The Pennine Dales
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Introduction
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The Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) scheme has now closed to new applicants. Defra introduced a new Environmental Stewardship Scheme on 3 March 2005 which supersedes (with enhancements) the ESA and Countryside Stewardship Schemes. These pages are in the process of being updated to reflect the latest information relating to this ESA.
The Pennine Dales lies in the mid and north Pennines and extends over 46, 563 hectares of the enclosed upper reaches of 26 valleys. These valleys or dales as they are known locally, occur in 20 discrete blocks of land separated by high moorland. The dales radiate (in all directions) from the main Pennine watershed north to the River Tyne, south and east to the River Tees and River Ouse, and west to the River Eden. The mean altitude of the designated area is 228 metres above sea level and the upland climate can be harsh with high rainfall and a short growing season.
Description
The Pennine Dales ESA has a predominately upland pastoral character. Although each dale has its own landscape character, there is a strong unifying pattern of enclosure created by the traditional drystone walls and numerous stone built field barns. It is a tapestry of meadows and pastures, the ESA contains the greatest concentration of traditionally managed meadows and pastures in England. These meadows contain a wide diversity of flora and provide an important habitat for ground-nesting birds.
Significant Habitats and Species
There are 79 sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), covering 4,290 ha (9% of the ESA), designated mainly for their botanical interest. A number of species are restricted in their national distribution to the limestone pastures of the Pennines. Rare arctic-alpine communities occur within the ESA, particularly in and around Teesdale.
Additional botanical interest is found in some habitats of small extent, such as those associated with lead spoil and ancient ash woodland. The rough grazing land on the dale sides is also an internationally important breeding habitat for birds such as curlew, redshank, lapwing, oystercatcher, snipe and black grouse.
ESA Management Options
The management options for the different landscape types that can be entered into ESA agreements for the Pennine Dales are given in the ERDP documents section of this site, under Annex X of the England Rural Development Programme.
This
is a whole farm scheme with two main management options:
On all grassland, both meadow and pasture, agricultural improvement through ploughing, reseeding or installing new drainage is prohibited. Restrictions are are placed on the use of herbicides, pesticides, lime, inorganic and organic fertiliser. There are also requirements to implement a grazing management plan for allotment land, to improve the quality of the habitat and control disturbance in order to benefit, in particular, wading birds and amendments to the cutting dates of hay meadows, to more closely reflect traditional practices and to directly benefit ground-nesting birds. No features of historical interest can be damaged or destroyed.
Additional prescriptions apply to the management of herb rich meadows, to enhance where possible the nature conservation status by more traditional methods of meadow management, the management of herb rich pastures and allotments, to protect and enhance them by maintaining or introducing appropriate grazing management systems, and to appropriate woodland management to facilitate the regeneration of small native woodlands.
Contacts
The Pennine Dales ESA Team
Martin O'Hanlon Tel: (0113) 230 3786
Claire Harris Tel: (0113) 230 3739
Government Buildings
Otley Road
Lawnswood
Leeds
LS16 5QT
Rob Aubrook Tel: 0191 229 5523
Alastair Stevens Tel: 0191 229 5500
Fiona Corby Tel: 0191 229 5500
Richard MacDonald Tel: 0191 229 5500
Cecilia Port Tel: 0191 229 5535
NE15 8NZ
Tel: (0191) 229 5500
Brian James Tel: (01609) 767 415
Neal Topham Tel: (01609) 767 416
Lee Pike Tel: (01609) 767 417
Fax: 01609 767451
Unit 3, Northallerton Business Park
Standard Way
Northallerton
DL6 2XQ
Page last modified: 26 April, 2006
Page published:
10 December, 2002