We are delighted to announce that the land purchase of Bardsey Fields completed on Friday 26th May. We can now start planning a consultation about how we manage the land going forward. Watch this space for further updates!
Bardsey Fields
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East Keswick Wildlife Trust AGM Wednesday 10th May in the Village Hall, East Keswick at 7.00pm
Dan Carne, a director of the Wood Meadows Trust will give a talk ‘Forgotten Landscapes: wooded grasslands in Great Britain’. Dan will explore the history and ecology of wood meadows and wood pastures and make the case that these ancient agricultural systems have an important role to play in our modern landscapes. All welcome.
Bluebell Walk Wednesday 3rd May
Join us to see the display of bluebells in Ox Close Wood. Meet in the Crabtree Lane car park at 7.00pm, all welcome.
Letter from the King
David, our Chairman, wrote to the King on behalf of the Trust to let him know about our campaign to raise funds to buy Bardsey Fields and this is the reply that we received.
Winter Bird Survey Results
The winter bird survey took place on 14th January 2023. A total of 36 different bird species were observed during the walk from St Mary Magdalene Church on Moor Lane, through the Marsh and then along Moor Lane. We then crossed Harewood Road and walked along by the river, up Fitts Lane and back into the village.
Bird species observed
| Blackcap | Wren |
| Goldcrest | Robin |
| Greenfinch | Goldfinch |
| Bullfinch | House Sparrow |
| Dunnock | Starling |
| Blackbird | Song Thrush |
| Redwing | Fieldfare |
| Blue Tit | Great Tit |
| Long-tailed Tit | Willow/Marsh Tit |
| Magpie | Jackdaw |
| Rook | Crow |
| Pheasant | Red Kite |
| Sparrowhawk | Buzzard |
| Wood Pigeon | Rock/Feral Dove |
| Greater-spotted Woodpecker | Heron |
| Greylag Goose | Canada Goose |
| Mallard | Black-headed Gull |
| Herring Gull | Cormorant |
Winter Walk – Saturday 11th February
Our winter walk is to The Scotts Arms in Sicklinghall.
If you would like to join us, please email info@ekwt.org.uk as we will need numbers to book lunch.
Please meet in the Crabtree Lane car park, East Keswick at 10am.
This event will be weather dependent.
Winter Bird Survey Saturday 14th January
We will be meeting at the entrance to St Mary Magdalene Church, Moor Lane, East Keswick at 10.00am. You are welcome to come and go throughout the day, please bring snacks and lunch, also binoculars if you have them. From the Church we will be walking through the Marsh, then along Moor Lane to the cricket field. We will then cross Harewood Road and walk down to the river, back up Fitts Lane and into the village. If time allows we may also include Ox Close Wood.
Bardsey Fields – donations still needed
We are still looking for donations to support our purchase of Bardsey Fields, to cover additional costs such as legal fees.
Donations can be given through our bank, please follow the link above for details.
Your support has been amazing, this is the final push to achieve our goal!
Bardsey Fields Campaign Update
We are delighted to let you know that our fundraising campaign has been a huge success and we raised a phenomenal amount of money in less than 3 weeks, enabling us to acquire Lot 2, totalling almost 24 acres of land in the centre of Bardsey village. The land runs from Bardsey Primary School down to Bardsey beck and beyond.
Unfortunately, however, we only raised sufficient funds to bid on one piece of land and prioritised the lower field, to the front of the school for a number of reasons. Firstly, we understood this to be the plot that we would most likely be successful with. Secondly, it is the plot with the best habitat, and it is the land which is very much in the centre of the community.
We are unable to share how much we bid as this information is confidential, but we can confirm that all donations received were used to secure this land.
We sincerely thank all those who donated to save Bardsey Fields – we couldn’t have done it without you!
If you have made a donation, please ensure you have completed a Gift Aid form, which enables us to claim back 25p for every £1 donated. You will find the form on this website in the Bardsey Fields Campaign, Donate section, or contact us at fundraising@ekwt.org.uk and we will send one to you.
The Trustees
East Keswick Wildlife Trust
Salsa Fundraiser for the Save Bardsey Fields Campaign November 2022
Many thanks to Abi from Leeds Salsa Club for organising a salsa dance class in East Keswick Village Hall to raise funds for the Save Bardsey Fields Campaign. Everyone had a great time!