£5.5m moor restoration

A £5.5 MILLION conservation project is under way in the Peak District to restore pollution-ravaged areas of peat moorland. Work is being carried out by Moors for the Future, a partnership led by the Peak District National Park Authority.

Funding has come from a range of bodies, including Yorkshire Water, the National Trust, Derbyshire Council, Sheffield Council, the RSPB and the Environment Agency.

A team from environmental consultants Wildscapes has been involved in the latest phase of the work, one of the biggest conservation projects ever undertaken in the UK. The scheme aims to return 1an area of badly damaged peat moorland to a healthy condition and to protect a much larger area.

Polluted air has been killing off the plants that keep the moors healthy. Overgrazing, summer wildfires and the weather have also contributed to a management problem that, in large moorland areas, cannot be tackled by one organisation alone.

The partnership’s mission statement is to secure the legacy of 8,000 years of moorland life and ultimately to vastly increase the number and diversity of mosses and moorland plants that provide the basis for an important ecosystem.

Wildscapes was selected to deliver the latest phase of work because of their local knowledge of the delicate moorlands, as well as their heather and moorland restoration skills which have been developed from past initiatives, including the Coalfield Heathlands project as well as work for the National Trust.

Their efforts will help stabilise bare peat in some of the most damaged areas of moorland, including Kinder Scout, Bleaklow and Saddleworth, near Manchester.

Peak District Cave Secrets Revealed!

The results of a three-year study into the history of hundreds of caves in the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks will be revealed today.

Researchers examined more than 400 caves for the Conservation Audit of Archaeological Caves, funded by £95,000 from English Heritage.

The findings, which will be announced at the Peak Cavern, Castleton, later today, will be used to guide national policies for cave conservation.

Prof Andrew Chamberlain, of the University of Sheffield, and Dr Randolph Donahue, of the University of Bradford led the project while Helen Holderness and Glyn Davies, of the University of Sheffield, carried out the study.

The team systematically recorded the setting and dimensions of each cave and looked for archaeological deposits to establish what made particular caves attractive for use in the past, with some surprising results.

Prof Chamberlain said: "Caves have been used throughout history for a number of purposes and provide a unique window to the past.

"Throughout the survey it was interesting to note that aesthetic features such as the direction of view from the cave entrance, the size of the cave and its location within the landscape were the important factors in determining whether a particular cave was chosen for domestic or ritual activities.

"We are accustomed to hearing the words 'location, location, location' when discussing present day house purchases. Now it appears similar criteria may have been used by prehistoric hunters and farmers when selecting caves in which to conduct their activities."

Well it's not rocket science is it. Who knows there were probably estate agents around at that time and looking at some of the one's around today I think it fair to say they have come from the stone age.

Jon Humble, Regional Inspector of Ancient Monuments with English Heritage, added: "Caves are often associated with mystery, intrigue and the unknown. This project has helped significantly to lift some of those veils – the archaeological investigation providing a much better understanding of the conservation needs of the present day and the future to help guide national policies for cave conservation."

Unfortunately for Blair, Bin Laden wasn't found.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-27 04:31:51