(AGENPARL) – Tue 20 May 2025 Please find our latest news release below.
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Andrew Fagg
Media Officer
Working hours: Mon | Tue | Fri
http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk
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Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Yoredale | Bainbridge | Leyburn | DL8 3EL
News Release
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Farm recommends woodland creation scheme
Bainbridge, 20 May 2025
A farm business near Sedbergh has highly recommended a woodland creation scheme, which will remain open in the Yorkshire Dales National Park for one more year.
Matt Hancocks of Uldale House Farm has seen seven hectares of fully-funded native woodland created through “Grow Back Greener”.
He said he was pleased to have lots of new fencing, a “chunk of money” coming for maintaining the new woodland, and trees that would enhance the landscape and biodiversity.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is inviting farmers and landowners to come forward now with enquiries to Grow Back Greener. Applying this spring or summer would enable a woodland creation scheme to be designed in time for planting this winter.
Most of the work at Uldale House took place in March.
Matt Hancocks said: “The overall value of the scheme was quite significant and it was money that we couldn’t have dreamed of spending; Grow Back Greener has facilitated a landscape enhancement that we wouldn’t have been able to do on our own. It’s not cost us anything and there’s a chunk of money coming for maintenance.
“Yes we’ve made compromises in terms of the land we’re freeing up for trees, but it’s allowed us to replace some of the fencing that we needed to consider in places, and top wire – so that’s been a gain. Fencing off some areas around the ghylls has been great for sheep management. We’ve been able to connect parcels of woodland that we already had and that will be good for the population of red squirrels here. Having woodland on the steep sides should help with erosion and floods mitigation. It’s been a carefully planned and well executed scheme. It is something I can recommend.
“We’ve been able to do it alongside the farming. We’ve got a small suckler herd, but mostly the focus is on the sheep, with about 400 breeding ewes.”
He added that as creating woodland on the farm faced constraints to do with protecting breeding wader grounds, as well as deep peat, it was helpful to have the scheme delivered by the National Park Authority, as he would not have had the time to co-ordinate with the various interested bodies such as Natural England and the RSPB.
A willow mix, along with shrubby species such as hawthorn, was planted at the farm.
Member Champion for Natural Environment at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Mark Corner, said: “It’s great to see woodland creation schemes of such high quality, such as that at Uldale House, being delivered in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
“We have very ambitious woodland creation objectives for the National Park, and it’s important for us to ensure any woodland creation scheme works for each individual farm or estate business.
“We have one more year of funding for the Grow Back Greener woodland creation scheme and I would like to invite farmers and landowners to get in touch now to see what we can do this coming winter.”
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Note to Newsdesk
Images:
1 Matt Hancocks at Uldale House Farm, beside one of the areas of newly created woodland. The howgill fells are in the background.
2 New fencing, gates and trees at Uldale House Farm, beside the River Rawthey.
1. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of 15 National Parks in the UK. It is administered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which has two main purposes: “to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage” and “to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park”. In carrying out these purposes, the Authority has a duty “to seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities”. The National Park Authority comprises 25 members, made up of unitary, county and city councillors and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent parishes or in recognition of their specialist skills or knowledge.
1. All of our work is guided by the vision for the future of the National Park set out in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan: “Through their passion for this special place, local people and businesses will keep the Yorkshire Dales National Park a thriving area. Its unique cultural landscape will be treasured for its stunning scenery, exceptional heritage and wonderful wildlife, and every year millions of people will be inspired to be a part of it.”