The ancient country crafts of dry stone walling and hedge-laying are being kept alive in Flintshire thanks to a £95,000 pot of money for the county’s rural boundaries.
Rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd is administering the fund which aims to help maintain and restore traditional field enclosures.
One of the first Flintshire farmers to take advantage of the scheme is Alun Evans, who farms 100 acres at Fron Farm, between Gwernymynydd and Nercwys and who learned the art of dry stone walling at a countryside skills course at Loggerheads, near Mold.
Alun, who also works as a bio-diversity officer for Cheshire West and Chester Council, plans to continue to restore the field walls on the farm which has been in his family for 100 years.
He said: “I was working in the south-east of England but when the opportunity came to come back and farm here I grabbed it.”
Alun has been awarded the maximum £1,000 grant towards the work from Cadwyn Clwyd whose contribution came from the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.
The campaign to restore the county’s traditional boundaries has also been welcomed by Cadwyn Clwyd board member and Flintshire County Councillor Matt Wright who is the Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration.
He said: “It’s very important to maintain rural skills like dry stone walling and hedge-laying which are part of the fabric of the countryside and it’s great to see them being encouraged and kept alive.
“They’re also important for bio-diversity because both the walls and the hedges provide important habitat for so many species as well as being attractive and effective boundaries to fields.
“I’ve done my share of dry stone walling myself and I know how valuable they are as for wildlife– particularly for animals like shrews and voles and for all sorts of reptiles and amphibians like toads.”
Cadwyn Clwyd Project Officer Sarah Jones said: “We have 95 grants available in Flintshire of £1,000 each for half the cost of the work and we’re keen to hear from farmers interested in applying so we can help them maintain and put back these traditional boundaries.
“They can get help to restore a hedgerow or dry stone wall and even for some fencing where it protects a hedgerow.
“We provide the money and it’s up to the farmer whether they do the work themselves or whether they get an expert in to do it.”
Alun plans to do the work himself and he said: “I enjoy it. It’s good to see these walls being rebuilt and maintained.
“I was surprised how easy the application process was and impressed with how much support I received from Cadwyn Clwyd.
“I need to rebuild around 50 metres of collapsed dry stone wall on part of our land which borders a neighbouring farm at Eryrys. We did farm a dairy herd but I now manage the land for grazing.
“We have quite a few species of grass and wild flowers that are of particular scientific interest which provide a really important wildlife habitat. The dry-stone walls provide a boundary between the two farms.
“They have collapsed and fallen into disrepair over many years and we need to rebuild and protect them for future generations.”
Alun, whose partner Emma has just given birth to their first son, Ioan, added: “I have been on several courses run by Denbighshire Countryside Skills at Loggerheads Country Park and learnt how to build dry-stone walls there.
“I am delighted to have been given the grant and look forward to rebuilding the dry-stone walls which I hope will remain a feature for many generations to come.”
Anyone from Flintshire interested in enquiring about the grant for traditional boundaries can contact Sarah Jonres on 01824 705802 or e-mail [email protected]
Cadwyn Clwyd continues to look for innovative projects to support which help safeguard the area’s natural, cultural and heritage assets and maximise their economic potential for local businesses and communities.
To find out more or share your idea for a project call 01824 705802 or email [email protected]
