From Sutti N
Friday, 28 August 2009

I have noticed some of the fields at the top of Birchcliffe are becomming more and more cluttered with fencing posts and wire fencing. We are now blessed with barbed wire. Before this came along we had a lesson in traffic management with traffic cones, orange tape/fencing and paper signs.

Is this something we are going to have to get used to as our landscape changes? I am used to green fields with drystone borders as I walk around Calderdale. Are all the councillors happy with this graffiti of the fields?

At least some of the graffiti sprayed on the walls can be seen as art by some, an act of crime by others. Wouldn't it be nice to have farmers that could afford to keep animals in the fields, to trim the grass, followed by local meat from the local butcher. That's what I thought Hebden Bridge was about. But maybe not. I was only born here.

From Phil M
Thursday, 3 September 2009

Do you mean the smallholding field opposite Dodnaze that is being fenced in to keep animals?

The posts in the field are to protect the trees that they have planted. Give it a year or so and they will blend right in...

From Sutti N
Thursday, 3 September 2009

So thats what you call it. Well I hope it doesn't catch on then. Do these smallholders know anything about local farming? There is nothing but barbed wire and gates and more gates up to Burlees? Lane. What happened to rebuilding the drystone walls?

There is a rusting tractor and other machines.(Is that what the tin shed was urgently built for?) Walk on Burlees Lane and you come across more to the right hand side. There could be an excuse if these were working farms??

Lets tidy up Hebden Bridge if we want the tourists.

From Andy M
Thursday, 3 September 2009

Drystone wall are very expensive to build and maintain and without plentiful farm labour farmers are onky likley to maintain them to a high standard if paid ie through environmental schemes such as Environmental Stewrardship. However schemes like this are more difficult to get into the smaller the farm so smallholders probably wouldn't be eligible.

Fences are part of the agricultural landscape and somewhere a balance has to be made between 'tidying-up' the countryside, if that's what you want, and livelihoods. It may be an issue for planning at some point too.

From Sutti N
Friday, 4 September 2009

I understand that drystone walling might be expensive, but most local farmers can do their own walling and possibly have an helper learning the trade. Thats why I wouldn't ask a farmer to represent me in court.

This can start a whole new debate. We should all pay a decent price for local food from local traders. Not selling local land for inflated prices to people that want to play at being farmers and making our landscape, yes our landscape an eyesore.

I can name a couple of smallholdings that are run to produce local food and are kept the same as they always were. It is a pleasure to walk by them.

As for going to Calderdale planning, in my experience it's a joke.

From Rev Tony Buglass
Saturday, 5 September 2009

Building dry stone walls will do nothing to help our carbon footprint. Planting trees will.

Lots more trees and hedges, please.

From Andy M
Monday, 7 September 2009

But Tony - hegdes are not part of our traditional landscape around here. But perhaps for the greater good?

Trees? Well, it depends on what historical period you take as your benchmark!

I'd like to see kilometres more trees fringing the moors but that's a personal preference and probably not a general view?

From Rev Tony Buglass
Monday, 7 September 2009

Fair comment - but I wasn't thinking of traditional landscape, more of replacing the trees which have been lost from all sorts of places, and aiming for a net increase in trees to gobble up CO2.

I suppose what we need around here are lots of small clumps of trees, which will lean with the howling moorland winds and give a real Wuthering Heights look to the landscape. Any trees which could survive on the moorland deserve a chance!

From Catherine G
Tuesday, 8 September 2009

Theres enough trees round Hebden just look out of your windows or from any street corner. If you want to plant more trees how about replacing lost rainforests.

From John Knapp
Tuesday, 8 September 2009

If the traditional landscape is seen as one of dry stone walls, it may surprise to learn that many of these only appeared in the 19th Century and many remnants of old Hawthorn hedges still exist. If tree and hedge planting is seen as a good idea, I think we need to remember the words from a well known song, 'it ain't necessarily so'.

Most of our local woodlands are suffering from a historic lack of management, the resultant shade prevents wildlife from flourishing and a varied understorey from regenerating. All the vast acreage of newly planted trees will end in the same way unless there is some intervention planned. The ancient hedgerow remnants are often not protected from stock and are being eaten and bark stripped to death (see my Horses and Trees item on Hebweb). Unless these problems are addressed, I see no point in adding to the present neglect by keep planting more.

Don't forget, grass also is very efficient at storing carbon in the soil and can be totally killed off by the shade from these unmanaged plantations. This releases the stored carbon, increases run-off of water and erodes soil into our rivers, thus contributing to flood risk.

There is nothing wrong with planting trees but let's also realise that many need cutting down in order to make our woods pleasant places to visit and be the butterfly, bird and plant haven they should be. Coppicing and pollarding within our woods could provide work for many craftspeople and provide multiple benefits for the environment. Bow saws and tree planting spades should go hand in hand.

From Sutti N
Tuesday, 8 September 2009

Yes Tony I for one would like more trees, but a lot of thought must go into the planting. These trees might look pretty to our generation, but a hazard to the next.

We as a whole are a very selfish generation, wouldn't it be refreshing to think how our actions today could effect others tomorrow?

As for hedges it reminds me of an old man I once talked to. He said Hebden is a nice place to live, so why do people come here to visit, fall in love, move here then want to change it and make it more like home where they came from?

Hedges need constant maintanence, something our farmers are not equipped to deal with, never mind our council.

A drystone wall, well built will last a lifetime, a craft dyeing with the farmer.

So back to my first message, it does worry me that miles upon miles of wire fencing, barbed wire and fencig posts are littering our fields. There has even been traffic management equipment guiding a few pedestrians through a field. Does this belong here?

From Phil M
Tuesday, 8 September 2009

Sutti, only the first field (as you come to Dodnaze) is the smallholders. They are just starting to fence it in but, as I said, they have offset this by planing quite a few trees.. gawd knows what animals they are gonna keep. I noticed the fencing has 3 strings of barbwire on the top of it... keep buffalo in that will!!

The fields moving more towards Burlees lane are being worked on by someone else, seems to be horse-based but I don't know for sure (just what I can make out when wandering by). They do seem to have 'added' a big wooden shed and an access road tho...see what transpires I guess...