Grants help restore North York Moors’ traditional landscape

More than 2,6000 square metres of dry stone wall have been restored and 2,330 metres of hedgerow have been planted in the North York Moors thanks to grants totalling £64,000 last year.

The funding was provided to farmers and landowners by the National Park Authority’s Traditional Boundary Scheme (TBS), which was set up to help maintain these key landscape characteristics.

Hedgerows and drystone walls provide boundary markers and shelter for stock, help to reduce soil erosion and provide homes for wildlife across the National Park, as well as being aesthetically pleasing.

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Brian Hope, of High House Farm near Sutton Bank, received funding to restore 260m of dry stone wall.

He said: “Getting the grant was a very simple process and has transformed a dilapidated eyesore into a good secure boundary for our stock.”

Conservation project assistant Kirsty Brown, who looks after the TBS, said: “Various dry stone walls in the National Park are believed to go back to the Iron Age or earlier, with some on the coast being noted from Viking times, while some of our hedgerows are remnants of ancient woodland margins.

“In addition to supporting our local farms and benefitting wildlife, upkeeping our walls and hedges has an economic element too in making the area more appealing to visitors. The National Park Authority is keen therefore to do what it can to continue to support these traditional boundaries.”

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