New reserve to bloom on restored mining site
A lasting community asset is set to be the legacy of a site which will offer a place to soak up the beauty of nature. Tony Henderson reports
A new nature reserve is to be created after a company’s donation of land and funds for the site’s long-term management.
Banks Mining operated the Bradley surface mine, between Leadgate and Dipton in County Durham, from 2018 and 2020 before carrying out restoration works the following year.
Now the firm has gifted the 21-hectare site to Durham Wildlife Trust, which will turn it into a nature reserve called Billingside Meadows.
A £127,000 fund has been created by Banks to help ensure the newly created reserve flourishes for visitors to enjoy. This will be supplemented by ongoing annual support to the Trust for a further seven years.
The Trust will introduce Exmoor ponies and native cattle to graze the area to help create a varied plant structure that will support a mix of wildflowers and invertebrates.
The Trust is now looking to increase the number of local volunteers to assist with the making of the new reserve.
Banks Mining says it has restored each of the 120 surface mine sites that it has operated across northern England and Scotland over a 49-year period, and has planted more than 1.7 million trees as part of this work.
Last year the company invited local schools, charities and community groups to take part in the creation of the 18-hectare Pontop Valley Woodland on the Bradley site, with around 36,000 trees and shrubs being planted over a three-month period and footpaths put in place for public access.
Louise Harrison of Banks Mining said: “Many of our former surface mines have been transformed into well-used community resources over the last four decades as part of the restoration work we’ve carried out, and we’re excited to be adding the former Bradley site to this number.
“Billingside Meadows will be a wonderful place for people to walk, play or just spend time, and Durham Wildlife Trust’s expertise and dedication, along with the enthusiasm of their volunteer team, makes them the ideal partner to deliver something special.”
Durham Wildlife Trust manages more than 50 nature reserves and is continuing to acquire new sites.
Andrew Wadds, Trust reserves manager, said: “We are pleased to be able to launch the new Billingside Meadows nature reserve which comprises grasslands, wetlands and mixed scrub, along with footpaths.
“Visitors can expect to see birds such as lapwing and skylark, which breed on the open grasslands, plus a range of dabbling ducks on the ponds throughout the year.”
For further information on volunteering opportunities with Durham Wildlife Trust, visit the website.