It’s so easy to ignore the boundary or barriers within our environment but they play a very important part in the management and aesthetics of our landscapes.
An important part of the restoration of our Grade 2 listed Historic Park and Gardens is the realignment of field boundaries and reinstatement of long lost features.
Firstly volunteers set about removing sections of old livestock and 8 ft. deer fence which split the hillsides and walled off the lakes, breaking the natural flow of the land and presenting barriers to both visitors and wildlife.
Next we set about laying sections of gappy and overgrown hedge, opening up views and introducing heritage skills to the landscape.
As path clearance and thinning took place, material was used local to introduce sections of dead hedge, these form protective barriers and also act as wildlife corridors or nest sites within heavily worked areas.
The finishing touch comes with the installation of nearly a kilometre of hand formed parkland railings. These complete the landscape, restoring some of its historic character, setting aside areas for wildflower verge and allowing smaller mammals to cross the parkland freely, whilst keeping cattle away from the paths and lakes.