A STRETCH of Eastburn Beck close to a popular walking spot has been improved thanks to a joint effort by workers and groups from different organisations.

Members of the Wild Trout Trust and the Environment Agency teamed up to enhance the habitat for fish in the Beck near Lyndhurst Woods, Glusburn, last Wednesday. (August 10)

Helped by volunteers from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Bradford Environment Action Trust they used saws and stone cutters to "notch" historic wooden and stone weirs.

This was to remove barriers obstructing the free movement of fish, and also to allow sediment to move downstream.

Jonathan Grey, of the Wild Trout Trust, said: "We notched five weirs. The wooden ones were actually harder to do than the stone weirs – unexpectedly.

"These are old mill weirs which would originally have been put in to divert flow into the mill works.

"There were 15 of us working and the job took all day. We now need to let the river do its own thing and adjust.

"This is the first stage of the project. I had a meeting on site with the Woodland Trust who manage Lyndhurst Woods.

"It is a very popular place for walkers but because of the high level of footfall there is quite a lot of bank erosion.

"We'd therefore like to work out the best way of rehabilitating the banks and making them more stable."

Last Wednesday's work was led by Mr Grey, who is working with Pete Turner from the Environment Agency.

Mr Grey added that the Aire Rivers Trust has provided funding to support some of the work.