More than 100 people with passionate but different views about the future of Hell Wath Nature Reserve attended a meeting in Ripon last night.
The meeting, at Ripon Bowling Club, was organised by Keep Hell Wath Natural, a group concerned about clearance and other work at the reserve, including removal of a large area of hawthorn and blackthorn, the felling of trees and draining/de-silting of a pond.
The work is being done as part of the National Lottery-funded £2.5m Skell Valley Project, which involves work on a 12-mile stretch of the River Skell between Dallowgill Moor and Hell Wath.
Members of Keep Hell Wath Natural, along with local residents, dog walkers and people who have been visiting the area for up to 55 years joined representatives from the Friends of Hell Wath, the Skell Valley Project, and Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper at the meeting. It was chaired by independent city councillor Peter Horton.
Meeting organisers Janet Anderson (centre) and Brian Don, pictured in January in an area of Hell Wath where clearance works have taken place
Project partners include the National Trust, Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Harrogate Borough Council, which has a 99 year lease on Hell Wath negotiated at a peppercorn rent with landowner Tarmac.
Objectors say ‘brutal’ clearance has gone too far
Speaker after speaker said they wanted Hell Wath to remain as they have known it for decades — as a natural and largely un-touched area with trees, shrubs, grassland, riverside paths and pond.
They were critical of the clearance activities that have already taken place as part of the Skell Valley Project.
Fears were also expressed about possible longer-term plans to create a cycle path, which they believe would be hazardous for owners who take their dogs to exercise at Hell Wath and let them off the lead.
They believe that the clearance ‘went too far’ removing areas of bushes, trees and water that sustain wildlife ranging from frogs and newts to birds, rabbits and hedgehogs.
The removal of trees and scrub, was described by two speakers as ‘brutal’ and ‘creating a mess.’
Sheila Boyd summed up the feelings of many present, when she said:
“We are talking about an area that has been completely cleared and destroyed, taking away the habitat for hedgehogs, butterflies, birds and other creatures.
“There are four large and open fields at Hell Wath, with barely a tree in sight, so why couldn’t these pockets of bushes and woodland be left as they were?”
What was the response from the Skell Valley Project?
Project manager Nabil Abbas explained the reason for the clearance works. He said
“Historically, in a wild landscape like this, there would have been large herbivores like wild boar, wild cattle, elk, beavers etc living and naturally managing the land.
“Regular catastrophic events such as flooding or wildfires would also take place, all of which remove trees and shrubs and help to maintain a mosaic of open habitats suitable for a broad range of different species.”
Nabil Abbas
He added:
“Cattle did graze at Hell Wath for a long period, however it is not appropriate to reintroduce them given the way the community now use and enjoy the space.
“Due to the absence of these natural processes which would keep them in check, trees and shrubs are spreading through these precious open areas.
“As a result, we risk losing the diversity of species such as rare orchids and wildflowers, bees, butterflies and other pollinators, and the birds and animals that feed on them, if we do not actively manage these remaining habitats.
“In summary, our landscape is no longer ‘natural’ since key ecological processes are no longer operating, and therefore human intervention is needed to conserve the diversity of habitats and species which depend on them.”
Council leader ‘shocked’
Cllr Cooper, said he was ‘shocked’ by the hostile reaction to some of the points made by Mr Abbas and claimed there had been an attempt to ‘shout him down and heckle’ him.
In response, a member of the audience, said:
“You should understand the strength of feeling in this room and that is why people are getting heated about what is happening at Hell Wath.”
‘Shocked’ Harrogate Borough Council leader Richard Cooper. Picture: Tyler Parker Photography
‘No plans for a cycle path’ – Friends of Hell Wath
Both the secretary of the Friends of Hell Wath, Jeremy Dunford and committee member Carol Leo, were categoric in saying that a cycle path is not planned as part of their work or that of the Skell Valley Project.
Mr Dunford, who is also chair of the Ripon Disability Forum, confirmed there are plans to improve paths and access for people who, like himself, are wheelchair users, or families with children in pushchairs. He said:
“There will be no cycle paths, no tarmac, no concrete, but we want to ensure that Hell Wath is accessible to everybody. We all have a right to visit this area.”
Jeremy Dunford, spoke about improving accessibility
Ms Leo, added:
“There will also be no bridleways and there will be signage on all entrances saying ‘no cycling’.”
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Invitation to join the friends
At the end of the meeting, Ms Leo, said:
“It is clear that people here are passionate about Hell Wath and I hope that we can all work together.
“I ask those of you who are not already members of the Friends of Hell Wath to come and join us.”
Objectors clash with Skell Valley Project over Ripon nature reserve
Regular visitors to a Ripon nature reserve have launched a petition and called a public meeting over concerns about the scale of clearance works.
The Change.org petition titled ‘Keep Hell Wath Natural’ has gone online, while a paper petition has already been signed by more than 100 people.
The online petition calls for a stop to any more work at Hell Wath until the public meeting, which will take place at 7pm on February 23 at Ripon Bowling Club.
People are being invited to sign the petition to:
“Preserve the natural beauty, habitat and surroundings of Hell Wath open space, to protect the environment; animals, plants, hedges and trees and for this not to be changed or to become man-made or over-managed.”
Trees have been cut down on various parts of the site
What do the objectors say?
Objectors are concerned about the extent of clearance works being carried out as part of the Skell Valley Project which they believe has progressed without detailed consultation or proper engagement with local residents, who have been visiting Hell Wath for up to 50 years.
Brian Don of Keep Hell Wath Natural, told the Stray Ferret:
“I’ve been going there for 35 years with my children and grandchildren and we have enjoyed the natural beauty of the place.
“We can understand a degree of cutting back of trees and shrubs, but what we have witnessed is devastation, with trees taken out and wide-scale clearance of hawthorn and blackthorn, followed by work on the pond, which has left an absolute mess.”
Janet Anderson, who has been visiting Hell Wath for most of her life, added:
“The removal of trees and bushes has taken away the habitat of birds and small animals, such as hedgehogs. The bullfinches you used to be able to hear singing here have gone.”
Another local resident, Sandra Miles, who has been visiting Hell Wath for 50 years, said:
“I feel that this is being imposed on us and they don’t want to know what we have to say. It has been causing me sleepless nights.”
What does the Skell Valley Project say?
Nabil Abbas, manager of the Skell Valley Project, said:
“When the nature reserve at Hell Wath was designated almost 30 years ago the grassland areas were very open, but since that time the amount of scrub on the site has increased hugely. These changes are very clear looking at historic aerial photographs of the area.
“The increasing dominance of scrub has already resulted in the loss of areas rich in wild flowers which are an important feature in the designation of the nature reserve, and left unchecked the scrub threatens to overpower those open grassland areas, which provide habitat for many plants, insects and birds.
“The three days of scrub removal which took place in December had a really minimal impact on the overall cover of scrub on the site, so there is still abundant habitat around the nature reserve for bird species which use scrub.
“The scrub removal is being undertaken in line with the nature reserve management plan to conserve the balance of different habitats on the site, maintaining open areas for wild flowers, which are crucial for butterflies, bees and other pollinators, which in turn provide feeding opportunities for birds.
“The silted up wildlife pond, which was first installed in the mid 1990s but now regularly dries out, has been brought back into good condition so that it can provide habitat for amphibians, dragonflies and other insects.
“The habitat restoration has been undertaken in mid-winter when aquatic wildlife is inactive, and outside of the bird breeding season, to minimise any impact on wildlife.
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What consultation has taken place?
With regard to the consultation process, Mr Abbas said:
“In 2018, in preparation for the successful first stage application to National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Skell Valley Project a range of engagement, consultation and audience development tasks were undertaken by the National Trust and Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAONB) project team.
“This included engagement with individuals from the community as well as local parish councils, Ripon City Council, local landowners, local schools and colleges and the Ripon City plan committee.
“Throughout 2019 and 2020, ahead of the second stage bid, the Skell Valley Project team hosted a number of ‘Community Conversations’ workshops at Ripon Community House and Ripon Library.
“These sessions were designed to invite the local community to agree on a vision for the Skell Valley, discuss ideas for actions or initiatives which will help bring about the shared vision and to work together to develop those ideas and talk through how they compare with the current plan.
“These were widely advertised at key areas around Ripon, on social media and through the local press. including the Stray Ferret, Ripon Gazette, Harrogate Informer and BBC Radio York.
“More specifically at Hell Wath, the team hosted a free activity day to better engage with families as well as a public bioblitz event to record wildlife at the nature reserve.
“Both of these events were well attended. Following the successful stage 2 bid to the NLHF, the Skell Valley Project hosted the official launch celebration at Hell Wath in September 2021 which was open to the local community to come and enjoy the space and find out more about the project.
“Prior to any work taking place a Hell Wath the Skell Valley Project team posts public notices on site, on social media, and our website as well as engaging with the press for the more impactful work to keep the local community informed.
“Given that some people do not have access to social media, the project has also funded a new noticeboard which will be erected at the main site entrance to enable better communication.”
Mr Abbas confirmed that the Skell Valley Project would be happy to attend a public meeting. He said:
Ripon school marks National Tree Week by planting 3,000 saplings“Should a public meeting be held about the future of Hell Wath we would be happy to attend. The team are always willing to answer any questions or concerns about work carried out as part of the Skell Valley Project.”
Students and staff at Ripon Grammar School marked National Tree Week with an ambitious 3,000-sapling hedge-planting drive.
Hundreds of students gathered in the school grounds last week to plant the first 2,000 trees over two days.
The project was made possible by The Tree Council’s branching out fund, which supports schools and others across the UK to plant trees, hedges and orchards as National Tree Week inspires people to get outdoors and get planting in the first week of December.
Ava Edwards, who worked with Year 7 students on their massive planting project, in addition to digging in with fellow sixth formers throughout the week, said:
“The tree planting has provided fantastic opportunities for us all to get involved in regenerating the environment on school grounds.”
RGS gardening and wildlife champion, teacher David Bruce, who has been working with student volunteers from other year groups during lunchtime breaks, said:
“This year’s National Tree Week is more important than ever as we work together to tackle the climate and nature crises.
“Trees and hedgerows store carbon, reduce flood risks and improve our air quality, and by planting more we can help grow a greener future. The young people in our community are an amazing force for nature and by planting these new hedgerows they are helping to create a nature-filled legacy for all of us.
“We managed to get around two thirds of our trees planted so far, with the remaining 1,000 set to be planted at a more leisurely pace over the next couple of weeks. Although the planting is almost done, it’s not over because sustaining the growth of the young trees and maintaining them in a wildlife-friendly way is going to be an ongoing project.”
This year has seen a lively debate about the merits of leaving grass to grow in public areas such as the Stray, cemeteries or on roadside verges to benefit bio-diversity.
For three decades, Simon Warwick, director and trustee of the Lower Ure Conservation Trust, has been involved in a programme of activity focused on the churchyard at St John’s Church in the village of Sharow, where he lives.
The long grass close to some graves is part of a planned re-naturalising regime.
Mr Warwick, who has been honoured with an MBE in recognition of his lifelong work as a conservationist, told the Stray Ferret how re-naturalising is different from re-wilding:
“Today’s landscape is very different from the one our ancestors would have known .
“It is now largely a ‘tidy’ and ‘ordered’ landscape, of arable monoculture and species-poor grass in which wildlife, in many cases, struggles to thrive
Graves among the grass – some long, some short, is part of a planned and managed programme of re-naturalising
“Much of our native wildlife is adapted to a richer mosaic of habitat; a tapestry, a varied environment.
In the case of species-rich grassland, this is often a result of active management, reflecting traditional farming methods.
“In the case of the churchyard at St John’s, Sharow, the management follows that of a traditional hay meadow.
“We will cut the area on the summer meadow until early April, then let it grow, flower and largely set seed; only cutting it for hay in mid-July.
“Essentially it is allowed its ‘head’ for about 14 weeks of the year and after that mown short, with all the cuttings removed (essential to lower nutrient levels); this practice follows the tradition of early spring grazing, a hay cut and an ‘aftermath’ graze.”
“The end result is spectacular, with a carpet of wildflowers in May and June. Mr Warwick said it is always a little painful to cut it for hay, when it is alive with butterflies, bees and beautiful burnet moths.
“However, despite what seems like a damaging act, the cut and remove process is central to maintaining a species-rich are”So why is long grass often species-poor?
“The simple answer is that many species of wildflowers and grasses are easily shaded out, dead vegetation increases fertility, which in turn encourages rank species to grow.
“Sharow churchyard is special, the principle reason being that when the land was consecrated in the 1800s, it was almost certainly an established hay meadow.
“Irregular cutting and perhaps grazing by the Dean’s sheep will have maintained many of the old meadow species. Having managed the churchyard in a traditional manner now for 30 years, it has duly been recognised for its importance on a county and national level.
“Whilst the summer meadow is in many ways the gem of the churchyard, the spring meadow is managed similarly but left to flower from early-March to the cut in late June, followed by regular mowing. Spring is a riot of wild daffodils, bluebells, violets and wood anemones.
“Other areas, accommodating more modern graves, are cut perhaps every week to six weeks; other bits only once a year, or even longer.
“So, you may ask ‘which way is the right way?’ and the answer is that they sort of all are!
“We have lost the connection with the traditional mosaic of our natural and managed landscape; no real surprise that we have lost so much of our native wildlife. We need to re-welcome a tapestry back into our landscape and be less ‘tidy.!”
Read more:
- Council accused of cutting costs instead of the the grass in Ripon
- Mixed views on re-wilding in Harrogate