Horse power enlisted for bracken control

Working horses are being seen on Yorkshire's moorlands once again, as an unusual means of controlling bracken.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Jul 2010, 22:49 BST
Updated 30th Jul 2010, 22:50 BST

The horses are working on behalf of Yorkshire Water as part of the three-year "Watershed Landscape" project, which has received 1.9m of Lottery funding for various landscape restoration, biodiversity and heritage projects in the South Pennines.

At Turley Holes Moor in Cragg Vale, near Hebden Bridge, the project has involved carrying out repairs to traditional features such as dry stone walls and shooting lodges, as well as work to control the bracken.

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Carol Prenton, a rural surveyor at Yorkshire Water, said: "Using horses is a traditional approach that offers advantages in inaccessible or sensitive areas, reducing the use of chemicals on land.

"Taken together with the other projects on our landholdings over future years, including the MoorLIFE Project, Yorkshire Water are committed to conserving upland habitats."

This work comes just a week after the official launch of the MoorLIFE project – the largest-ever conservation scheme carried out in this country, which will see South Pennine moorland restored at a cost of 5.5m.

Related topics:YorkshireYorkshire WaterHebden Bridge