Water voles thriving in new Nidderdale home

Two hundred water voles released in Nidderdale are thriving in their new habitat, surveys have discovered.

Yorkshire Water released two groups of the endangered animals in 2020 and 2021 at Timble Ings Wood in the Washburn Valley.  

Recent surveys suggest they are settling in well to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with signs of the animals up to 1km away from the original release site.  

Surveys of the area have found burrows, droppings, and signs of feeding, such as piles of nibbled grass. There have also been regular checks for the water vole’s main predator, the American mink, which has not been spotted.  

Philip Tennyson, recreation coordinator at Yorkshire Water said:  

“While this is a successful project, water voles are particularly sensitive to disturbance, and the good work we’ve done so far can easily be lost.  

“We would urge visitors to Timble Ings Woods to stay on the paths and keep dogs on a lead away from the ponds and watercourses to protect the fragile water vole population.” 

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Water voles are classed as an endangered species, and have been identified as one of Britain’s fastest declining mammals.  

They have been named as a priority species for protection in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, and conservation efforts like the one in Nidderdale are crucial in preventing their extinction.  

The project is part of Yorkshire Water’s Water Works for Wildlife initiative, which aims to enhance biodiversity in 15 local wildlife sites.  

New bee-friendly habitats for Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross reservoirs

New habitats friendly to bees and other pollinators will be created at Fewston, Swinsty, and Thruscross reservoirs.

The initiative is part of a Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and Yorkshire Water project called Bee Together which aims to help pollinators thrive.

The idea is to create ‘pollinator superhighways’ that weave through the country and link existing wildlife areas together by creating and restoring wildlife patches rich in wildflowers.

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Six Yorkshire Water reservoirs — Fewston, Swinsty, Thruscross, Embsay, Grimwith, and Barden — have been identified as pollinator sites.

Yorkshire Water has provided £30,000 for the project.

Yasmina Gallagher, from Yorkshire Water, said:

“Conservation efforts and improving biodiversity are key parts of our work and often go hand-in-hand with our role managing water catchments.

“We’re pleased to be involved in the Bee Together project and have already identified six of our sites that will provide perfect habitats for pollinators.

“Our colleagues will be volunteering their time to carry out pollinator surveys, create action plans and deliver the habitat the bees require to thrive in our area.”

Green Shoots: Is the future of farming in the Washburn Valley?

Twenty-four-year-old Washburn Valley farmer Robert McAneney says agriculture should be about respecting the land and “improving what you’ve got for the next generation”.

In February, he single-handedly took over the tenancy of Scow Hall Farm, which has spectacular views overlooking Swinsty Reservoir, one of the district’s most cherished outdoor sanctuaries.

The farm is owned by Yorkshire Water and rented to Robert for five years through a scheme called “Beyond Nature”.

It aims to encourage sustainable land management and improve the environment while helping younger farmers take on their own tenancies.

Open-minded

Robert was busy worming lambs when the Stray Ferret visited the farm last week. He has 120 sheep and 45 cows, which he hopes to double by the end of the year.

He said the stunning Washburn Valley scenery helps during the long and often solitary days managing a farm.

He was brought up in Darlington and studied agriculture at university. He’s not from a farming family, which he believes gives him a more open-minded and progressive approach to one of our oldest professions.

He said:

“I don’t have a farming background so I don’t have dad or grandad telling me ‘that will never work!”‘

“The older generation can be stuck in their ways. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, as they say.”

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Storing carbon

Soil carbon sequestration is a process where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the soil’s carbon pool.

It’s key to Robert’s approach to managing Scow Hall Farm. He sees himself as a bit like a scientist, improving the soil so it can store more CO2.

He said this involves lots of soil analysis, harrowing soil, spreading lime and reseeding it with herbal mixtures.

Healthy soil also means he can cut down on using fertiliser, which can be catastrophic to wildlife.

He added:

“I’m open to new ideas. You don’t need to pile on fertiliser.”

A sustainable business

First and foremost, farms are businesses and key to Robert winning over Yorkshire Water was his plan to ensure that Scow Hall Farm turns a profit without dependence on subsidies.

Robert says subsidies can “create dependence” and is a “lazy business structure”.

The UK government plans to replace the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy with a new payment system that incentivises farmers to manage their land in a more environmentally friendly way.

Robert said he plans to start selling meat from the animals he rears later this year to people who care that their meat comes from a sustainable farm.

“That’s where we are heading.”

“I want to cut out the middleman so people know exactly where their meat is coming from.

“After five years I want to to leave the farm in a much better state than when I found it.”

Rededication service for remote moorland burial site

A rededication service for a remote rural cemetery near Thruscross will take place next month.

The isolated moorland burial site was opened before the village of West End was flooded in 1966 to create a reservoir to serve West Yorkshire.

Beneath the waters lie the ruined remains of a church, churchyard, school, houses and other buildings.

All residents of West End were relocated from their Washburn Valley homes before construction work on the dam began.

At the same time, the new cemetery was opened so that the bodies exhumed from the churchyard could be reburied.

Before the village disappeared Atlantis-like under millions of gallons of water, a final service took place at Holy Trinity.

The then Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. Llewelyn Hughes, spoke about a place of Christian worship for a thousand years, soon to be in its own watery grave.

One person, who attended the service, said afterwards:

“Seeing the vacant churchyard with its open graves and tombs was an eerie experience, while the Dean’s oratory, delivered in the flickering light of hundreds of candles, was powerful, atmospheric and something I will never forget.”

It’s more than 55 years since the deceased men, women and children of West End were relocated to their new place of rest, high on the moors above the reservoir.

During the past two years, Norman Wheat and fellow Thruscross parish councillors, with support from parishioners at St Saviour’s Thornthwaite, have transformed the cemetery.

Photo the Rev. Alastair Ferneley

The Rev. Alastair Ferneley, who will conduct the rededication service

At 3pm on July 4, the lives of all those buried there, will be celebrated.

The service will be conducted by The Revd. Alastair Ferneley, Vicar of Dacre with Hartwith and Darley with Thornthwaite, who said:

“People may not be aware, due to its remote but lovely location, that the cemetery on Greenhow Hill Road, has, thanks to the hard work of Norman and others, been improved in the last couple of years.

“This has involved the laying of paths, and the planting of wildflowers and trees, making maintenance much more manageable and the cemetery much more attractive.

“Following the reburials of the dead from West End in the 1960s, other local people have been buried in the cemetery and there is space for centuries to come.

“All are welcome to attend, including local people, considering being laid to rest here, when the time comes.

“Others may simply want to peruse the memorials for a bit of local history, look for the grave of a relative, or enjoy the birdsong and moorland views.”

The rededication service will be followed by refreshments and a quiz/treasure hunt.

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Tea and cakes overlooking Swinsty reservoir set to resume

The tea room overlooking Swinsty reservoir at Washburn Heritage Centre will re-open on Saturday.

The volunteer-run centre, which is renowned for its home-made cakes, is situated in the surroundings of Fewston church.

Customers will be served in the outdoor seated area.

As well as its tea rooms, the centre hosts events that promote the culture and heritage of the Washburn Valley. However, indoor areas remain closed.

The tea room will be open on Saturday from 11am until 1.30pm and on Sunday from 11am until 4pm.

It will then be open every following Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

The centre is owned by Fewston and Blubberhouses Parochial Church Council.

Sarah Stead, who is responsible for the centre’s PR and marketing, said:

“We look forward to serving our delicious home-made cakes and sandwiches in our beautiful setting at Fewston church.

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High hopes for Washburn centre’s anniversary celebrations

An historic building is gearing up to mark a significant anniversary, despite having been closed for most of the last year.

The Washburn Heritage Centre, which sits close to Swinsty Reservoir, was extended in 2011 to create exhibition and meeting space as well as a tea room.

The 10th anniversary of its opening falls this month, but covid restrictions mean celebrations have been put on hold. However, its members are making plans for a month of events in June to ensure the occasion is not missed.

The centre has proved increasingly popular since it opened, attracting visitors from West Yorkshire and Lancashire, as well as more locally. Walkers appreciate the opportunity to refuel with some of the cakes made by volunteers, while the exhibitions about the rich local history have also proved a draw to visitors.

However, the last year has seen the tea rooms open for just a few weeks for take-away food and drinks. Volunteer Sarah Stead said:

“We have lost a lot of money and members, but we’re still keeping things going. A lot of the members are elderly and that puts them off coming and volunteering, but we hope they will come back in future.

“There’s still a lot going on online, and we have some great plans for the anniversary. We’re hoping we’ll be able to have an exhibition about the last 10 years, and a variety of talks from people involved from the beginning, like the architect and the people who started it all going.”

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While plans are yet to be finalised and will depend on any covid restrictions still in place, the volunteers are doing their utmost to keep people interested even while they can’t visit.

A series of online talks and events is planned, beginning with a look at a project to increase local populations of the spotted flycatcher, which is under threat in the UK.

The centre’s website also has an online archive of local photos and is posting regularly on its social media accounts. News about the anniversary plans and future events will be announced when covid restrictions are eased.

Swinsty Reservoir dog walker finds ‘nail board trap’ near car

A dog walker claims that someone is deliberately trying to damage cars near to Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs.

Derek Johnson parked his car on the grass verges near the woods to the south of the reservoirs on Sunday.

After returning from a walk with his gun dogs, a jogger warned him that she had found a nail board near her car.

He checked around and found two of the boards in close proximity to his car, so took the picture you can see above.

While he did not report the incident to the police, a nearby farmer said that he had called the police earlier that day.

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There has been a longstanding issue with the number of cars parking at the reservoirs since the first lockdown when many flocked to the area for their daily exercise.

We approached North Yorkshire Police for comment but received no reply by the time of publication.

Mr Johnson told the Stray Ferret:

“My dogs need to have a lot of space to run around so come to the reservoirs quite regularly and haven’t had an issue before.

“After the walk someone told me they found one of these nail boards so I checked around. I found one under my tyre and another a few yards away.

“It’s such a stupid thing to do. If someone has an issue with us using the reservoirs to exercise then they should tell us, not do something like this.”

Graham Hebblethwaite, the chairman of Washburn Parish Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“If someone is doing this to try and trap cars then that is horrendous. At first I thought it could be discarded bits of pallets but it looks like freshly cut pieces.

“This is not the message we want to send out to people who come here. We are asking people to keep an eye out for these nail boards.”

Young farmer given chance to run Washburn Valley farm

Yorkshire Water has appointed a new tenant for a farm it owns near Swinsty Reservoir, as part of a scheme to encourage young farmers and sustainable land management.

The company announced the starter scheme last year amid concerns about the lack of farmers aged under 40.

It revealed today it has appointed 23-year-old Robert McAneney as the first tenant under the new scheme.

Yorkshire Water will rent Scow Hall Farm in the Washburn Valley to Mr McAneney for five years.

It will then help him find a permanent residency and rent the farm to another tenant for five years as part of the company’s Next Generation programme.

Mr McAneney grew up on his family small-holding and currently works on an arable and Christmas tree farm in Darlington.

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View of Swinsty Reservoir from Scow Hall Farm

He plans to keep a flock of Oxford Down sheep and Cheviot mules alongside other livestock at Scow Hall Farm.

Mr McAneney said:

“I’m really excited to start this new chapter. When I got the call from Yorkshire Water I was at work, out in the fields ploughing – my life changed overnight, and I immediately started planning what I want to do at Scow Hall Farm.

“To have this kind of opportunity at this age is amazing, and the team at Yorkshire Water have been really supportive. I’m most looking forward to being able to develop Scow Hall Farm into a more sustainable farm and increase my flock to substantial numbers.”

Yorkshire Water’s Next Generation programme was created as part of its Beyond Nature scheme, which supports farmers with sustainable land management.