South Solway Dunes Habitat Restoration & Access Project (Phase 2)
2003 - 2005
The second phase of this landscape project was funded, in June 2004, from English Nature through Defra's Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (£50,508), and also from Friends of the Lake District (£5,000). This phase has continued the improvement of the habitat and access within Mawbray Banks Site of Special Scientific Interest, and has delivered some of the outputs for the Delivery Plan 2 South Solway Dunes LNR.
During this phase a second pond has been created specifically to improve the habitat conditions for the natterjack toad, in the dunes. Two interpretation panels have been erected, one at each pond to explain the life cycle and habitat needs of this special toad.
A local contractor removed and bailed rank grass and invasive weeds in the area that was once quarried near Mawbray Yard. The bales were then removed and recycled for composting. Management of the dune grassland will continue to be done by mechanical means rather than grazing, until the grassland is in a better state for grazing animals. The Ranger will mow and bale, and remove weeds using the equipment secured through the funding.
Further sand trapping, using locally sourced birch and willow hurdles, has been erected to prevent erosion near the mussel fisher access point at Newtown Road End Car Park. This will continue to stabilise and promote recovery of the frontal dunes, and so enhance the effect of the previous years sand trapping.
About one hectare of gorse was removed near Mawbray Yard, to open up the dense growth and allow access for future gorse management in this area. Breeding and roosting birds in the gorse, such as Linnet, Stonechat, and Whinchat have continued to thrive in the more open habitat.
Once again, local schoolchildren have helped to sow native wildflower and grass seed on the old tracks which were removed from the dunes. These are already recovering from the removal of the hard core and dune plants are now re-establishing well.
The boardwalk has been improved by wiring the surface to provide extra grip in winter and the two existing kissing gates near Mawbray Yard Car Park have been widened for better access.
The list below summarises the work carried out over the last two years:
- Three hectares of frontal gorse removed
- Two old tracks of shillies and slag removed and reseeded with dune grass and wildflower species
- One formal car park created at Mawbray Yard
- 82x2mxlm willow hurdles set up at entrance to mussel fishers access point at Newtown End Road, and again in 2005, with extra chestnut palings.
- Two Natterjack ponds created, both lined, but one with geotextile
- 450 yards of boardwalk laid and wired at Mawbray Banks
- Side kicker panels on boardwalk sawn to allow toads passage
- Three hectares of Mawbray Banks dune grass (where the quarry had been in-filled with landfill) ploughed, rotoburied and scarified after weeds removed (2003), then reseeded with native dune grasses and flowers
- Three hectares of the same as above, cutting grass and removing grass and weeds in 2004
- Two gates, two kissing gates(Access for All) and small amount of fencing erected for entry to Mawbray Banks SSSI, to and from beach and car park
- A Delivery Plan produced for management of the South Solway Dunes
- One hectare of gorse removed at Mawbray Yard SSS! in March 2005
- Purchase of suitable tractor, disc mower, mini-baler, roto- weedwiper, in March 2005 to manage the dune grassland
- Continued reseeding of old tracks in March 2005
- Two interpretive panels produced for Mawbray Banks SSS!
- Two interpretive panels produced for Natterjack Toad Ponds
- Two schools and one college group involved in gorse removal, ragwort pulling, seed sowing, wildflower planting
- Fifty AONB Volunteers involved in seed planting, weed removal, gorse removal, boardwalk repair and maintenance, Natterjack survey, bird surveys, car park and boardwalk use
