Nidd Gorg is an ancient woodland. It is owned and managed by the woodland trust, the UK’s largest conservation charity. They protect and campaign, plant trees, and restore ancient woodland for the benefit of wildlife and recreation.

Restoration Objectives

For Nidd Gorg, specifically Bilton Beck Woodland, situated in the Nidd Valley, our main objective was footpath improvement, reinstatement, and creation work. A more detailed breakdown is as follows:

1             Remove Boardwalk and dispose off site.

2             Install a new aggregate footpath.

3             Install uphill drainage where necessary.

4             Install Handrail fencing.

5             Install Culverts for water drainage.

Project Implementation

We used a range of tracked, low ground pressure, machinery throughout our work on this ancient site. Eager to protect surrounding vegetation and prevent damage, all vehicles used were no wider than the existing path and gateways. Vehicles used allowed our highly skilled access and recreation team to load and move aggregate throughout the trail, installing a new aggregate footpath.

To maintain path width and avoid damage caused by path creep, our skilled team installed retaining timber structures, allowing additional support to areas of the path which had been eroded.

Aiding drainage, we installed culverts, also grading, compacting, and cambering the path to ensure surface water is free draining off the track.

Conservefor, a leading trail and footpath maintenance contractor, have a dedicated access and recreation team who, as well as being passionate walkers, also have a wealth of plant operating knowledge. Alongside years of experience in undertaking environmental conservation works on historical sites. All this combined provide a considerate and low impact approach to access path installation involved here, whilst delivering a high quality and long-lasting footpath, which sits sympathetically in the woodland environment.