As we stated in the Management Plan we are undertaking a number of actions to increase the Biodiversity of the wood and allow more light through the canopy.
This will encourage a greater variety and quantity of plants which will in turn ensure we manage the Wood for maximum diversity.
Widening of existing path to allow more light to edges of the ride
After many years of neglect and decay we are delighted to say that the stabilisation and restoration of the Lime Kiln has been completed with funding from the Friends of The Lake District and our own resources. Jack Ellerby worked closely with the contractors to ensure the structure was repaired to its original outline using the existing materials that had been partly buried over the decades. the stabilisation will ensure that the Iconic heart of the wood remains in good order for many years to come.
Our thanks go to all involved and Jack in particular who not only worked to complete the project but ensured the best value for both the Wood and the Friends.
The photos show the Initial project and of course the final outcome.
The Final Restoration
Our long-standing project to partially restore the 19th century lime kiln in the wood has finally borne fruit. The kiln had suffered serious collapse over the years and was at risk of complete disintegration, which would have been a pity given the iconic nature of the structure. With the help of a grant kindly provided by Friends of the Lake District, we have now partially restored the kiln and stabilised it against further collapse. The only stone used in the repairs was that which had previously fallen from the structure, and the correct lime mortaring techniques were used to ensure that the repairs were fully in keeping with the original. Visitors to the wood are able to see where the limestone feedstock was quarried in Victorian times, as well as being able to examine the kiln in which it was burned with charcoal or coke to make lime. The lime was mainly used to sweeten the acid soils prevalent in much of Cumbria, and also formed the basis for lime mortar used in traditional buildings.
Restoration of the Lime Kiln. We have applied for grants to stabilise and consolidate the Lime Kiln. As part of this project we also plan to research more of the history of the kiln and to share its heritage with all who are interested
Further details will be available from the revised and updated Management plan shortly.
It’s been very interesting to be involved with Lime Kiln Woods. I first visited the woods on an organised bat walk in 2011. The Westmorland and Furness Bat Group (now the South Cumbria Bat Group) were asked to run a walk to find out what bats were using the woods. We ran a very enjoyable walk (although the weather was a bit grim, with a steady drizzle) with several bats heard on the bat detectors. A couple of years after this bat walk I was looking for a location to try out some new ideas for bat boxes, and Lime Kiln Wood seemed like an ideal location. One of the key aims of the Trust is to enhance the biodiversity of the woodland and erecting bat boxes would be an ideal way to improve the bat habitat within the woods.
In the first year I put up just two boxes. A few months later I popped by to check the two boxes and I was amazed to find that one of the boxes was being used already, by a single common pipistrelle bat. This is one of the most common bat species in the country and can be found roosting in a variety of locations, from bat boxes, to grand stately homes. A year or so later, I was offered some more boxes by Greenwoods EcoHabitats. These were innovative prototype boxes, made from concrete mixed with reclaimed polystyrene. This makes them very strong but also lightweight and well insulated.
I put these boxes up with a few wooden ones that Peter Davis had kindly made for me and the number of boxes within the woods went up to 10. Again, these were used very quickly, with a two Greenwoods ecostyrocrete boxes being used straight away. This time, although one was used by common pipistrelle bats, the other was used by Natterer’s bats, a scarcer species. Roosts of these species are not common and it was great to find one in the woods so soon after erecting these newer boxes. I put this quick uptake of the boxes down to the lack of natural features in the trees. Although the woodland is a great place for the bats to forage within, there are few gaps or crevices in the trees that the bats can use as a roost. Therefore, when we put the boxes up, it instantly provided the bats with roosting locations so the bats can both roost and forage within the same location.
I have undertaken regular checks over the past couple of years and have put up a further two boxes, including a large box designed for large maternity roosts. During this time I have found bats in five of the boxes. The large wooden box, the most recent to be put up has been a good success, with the Natterer’s bats moving into it soon after putting it up. And then within the winter of 2018 I discovered two species hibernating in the box at the same time; two soprano pipistrelles and one noctule bat. The latter is the largest species of bat in the UK, while the soprano pipistrelle, along with the common pipistrelle, is the smallest! Although not unknown, it is rare to find two species in such close proximity, so it is a testimony to the appeal of this particular box to the bats.
Lime Kiln Woodland is shaping up as an excellent location for bats, with four species of bats found within the boxes now. With eight species resident in Cumbria, it will be interesting to keep checking them and see what else turns up.
Rich Flight. Chairman, South Cumbria Bat Group