Friends of the Lake District has been offered the ownership of a field just above Dickney in Threlkeld by the current owner of Underknott Mike Hambrey. We would like to turn the field into an amenity/woodland area for the benefit of the community and wider public and we are interested in the views of the community.
The first stage is to put in some permanent pedestrian access to the site from Dickney allowing people to access the site safely and without going through the garden at Underknott (currently the only access). We will shortly be submitting a planning application for a new wooden pedestrian bridge and path to the field. There will be no vehicular access.
Image of the proposed plan (DRAFT) for field above Dickney, Threlkeld.View / download (pdf)
Approximate location not to scale. Red outline - Planning Application Boundary. Blue outline - Land Ownership Boundary. View a larger image (jpg).
What are our plans for the site?
The field is very damp in places and criss crossed by small ditches. This limits what it is possible to do with it. We are working with the current owner and West Cumbria Rivers Trust (and Threlkeld School children) to plant some trees, put some leaky dams in the becks to slow the flow of water reaching the River Glenderamackin, and add a scrape (small pond). This work will enhance the area for wildlife and also help reduce flooding and store carbon.
There are other things we could also do, eg plant a drier area with meadow flowers, perhaps put in some fruiting trees, create a path around the field, possibly put in some seating and an interepretation area. We will be looking to run some events such as active sessions eg volunteer days, bushcraft or woodland crafts, dark sky monitoring, and develop some educational resources, eg the ecological benefits of planting native tree species; landscape interpretation of Blencathra, Clough Head and the valley (eg geology, geomorphology, glacial history, the mega landslide on Clough Head).
We would like the field to be a place where locals and visitors can come to enjoy the views, wildlife and tranquillity, or perhaps join with us to enjoy some events we may run in future. We have no intention of placing any buildings or commercial development on the site.
The original deeds show that the field was called Dam Mire Meadow and its neighbouring field Dam Mire. The current owner is thinking of calling it Dam Mire Wood.
We would like your views
We would very much like to work with the local community to make this an asset everyone can enjoy and would welcome your thoughts and feedback. For example,
If you'd like to speak to us or get in touch directly, you can email us at [email protected] or call us on 01539 541213