The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a grant of £8,000 to Forest of Bradford to identify some of the district's most valuable areas of woodland.
The project began in July 08 and will run until the end of September 09 working with volunteers and organisations across the district. The grant will allow Forest of Bradford to identify areas of “Ancient Woodland” which represent our closest link to the original primeval forests. Technically, ancient woodland is an area of land that has remained under continuous tree cover since at least AD1600. Ancient woodlands cover less than 2% of the UK and are an irreplaceable part of our natural heritage.
An inventory of West Yorkshire’s larger ancient woodland sites was produced in 1994 and includes woodland such as Judy Woods near Wyke, Shipley Glen near Baildon and Middleton Woods near Ilkley. Areas under five acres were not surveyed and it is these smaller woodlands the project aims to identify.
Forest of Bradford project manager Ian Butterfield said “This grant from HLF allows us to identify some of those smaller woodlands that were omitted from the original survey. We hope to have a fuller picture of where our ancient woodlands are and afford them the protection they deserve”.
Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber said “This innovative project will not only allow the local community to learn new skills but also help safeguard small areas of ancient woodland. This is a great example of how a small amount of money can make such a big difference!”
A number of volunteers and organisations including Bradford Botany Group and students from Craven College have been involved in the project so far. The next phase of the survey is to search the archives for old maps and any references to the woodlands that will give a clue to their age. Ian said “So far we think we have found seven potential ancient woodland sites. We need to check for more evidence of their age in the archive records.
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 26,000 projects, allocating over £4billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk.