Our flagship project is the creation of a new wetland nature reserve, Bishops Fen, just to the north of Hardwick Park, which will be managed by Durham Wildlife Trust. This project will contribute to the restoration of an enhanced wildlife corridor along the River Skerne linked to other sites.Â
Bishop’s Fen is a 20ha farmland site about 2km south of Bishop Middleham, County Durham. The new nature reserve will be created on approximately 25 hectares of land which can be accessed through Hardwick Park.
The new reserve is already underway and we’ve started work on an exciting sculpture trail that links the two sites together you can find out more here
This section of the Skerne will be re-meandered along with the creation of ponds, pools and backwaters that will improve the wetland biodiversity for birds, amphibians, insects and plants. The site will be allowed to naturally flood, being part of a historical flood plain, retaining a larger volume of water for a greater proportion of the year. In times of high water, the area will flood and act as a store allowing water to slowly discharge back into the Skerne when levels reduce, providing some flood alleviation.
We’re extremely proud of the area we live in, there’s so much to see and enjoy and we want to help our community to Discover Brightwater.
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Bishops Fen Access Works Update
11th June 2020 – Bishops Fen access work carried out by Arup.Â
