Brackenhill Urban Landscape Area

Environment Agency staff volunteering at Brackenhill ULAEnvironment Agency staff volunteering at Brackenhill ULABEES have a mangement agreement with the Council's Countryside and Rights of Way team to manage Brackenhill Urban Landscape Area. It is the area adjacent to Brackenhill Park in Great Horton and is managed to maximise the wildlife potential of the site. Our key jobs in the past year have been to repair the drystone wall along Greenfield Lane, to uncover and repair footpaths and steps and to control the litter and Japanese Knotweed.

In the forthcoming year we plan to further repair sections of pathway and to improve the quality of the pond. The Environment Agency carried out a survey of the pond last year and found, despite first appearances, that there is sign of invertebrate life in the pond. We hope to improve the amount of oxygenating and marginal plants.

Brackenhill Pond Survey

Geolocation

53.782423, -1.787295

Conservation Work

Friday 17th June 2011: Brackenhill Urban Landscape Area, Westcroft Road, Great Horton, BD7

Meadow in bloomMeadow in bloom Today we carried out some much needed maintenance on the site. At first we collectd litter and fly tipping, which included a mattress, carpet, two trollies, several tyres and items from the pond. We then split into smaller work groups, a group trimmed the hedge that we had previously laid which showed good signs of regrowth, two areas of japanese knotweed were tackled, ensured that the paths were open by cutting back the vegetation, repaired several sections of wall and pulled up himalayan balsam. Considering the amount of littering and fly tipping that we removed it was encouraging to see a moorhen on a nest and the meadow in fantastic bloom which the photo shows.

Today we worked with 21 volunteers.

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Friday 31st August 2012: Brackenhill ULA, Westcroft Road, Great Horton, Bradford, BD7.

Today our main task was to cut and rake the meadow areas, this has the conservation benefit to the grassland plants like meadow cranesbill and birds-foot trefoil by reducing the nutrients and spreading the seeds for next year. We cut the grass using the autoscythe and then raked using wooden hay rakes and moved it with pitchforks. This was a big task as the grass was very heavy due to being wet. We also cut back the hedge along Old Corn Mill Lane, plus controlled the Japanese knotweed and the Himalayan balsam from the pond area, maintained the pathways and collected litter. The site was looking better for the work at the end of the day.

Today we worked with 9 volunteers.

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Friday 12th April 2013; Brackenhill Urban Landscape Area, Westcroft Road, Great Horton, BD7

 When we arrived on site today we decided that the priority for nature conservation was not to thin the ash trees due to the uncertainty of the ash die back disease but to tackle the amount of litter and flytipping that had taken place. We got on with what seemed an endless task and shifted beds, mattresses, car parts, carpets, for sale signs, bags and then there was the litter of which we collected over 20 bags. In fact we ran out of bags and had to get more. Unfortunately we could not shift the burnt out van, but it is reported and will be removed in due course. We collected so much rubbish that the Council Clean Team were not only impressed but had to make two trips. It felt like we worked at Brackenhill Urban “Landfill” Site, but we left the site in a more suitable state for people and wildlife than we found it.

It also left us enough time to repair one section of drystone wall and the team created a nice little wall end which sets us up to repair further sections on future visits.

Today we worked with 7 volunteers.

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Friday 6th Dec Brackenhill Urban Landscape Area, Westcroft Road, BD7

For our visit today we thinned trees from an area of path near the factory, these were mainly blackthorn and dog rose so there was a lot of untangling to be done. These were cut to make habitat piles. While this was in progress other maintenance tasks were carried out; some of the missing rails on the Old Corn Lane boundary were replaced and litter collected. Once this was carried out we worked on the Green Lane path; cutting back vegetation, replacing the coping stones on the wall and clearing the litter. Working to maintain the paths will make access around the site easier for the visitors and removing the litter gives wildlife a chance.

Although there was the thinnest layer of ice on the pond it still felt mild for the time of year.

Today we worked with 9 volunteers.

Click here to see other photos of the day.