Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

The Great Wall of Ossett

Strange things have been afoot on the land owned by our corporate members Matthews Foods who manufacture the Pure food spread. During the winter a new heritage site funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund has been built by volunteers, a contractor and the Trust  ‘The great wall of Ossett’. To be more accurate it’s a fedge (a living fence) rather than a wall but that makes it more sustainable and easier to maintain, since the willow grows next to it. The fedge acts as a protective screen and hide to allow employees and local people to look out over the wetland area we are restoring with money from Sita Trust, without disturbing the wildlife including reed bunting and snipe that use the site.

The fedge was made built by hand with stakes cut and trimmed from the wood and then very long poles cut and trimmed and woven between the posts. 5 volunteers helped the project officer and the contractor to battle the wind and rain and create the new landmark which includes a reinforced hide section to view the wetland through. Rather than a fence it is intended to that it will grow to provide habitat with some plants inter-growing to provide a deterrent to climbing over and an additional habitat. The willow growth can also be used to weave into the fedge and will help stabilize parts of the fedge during flooding and reduce the rubbish washed down to the factory. By taking the willow from the former willow biomass field the work also helps to improve the biodiversity value of the wood by pollarding and coppicing the young trees. The project officer has also been in and spoken to each shift of workers about the work of the Trust and the work itself on their grounds to encourage them to use the site. 

Matthews Foods is part of the Kerry Foods group and became corporate members some years ago when we approached them to do some work on the site as part of a previous project. They have provided financial support for the bids for which we are very grateful and have been very keen and supportive of the work we have been doing there.

     

There are further opportunities to carry out improvements to this important site that acts as a wildlife refuge between Dewsbury and Horbury. It is also important as part of the wider Living Landscape both as a stepping stone site and in complementing neighbouring land, which combined are called the Thornhill wetlands where we are carrying out further creation and restoration of riparian habitats.