of birdy activities. Short walks and storytelling throughout the day, make a nestbox or a bird feeder, children s craft activities etc. No need to book just turn up! Venue: Blanchland Village Hall, NY and surrounding area Cost: Contributions to nestboxes/feeders and craft activities The Northern Rocks Festival of Geology and Landscape Northern Rocks 2011, running between 21 May and 5 June, brings together events and activities to help you discover the geological secrets of the North Pennines. Full details: Sat 4 Jun 10am 4pm For Peat s Sake North Pennines AONB Partnership and partners A new family-friendly event about work on the peat in the surrounding hills. Interactive demonstrations, food, sales and stalls with partners Environment Agency, Rivers Trusts, Northumbrian Water, Love Food and Barker and Bland. No need to book, just drop by! Venue: Durham Dales Centre, Stanhope NY995393

9 Tues 19 Jul 2pm 5pm Secrets of Bollihope North Pennines AONB Partnership & Rob Young Archaeological digs over recent years have uncovered new evidence of early human settlement at Bollihope. Visit the excavations in progress. Start: Informal car park on SW side of B6278 opposite disused quarry NY Distance/duration/grade: 3km(2miles)/3hrs/moderate Bookings (AONB P ship): Sat 23 Jul 10am 5pm Out of Bounds Little Fell North Pennines AONB Partnership with MOD Little Fell is one of the English hills over 2000ft which you can t usually climb up as it s in the restricted area on the Warcop Military Training Area. This is your chance! Start: Hilton Car Park NY Distance/duration/grade: 16km(10miles)/7hrs/hard Bookings(AONB P ship): Thur 25 Aug 10am 5pm Nine Standards Stone Cairns North Pennines AONB Partnership Join us for a great walk on the southern edge of the North Pennines. We ll climb Nine Standards Rigg to admire the recently restored stone cairns and some fantastic views. Start: Kirkby Stephen Tourist Information Centre NY Distance/duration/grade: 13.5km(8.5miles)/7hrs/hard Bookings (AONB P ship): Sat 17 Sep or Sat 15 Oct 10am 4pm Walling Taster Days Leigh Dobson Dry Stone Walling Association Two opportunities to try your hand at dry stone walling with a registered trainer. You will need to be physically fit and prepared for a rigorous day of lifting stone and digging foundations. Work gloves and clothes required. Venues: to be advised Cost: 30, payable to Dry Stone Walling Association (Northumbria) Bookings (Leigh Dobson): or leighdobson@drystonewalling-services.co.uk Sat 23 Jul 2pm 6pm Tues 27 Sep 2pm 5pm Roman Across the Hills North Pennines AONB Partnership & English Heritage The spectacular Roman fort at Whitley Castle is the focus for a fascinating English Heritage project. You ll visit the fort as well as other sites telling the story of Alston Moor from prehistory to the present day. Start: Castle Nook Farm, 2 miles NW of Alston on A689 NY Distance/duration/grade: 5km(3miles)/4hrs/moderate Bookings (AONB P ship): Blanchland, Shildon and Pennypie North Pennines AONB Partnership Discover geology, landscape and lead mining heritage on this pleasant circuit through the countryside around the historic village of Blanchland. Start: Blanchland village car park NY Distance/duration/grade: 5.6km(3.5miles)/3hrs/moderate Bookings (AONB P ship): Fri 7 & Sat 8 Oct 11 9 Sun 24 Jul 9am 4pm How Deep is our Peat? North Pennines AONB Partnership and Landmarc Join a national science project to measure the amount of peat and carbon locked in the bogs of Warcop Military Training Area. We ll work together to measure the depth of peat across Murton Fell. Start: Murton Car Park NY Distance/duration/grade: 13km(8miles)/7hrs/hard Bookings (AONB P ship): Sat 20 Aug 10am 4pm Hikers and Bikers For one day only, the Love Food Trailer will be at the Hartside Café offering a special menu where food from the fells is cooked and served up. Whatever your mode of transport come and find out about it. No need to book, just turn up. Venue: Hartside Café NY North Pennines Wool Days North Pennines Wool Group A two-day celebration of all things wool at Lanehead in Upper Weardale with demonstrations, hands-on activities, displays and a variety of sheep breeds. Just turn up. More information from Venue: North Pennines Centre, Lanehead NY Wed 2 Nov 7pm for coffee, pm Dark Matters North Pennines AONB Partnership, English Heritage, Durham University and Teesside Planetarium See the beauty of ancient pollen grains trapped in the dark matter of peat, and find out what s really out there in the dark skies beyond our planet. Bring binoculars. Telescopes provided. Venue: St John s Chapel Town Hall NY Distance/duration/grade: Mostly seated/0.5 km/easy Cost: Free, but donations to Friends of the North Pennines Bookings (AONB P ship): Key Guided walk Family-friendly Study workshop Strong footwear Adults only Art/craft activity 8 Minimum age Take outdoor clothing Take a packed lunch Booking essential. For bookings through the AONB Partnership, please call during normal office hours. Starts on public transport route

10 WATER VOLES A CLEARER PICTURE 10 Three years of survey work by the AONB Partnership as part of a SITA Trust-funded project has now been completed, giving a much better idea of how water voles are faring in the North Pennines. Last year we had our first records for the Derwent catchment and, very nearby, our first records for the Devil s Water catchment. These records are at the very highest points of these two tributaries, and so were the first official records for the West Allen in This is all confirmation of the picture of water vole distribution which has been emerging from the survey. Water voles are now known from every major catchment in the North Pennines and are found in almost all types of water body from stone drains and steep stony ghylls to wide rivers and mine reservoirs. However very few water vole populations are found near to the boundary of the AONB, and nearly all are found on the smaller tributaries at the top of our catchments. The absence of water voles in downstream sections of our rivers is not explained by unsuitable habitat. In many ways downstream habitats are more suitable, often with a wider variety of vegetation, a longer growing season, a milder winter and with a more reliable water supply. The explanation for the central distribution of water voles in the North Pennines is most likely to be predation. In the UK as a whole the 95%, or more, decline in water vole numbers in the past few decades is attributed, in large part, to predation by American mink. This introduced mammal has been spreading throughout Britain since the 1970s after its earlier introduction to this country for fur farming. Anecdotal evidence in the North Pennines suggests that numbers of mink peaked following release or escape from fur farms in County Durham and Northumberland in the 1990s. One female mink can wipe out several water vole colonies in a season. Whether or not mink continue to have a major effect on keeping water vole numbers down in the lower reaches of our river systems is not clear. Any riparian landowners or gamekeepers who would be willing to monitor (and potentially trap) mink using mink rafts designed by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (and supplied by us) are encouraged to get in touch. For more information please contact Conservation Officer Andy Lees on or him on andy@northpenninesaonb.org.uk Water vole William Richardson Water voles get a helping hand The River East Allen and the River Tees were the focus, this year, of work funded by the SITA Trust to improve habitat for water voles in their core area. With the help and permission of Allendale Estates, two areas of dense conifer plantation in Allenheads were cleared to open up the streamside habitat which ran through them. As the ground vegetation develops in the next few years, water voles should move in. Further downstream at Sinderhope, farmer Nicholas Howard has created water vole habitat by fencing a well-grazed section of one of his sikes to allow more suitable vegetation cover to establish for water voles. In Upper Teesdale with the permission of Raby Estate and its tenants, two areas of streamside habitat have been fenced to restrict grazing and promote water vole-friendly habitat. OIL BEETLE SURVEY GOES NATIONAL Meloe violaceus John Walters The AONB Partnership s Oil Beetle survey launched this time last year in North Pennines News has been taken on by the national invertebrate charity Buglife. Thanks to records and photographs from the public, our successful survey established that these rare and vulnerable creatures are alive and well in parts of Weardale, Teesdale and the Derwent Valley. This year we are asking you to join in Buglife s national survey and help us uncover more locations in the North Pennines. The Buglife website has a full guide to identification of the main species and a recording form should you be lucky enough to spot one of these large and distinctive beetles bumbling across your path in spring go to

11 WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE? NEW PROJECT COULD BE FOR YOU! An exciting new project to help generate more and better wildlife information for the North Pennines is underway. WildWatch North Pennines run by the AONB Partnership with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to develop the skills of North Pennines residents and visitors in identifying wildlife and to encourage people to submit their wildlife sightings. A small development grant from the HLF will allow a full application to be submitted in May and, if successful, a three-year project would start in Conservation Officer for the AONB Partnership Andy Lees explains the thinking behind WildWatch: We have been aware for a long time that the information we hold on a range of species and habitats isn t really enough for the purposes of conservation, and that better records, even of relatively common species, can help us make better decisions. One of the ways we can start to fill the gaps in our knowledge is by working with local residents, whether they re experts or beginners. There is a lot of expertise out there which we are not tapping into, but there are also lots of people with an interest in wildlife who would like to learn more. We hope we can harness this enthusiasm and these skills to help us conserve wildlife in the North Pennines. WildWatch will be made up of a series of training events for people from complete beginners to those with a range of experience. There will be support for local groups and individuals who want to take this interest further, and survey events with local experts. Public surveys such as the Partnership s Oil Beetle survey in 2010 will also feature prominently as part of the project. The kind of information which WildWatch could generate includes the location of bat hibernacula, monitoring of adder numbers at key sites, the location of important grasslands for waxcap fungi or sites which support threatened invertebrates like solitary bees. Training and events could range from use of bat detectors to shieldbug identification. At this stage Andy is looking for people to register their interest, and would appreciate feedback from potential participants about the kind of things they would like to see on a training and event programme, and what kind of support would be helpful. There is an online questionnaire at. Scroll down to the bottom of the home page for the link. For more information on WildWatch North Pennines contact Andy Lees on or andy@northpenninesaonb.org.uk 11 YOUR CALL COULD SAVE THE HEN HARRIER BY CHRIS COLLETT OF THE RSPB Hen harriers are spectacular upland birds of prey, famed for their sky dance, in which the male harrier performs a magnificent aerobatic display in spring and attempts to woo the female with spectacular food passes. Sadly, this amazing natural spectacle has become all too rare a sight; a report produced by Natural England in 2008 (A Future for the Hen Harrier in England?) states that the hen harrier population in England is perilously small, and that illegal persecution continues to limit its recovery. It is estimated that the heather moors of England should have at least 300 pairs of nesting hen harriers, but in 2010 there were only seven successful nests, the majority of these in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Although hen harriers can sometimes be seen in the North Pennines, sky dancing or foraging, they have not successfully nested here for the last four A hen harrier on the nest RSPB summers. This is despite the fact that nearly 150,000 hectares of the North Pennine Moors have been designated under European law as a Special Protection Area for hen harriers among other species. The RSPB Geltsdale team in Cumbria hires hen harrier wardens each March who look out for potential nesting attempts. If a nest is discovered, extra staff and volunteers are brought in for 24-hour nest protection to ensure that the birds are given every chance to nest successfully. Besides recruiting seasonal wardens to help the recovery of the hen harrier, the RSPB also runs a special hotline so that anyone can report sightings of this rare bird, particularly during the breeding season between March and September. Harriers are smaller than a buzzard and larger than a crow. They have long wings and long tails and are usually seen flying low over the ground. Male and female harriers have strikingly different plumage. The male has silver-grey upperparts, while the larger female is dark brown. If you are lucky enough to spot a hen harrier in the North Pennines, please get in touch. The Harrier Hotline number is (calls charged at local rate). Reports can also be ed to henharriers@rspb.org.uk. Reports of sightings should include the date and location of sighting, with a six-figure grid reference where possible.

12 A POSITIVE SPIN FOR NORTH PENNINES WOOL 12 Wool a product of the hill farming that has shaped the landscape for many centuries is well and truly back on the North Pennines map thanks to a group of smallholders, craftspeople and artists living in the area. The North Pennines Wool Group was formed in the autumn of 2009 with the aim of raising the profile of local wool. Ellie Langley, a founder member of the group said: Wool is a completely natural, 100 per cent renewable fibre, used by people for thousands of years, but its popularity declined during the 20th century because of the increasing use of synthetic fibres. There has been a revival of interest in wool in recent years, but very little of this is British wool. The Wool Group held its first public event in October 2010, to coincide with the National Wool Week. This was an astounding success as people flocked to Lanehead, high in Upper Weardale, to share their woolly passion and enthusiasm. Other key events in the North Pennines during Wool Week included artist Steve Messam wrapping a barn in Cumbria with local Swaledale wool. The North Pennines Wool Group is currently working on several projects. The first of these is a thermal base/mid-layer garment, which will hopefully appeal to both visitors to and residents of the North Pennines. The garments will be made in Britain of North Pennines Bluefaced Leicester wool. A Sustainable Development Fund grant awarded by the North Pennines AONB Partnership has contributed to the cost of processing the wool. Another project is the launch of a North Pennines Breeds Sheep breeds within the North Pennines are many and varied, but did you know that some of our most commercially successful breeds actually originate from the area? Bluefaced Leicester The breed once known as the Hexham Leicester was developed south of Hexham around a century ago. Bluefaced Leicesters have the finest British wool. Swaledale Widespread throughout the region, mother to the North of England Mule. The inaugural meeting of the Swaledale Sheep Society was held at the Tan Hill Inn on the North Pennines/Yorkshire Dales border. competition, open to all (not just knitters!), to design a North Pennines gansey, similar to the ganseys of the fishing villages of the North East coast, but with a North Pennines uplands twist. As the group evolves it hopes to create networks and be a source of information for anyone with an interest in sheep, British wool, the wool industry, woollen products, woollen crafts, or a sustainable future. Particularly welcome is the involvement of the farming community, so that their wool-related farming interests can be better represented. Teeswater sheep now on the rare breed watchlist Pictures Richard Proud and Ellie Langley

13 A HOUSE FOR ALL SEASONS Northumberland Blackface (also known as Hexham Blackface) Developed just south of Haydon Bridge, the original mother of the North of England Mule. North of England Mule The progeny of a Bluefaced Leicester tup and a hillbred ewe. The most commercially successful British sheep breed. Teeswater The iconic pin-up breed developed in Teesdale, now in the vulnerable category on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watchlist. This breed has a longwool fleece of high value. Upcoming woolly events Easter 2011 launch of Gansey competition April June 2011 Meadowsweet Highlights touring exhibition Wednesday 8 June NSA North Sheep, West Nubbock Farm, Hexham July, September and October, third Sunday of the month North Pennines Wool Trail Friday and Saturday 7 8 October North Pennines Wool Event at the North Pennines Centre, Lanehead For full details go to or contact Peter Samsom (AONB Partnership) on or Ellie Langley (Slackhouse Farm) on Anineteenth century North Pennines farm is set to become the last word in sustainable contemporary living and thanks to ingenious design the building s original character and spectacular rural setting will remain. The Paise, on the Hexham to Allendale road, is about to be transformed into a luxury seven-bedroomed home complete with swimming pool, enclosed winter garden and retractable glass roof. All of the energy to run the house will be generated from renewable sources. Local firm Newton Architects of Ryton won the national competition to come up with an innovative solution which would preserve the historic features of the Victorian farm buildings. The Paise will blend unobtrusively into the surrounding countryside Photos Newton Architects The firm specialises in contemporary sustainable buildings, having completed work at the City Farm in Newcastle and the Earth Balance Centre in Ashington but Liam Newton says The Paise is their biggest and most ambitious project yet. Right from the start the clients were committed to building a contemporary, yet environmentally friendly home, where the original buildings and the landscape around them took centre stage, said Liam. Historic Buildings Consultant Peter Ryder carried out a survey, and said the style of the barn was unusual for Northumberland, being more typical of those found in Cumbria which are often built into a hillside. Liam said: It was this that inspired us to reinterpret the idea of the hillside rising up around the building, by creating a single storey extension with a meadow-turf roof peeled up and rolled over the top, the new building would blend unobtrusively into the landscape. while offering the very latest in sustainable living. The grass roof also ensures the building is snug in winter and cool in summer, combining with the triple-glazed high performance windows, super-insulated building fabric, and electronically operated insulated shutters to make the most of any warmth from the sun. A carefully-positioned small wind turbine and photovoltaic panels supply the electricity to power the ground source heat pump which provides heating to the entire house, with wood burning stoves to the rooms to give supplementary heating on colder winter days. Work on the building will be starting later this year, once bat roost and owl nesting mitigation measures have been carried out to ensure the minimal disturbance to the furred and feathered residents of The Paise. It took two years for the development to be approved. It is a departure from Northumberland County Council policy on isolated houses in the countryside and had to be of an exceptional quality and innovative nature to be granted approval under provisions in Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 7. Liam said: A letter of support from the North Pennines AONB Partnership s Director Chris Woodley-Stewart played a big part in gaining the Council s confidence and eventually winning their enthusiastic approval for the scheme. Chris Woodley-Stewart said: The AONB Partnership is committed to supporting sustainable development. This was a fantastic example of how a really innovative modern building could work with its setting to enhance the landscape and it should be an excellent example to others. 13

14 NO POCKET COMPLETE WITHOUT ONE This year s North Pennines Pocket Guide is packed full of places to go, events to enjoy and general information to make sure visitors to the AONB and European Geopark have a fantastic stay. The 2011/12 guide includes loads of information about the area ideal for visitors (and local people) wanting to find out what is special and for ideas of things to see and do. You ll find green places to stay, tips on being a green visitor as well as area guides to the different parts of the North Pennines. Information is also included on nature reserves, moorlands, birds, hay meadows, geology and landscape, the historic environment, farmers markets, agricultural shows and fairs, cycle hire, horse riding, walking and fishing opportunities. Copies are available from the AONB Partnership ( or info@northpenninesaonb.org.uk). It s also available as a pdf download from. Bulk supplies can be ordered from Northern Print Distribution ( or ann@npdnorth.co.uk). LOOK (AND LISTEN!) OUT FOR NEW GEOTRAILS 14 The AONB Partnership is adding to its series of geologically-themed guided trails with six new projects. There are three new printed geotrail leaflets, for Allenheads, Dufton, and Bowlees & Holwick. These provide attractive painted route maps for each of the three-mile walks, with explanations of how the landscape and landform along the route has taken shape over millions of years of Earth history. The leaflets will be available from late April. There are also three new audio-visual trails, for Blanchland, Slitt Wood and Holwick & Bowlees. These AV trails can be enjoyed on your computer or downloaded to portable devices and carried around the walk routes. Each one shows the route information, and the geology and landscape history are brought to life by short interviews with local geologists and historians. The Slitt Wood trail, featuring former Director of Killhope Lead Mining Museum, Ian Forbes, and AONB Partnership Geologist Dr Elizabeth Pickett, is available now from the Partnership s website (northpennines.org.uk); the other two will be available from early May. The printed and AV trails have been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, CDENT and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. FED UP OF FLOODS? The AONB Partnership has been finding that a few simple but effective measures can protect North Pennines homes from flooding after storms. Although the most serious floods have occurred in larger towns and settlements beyond the North Pennines in recent years, residents along the Wear, South Tyne, Tees and Derwent have also suffered damage to their properties, most notably in Alston and Blanchland. The AONB Partnership has been working on a new project to help a group of residents in Upper Weardale protect their homes against future flooding. Simple modifications have been made to the adjacent main road to stop road runoff affecting the house fronts. In addition, new unobtrusive flood Rear guard action protecting homes from occasional floods and simple but effective lowcost solutions to flooding NPAP/Nick Mason protection equipment has been fitted to doorways and vulnerable pipe-work to future-proof their homes against occasional flood water from the River Wear (provided by UK Flood Barriers This work was funded by the Environment Agency s Regional Flood Defence Committee. The funding is raised through local authorities and funds locally important flood defence work. Durham County Council s Highways team undertook the main road modifications. Nick Mason of the AONB Partnership said: These low cost interventions have given these Weardale householders peace of mind and control of the welfare of their property. In addition, they should reduce the long-term costs of continued emergency service attendance during and after storms. We believe encouraging residents to protect their own homes is a sensible strategy for the future but are also keen to investigate and promote innovative land management techniques that might provide additional help. For more information about flood risk and how to reduce flooding impacts, visit the Environment Agency s website flood pages at

15 WARM MEMORIES OF THE PEAT POT BY IAN FORBES Wandering round a farm sale in the North Pennines thirty years ago you might well have spied tools whose time had long since passed forgotten in a corner of an outhouse until brought out in the final clearance when the farm changed hands. Hay spades, used for cutting loose hay from the stack in the barn, often appeared. More rarely the auctioneer s assistant briefly held aloft a different kind of spade. It might have a heart shaped blade about five inches across at its widest point, and another blade at right angles to the first, reminiscent of a bird s wing. This was a peat spade. At one time households right across the more remote parts of the North Pennines burned peat. In about 1980 I talked to people from Weardale, Teesdale, Alston Moor and Allendale, all of whom remembered cutting and burning peat as youngsters. It was as good as a tonic to walk through Coalcleugh on a frosty night with the smell of peat smoke lingering in the air, I was told by one old dalesman. Another wryly remarked that you could always tell someone from a house where peats were burnt as the smell clung to their clothes. Peats were cut in the spring April and May were favoured months and each family had their own peat pot to which they returned each year. Peat varied hugely in quality. Brown peat, full of roots and bits of wood, was poor fuel and burned too fast. Some people used it; others didn t bother, preferring to concentrate on the deeper black peat. Good black peat had a soapy texture and cut easily with a sharp peat spade. Hand pressure alone was needed to slice vertically through the peat layer, and the winged spade, cutting two sides at once, gave you a neat bar of fuel. Bill Proud from Weardale had warm childhood memories of the whole family going to the peat pot once or twice a week on a night to harvest peats. Father sliced fresh peats from the face of the peat pot, whilst the youngsters were kept busy dealing with the cut peats. They laid them out to dry and harden, turned over the peats previously laid out, and stacked the peats which were dry enough to heap up into small stacks five or six peats to a stack. Loading the cart and leading the peats home followed. Arnold Harrison told me that the old people said peat was better if it had dried twice. Johnny Armstrong from Nenthead reckoned seventy cart loads were needed to keep a family fire going all year round. Most people liked to get the peats home before the busy period of hay time later in the summer. The Pearts at Linnhead in Weardale laid a layer of peats on the barn floor before the hay came in, so they had some to burn in the spring as the hay was used. Each peat was about fifteen inches long and three inches square (38cm by 7.5cm). Mrs Peart from Killhope snapped the peats over her knee to make them the right length for the fire. Arnold Shield from Garrigill remembered the copious amounts of ash produced by a peat fire. Gradually peat cutting fell out of use as coal became cheaper and easier to obtain. In some places the old ways lingered. The Prouds continued to buy a cartload of peat a year from a neighbour even after they stopped cutting their own, as peat was the best fuel when heating the oven for baking. But this too ceased about And, as Bill said, the oven still heated up with coal. Perhaps some old peat spades still linger in remote barns, but today you are more likely to see one in a museum. And that characteristic, instantly recognisable smell of burning peat no longer lingers over Coalcleugh or any other North Pennine hamlet. 15 This posed photograph shows Jack Lowry (on the cart), friends and family leading peat sometime before the First World War. The Lowrys lived at Rookhope, and this load may have been destined for the smelt mill rather than home, as peat was also used as fuel in the smelting of lead Beamish Museum

16 HAY MEADOWS TAKE CENTRE STAGE Inspired by the charm, mystery and human lives entangled in the past and future of the North Pennines hay meadows, a new play will tour community venues during the spring and summer. Sward! The Story of a Meadow will help open audiences minds to the challenges faced by modern-day hay meadow managers but also the magic stirred by a place steeped in both wildlife and human tradition. Sward! was written by award-winning playwright Simon Corble (co-creator of The 39 Steps) and contains a number of songs co-written by Jim Woodland. Commissioned by Blaize theatre company, in collaboration with the Highlights Rural Touring scheme, the play will be accompanied by a photographic exhibition by Neville Turner which depicts the changing face of a hay meadow and its wildlife through the seasons. The North Pennines AONB Partnership will be running an education package for seven primary schools linked to Sward! performances. This will include a visit to local species-rich meadows and an opportunity for children to participate in a drama workshop about hay meadows themselves. Actors Josie Cerise and Joe Fleming will be exploring hay meadow themes in Sward! The Story of a Hay Meadow Blaize Sward! will be touring the following venues. For tickets, phone the numbers given Bowes Village Hall Saturday 30 April, 7.30pm ( ); Appleby Public Hall Tuesday 24 May, 7.30pm ( ); Mickleton Village Hall Wednesday 25 May, 7pm ( ); Stanhope St Thomas Church Hall Saturday 28 May, 7pm ( ); Beamish Museum Masonic Hall Friday 3 June, 7pm ( ); and Melmerby Village Hall Saturday 11 June, 7.30pm ( ). 16 NEWS IN BRIEF Our news to your inbox You can now keep up with all the latest news from the North Pennines AONB Partnership with our new e-newsletter which goes straight to your inbox. We ll be sending out these brief e-news updates on some of our work every few months to complement North Pennines News and our website as a way of keeping people informed of just some of the things the AONB Partnership staff team is doing in the North Pennines. You can subscribe to the e-newsletter by going to our home page,, and adding your details to the Subscribe box on the left of the page. This season at Killhope Visitors to Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, will be able to enjoy an outdoor sculpture exhibition created by environmental artist Diane Maclean. Entitled Bird, Diane s large sculptures in steel explore birds and flight. The sculpture exhibition runs at Killhope from June until October. The museum also now has two permanent artworks by Sue Lawty on the Green Wind, an outdoor sculpture by Diane Maclean Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum site. Letters of Lead and Language of Lead (which Sue has created with John Coombes) are inspired by Killhope s historic features and the lives of Victorian mineworkers. They were commissioned as part of national project Museumaker, and drew on the ideas of a group of young people on the project. Get close to wildlife at free events Natural England organises free events throughout the year on Moor House Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve. This is often to best way to see the NNR s special features without disturbing wildlife or damaging fragile plants. Visitors can view a rare black grouse lek, look for the famous spring gentian, or explore local hay meadows, all with an expert on hand to help explain what they see. Familyfriendly events include activities such as outdoor art, hunting minibeasts, and watching and listening for creatures of the night. Contact the Reserve base on or visit for more details.