Canal Conservation

Sedgwick Parish Council's award winning Canal Conservation

Sedwgick Parish Council have been the custodians of the 450m section of the disused and de-watered Lancaster-Kendal Canal for the past 40 years and throughout that time the Council and residents have worked together to restore, maintain and protect the area as a Wildlife Area for residents and visitors to enjoy. Today, it provides a beautiful and valuable haven for wildlife that people can enjoy, in peace away from traffic.

The Council bought the section of disused canal on behalf of residents in 1980 for just £120. It was little more than a rubbish tip. Throughout the 1980s residents worked to remove the rubbish and reveal the old canal bed. Slowly they transformed the whole area from a eye-sore to a wildlife area.

Throughout the 1990s further work was carried out to build walls and plant bulbs along the entire stretch. Residents organised many work parties to install seating, build stone walls and plant.

In 1992, Sedgwick Parish won a 60% grant from the Countryside Commission to rebuild the 150m stretch of stone wall on the western boundary. The British Champion Kevin Bateman put the finishing touch to the new wall.

Then in 1994, a project with Friends of the Lake District, Rural Action, BTVC and residents BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) enabled the completion of the 15 year long project to restore the council owned section.

Residents were taught dry stione walling skills by thBCVc and 12 of their volunteers spent a working holiday helping residents of all ages dismantle and rebuild the remaining length of the Western boundary.

The area around Sedgwick Hill Bridge was cleared and benches installed at the bridge and along the path .

The Bridge boundary before and after the conservation project.

In 1995 the weeping ash was planted to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of VE Day and 50 years of peace.

Before and after

Celebrations at the end of the project.

The P3 pathways project supported the surfacing of the path, improving the right of way and making the wildlife area accessible in all weathers - see before and after.

Bulb planting before and after

From 1994 onwards, local groups planted bulbs along the canal and installed bird boxes to attract nesting birds.

A noticeboard was erected to add information about the Wildlife Area and a resident created a stunning flower bed alongside it.

The wildlife Area flourished and became a much loved village amenity.

By 2015, the wildlife area has thrived - in places a little too much!

Self seeded goat willow and ash had invaded the canal bed, reducing the ligyt reaching the lower canopies. This reduced the quality of the habitat at ground level and was allowing the canal sides to be eroded. The Parish Council embarked on a woodland recovery project. They appointed a Woodland management consultant and with the help of a small grant from SLDC removed all the rogue trees, opening up the habitat again.

Pictures before

Pictures of the work

Very soon the increased light levels at ground levels led to a huge improvement in habitat. Bulbs and herbacious plants recovered and the health of the area was vastly improved. The newly revived wetland near Sedgwick Hill Bridge thrived. Birdlife also increased.

Pictures following the 2016-7 conservation project, showing the improved wetland and recovery of herbacious plants and bulbs.

In 2016, The Stoker Seat was donated and installed at the panoramic viewing point. In 2017, a local artist painted a viewpoint guide which was installed at an information viewing table.

During this decade, woodlands all over the country were being adversely affected by Ash Die Back Disease, an unstoppable and incurable fungal disease that is slowly killing over 80% of ash trees in the UK. While some trees succomb to the diease quickly, It takes several annual cycles ofthe disease to kill others.

Rather than simply remove all ash trees at the first signs of the disease, good habitat management involves regular surveillance and selective removal of only the worst effected trees that pose a danger to footpaths etc. In this way it is hoped that the native ash stock might develop some resistance to the fungus. The slowly dying trees can also go on contributing to the habitat for many years as the disease progresses. This is a costly and long term option!

The Canal Wildlife Area contained over 100 ash trees. During 2018 and 2019, the Parish Council surveyed and monitored the progression of the disease and in 2020 our annual survey identified trees which had to be felled, but others were left for as long as it was safe. In 2021, over 70 trees were removed. Although it was sad to lose so many trees, the previous management of the woodland meant that other species were well placed to take the growth advantage and fill any gaps.