| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
.jpg) Fisher's Hall folly in Hack Fall Wood | |
.svg)  Location within North Yorkshire | |
| Location | North Yorkshire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SE235772 |
| Coordinates | 54°11′20″N1°38′20″W / 54.1890°N 1.6388°W /54.1890; -1.6388 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 44.8687 hectares (0.4487 km2; 0.1732 sq mi) |
| Notification | 6 October 1989 |
| Location map | Magic Map (Defra) |
Hack Fall Wood, otherwise known asHackfall, is aSite of Special Scientific Interest, or SSSI, of 44.8687 hectares (0.4487 km2; 0.1732 sq mi), lying north-east of the village ofGrewelthorpe,North Yorkshire, England. During the 18th century it was landscaped in thepicturesque style by landownerWilliam Aislabie, who created views by engineering streams and pools,planting trees and buildingfollies.J. M. W. Turner andWilliam Sawrey Gilpin painted it, and pictures of it featured onCatherine the Great's 1773Wedgwood dinner service. Some 19th-century writers called it "one of the most beautiful woods in the country."[1]
Following 20th century clear-felling andnatural regeneration of trees, theWoodland Trust purchased the property in 1989. The site was designated as an SSSI in the same year. Together with the Hackfall Trust and theLandmark Trust, the Woodland Trust restored footpaths,conserved the remaining follies and managed the wildlifehabitat according to its SSSI status.
The woodland supports varied wildlife, including many birds, animals and flowering plants, plus more than 200 species ofliverworts andmosses, and two rare creatures: the beetlePlatycis minutus and thelemon slug,[2] which lives only in ancient woodland. The site is now listed as a Conservation Area, and asAncient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW). The woodland lies within theNidderdale National Landscape. It is open to the public and has many summer visitors, although the only public facility is a car park.
There is local evidence of earlier settlements in this area. There are prehistoricearthworks at Magdalen Hill, the nameCamp Hill suggests aRoman encampment, and the nameGrewelthorpe implies Danish settlement.[3] It is possible that the nameHackfall derives simply fromhaggen, an Old Norse word associated with tree felling, and the fall of water through the Hackfall Gorge.[4]
Hack Fall Wood is aGrade I listed Historic Garden.[5] The listed follies on the site are Mowbray Point Ruin,[6] Mowbray Castle,[7] the Rustic Temple,[8] and Fisher's Hall.[9] Fisher's Hall is dated 1750, and named after William Aislabie's gardener.[10]
Fisher's Hall was completed in 1750, and isgrade II listed. It is built oftufa, and has an octagonal plan and a single storey. It is without a roof, it has a plaineaves band, and is inGothic style. The building contains a doorway with a pointedmoulded arch andpilasters, above which is a dated and initialled tablet. On the other sides are window openings with pointed arches.[9][11]
Mowbray Castle was also built in about 1750, and is grade II listed. It is in the form of a ruined stoneGothic tower. There are two storeys, an oval plan, and a front of threebays. In the centre is a large opening with a pointed arch, and the flanking wings contain smaller pointed arches withimposts. Above is a floor band, a cross-shaped opening in the middle bay and pointed arches in the outer bays. At the top are the remains of aneaves band and aparapet.[7][11]
The Rustic Temple is grade II listed and is also mid-18th century. It is stone-built and is now a ruin. It has a single storey and an octagonal plan. On the front is an opening, flanked by square openings, all under largelintels. Inside, in the middle of the back wall, is a round-headedniche.[8][11]
The ruin at Mowbray Point was built as a banqueting hall. It is also mid-18th century and is the onlygrade II* listed folly in the wood. It is partly ruined, and is built of stone andtufa. The front range has one storey and fivebays, the middle three bays projecting under apediment with amouldedcornice. In the centre is a doorway flanked by windows, all with pointed arches andvoussoirs. The outer bays contain rectangular windows. At the rear are three round arches, the middle one tallest, and a domed roof pierced by roundels. Outside these aretunnel vaults withniches.[6][11]
The grotto was constructed as a place to sit and rest, and admire the view of a 40 feet (12 m) drop. By the mid-20th century it had almost entirely collapsed, and so it was not listed with the other follies. The walls have since been rebuilt, using rubble from the original building, and a bench set inside them. There are no plans to restore the roof.[12]
In previous centuries the area which is now designated an SSSI was calledHackfall.John Aislabie (1670–1742) ofStudley Royal Park, who had been responsible for the formal-style landscaping of Studley Royal andFountains Abbey, purchased this land in 1731. He bought it for its timber, and perhaps also for itslime kiln, thecoal pits near Limehouse Hill,sandstone quarries for repairingRipon Cathedral, and thesawmill. His sonWilliam Aislabie (1700–1781), with an eye to thesublime aesthetic, landscaped the site in a natural,picturesque style withfollies, an artificial waterfall, temples andgrottoes among the trees, and the kinds of views andglades which were fashionable at the time.[3] Aislabie used the Banqueting House, now known as the Mowbray Point Ruin, to entertain friends, and in the 19th century this became atea room for tourists, when Hackfall was the property ofLord Ripon and available to those could pay for entry.[1][3][10] Mowbray Point may have been designed byRobert Adam,[6][10] and is now aholiday cottage controlled by theLandmark Trust.[10][13]
"Nineteenth century writers hailed [Hackfall] as one of the most beautiful woodlands in the country;"J. M. W. Turner andWilliam Sawrey Gilpin painted here.[1] Hackfall is mentioned inWilliam Wordsworth'sGuide to the Lakes, and in works byArthur Young and ReverendRichard Warner. It was pictured on five or six items ofWedgwood's 944-piece Frogdinner service of 1773, made forCatherine the Great.[3][13][14]
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In March 1933 after theNational Trust failed to purchase it due to lack of funds, timber merchant John Green bought the wood,[10][14] and most of it was clear-felled, then partially replanted with conifers. By 1937 Hackfall was a commercial farm and woodland, then duringWorld War II it was allowed to degenerate, and fell prey to vandalism.[14] Some features, including wooden buildings, were lost during the 1930s and 1940s, includingcascades,weirs,benches, seats, a pair ofsummerhouses, and two items called theSentry Box and theTent.[3] The wood was, however, allowed toregenerate naturally until the 1980s, and a small part still remains of the Sandbed Hut near Limehouse Hill, and the entrance Gate Pillars.[1][14][15]
When the property was offered for sale in 1987 and a threat of commercial development was noted, the Hackfall Trust was formed to raise funds for restoration of the landscaping.[14] In 1989 theWoodland Trust purchased it on a 999-year lease, "restoring footpaths and woodland walks,conserving the various follies, managing the fragile habitats."[1]
Almost £1,000,000 was given to the Woodland Trust by theNational Lottery Heritage Fund for restoration in 2007. The work was also funded by Yorventure andNidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[1] The three organisations responsible for organising the restoration and maintenance of the site are the Hackfall Trust, theWoodland Trust and theLandmark Trust. The Landscape Agency carried out the work, and received the Landscape Award in 2008 fromRIBA White Rose Awards. Awarden was provided for the wood in 2009. The Hackfall and Woodland Trusts were under contract to maintain the woodland until around 2034.[14]
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Hack Fall Wood is a 44.8687 hectares (0.4487 km2; 0.1732 sq mi) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI),[16] designated because "it is important as a largely undisturbed example of ancient semi-natural broadleaved woodland." This "ancient woodland" with its large variety of flora over a mixed geology holds a valued resource of plant life.[2] The key habitat of Hack Fall Wood is listed as a Conservation Area,[14] it is included in theUnited Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP); it is listed asAncient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW), and it is on theInvertebrate Site Register (ISR).[3]
It sits on the north and east slopes where the River Ure flows through the Hackfall Gorge,[2] the site being adjacent to the north-east side ofGrewelthorpe, and south ofMasham.[17] There are four separate entrances to the site.[18] Although there are no facilities apart from a comparatively recent car park, the site has been popular with tourists since the 19th century.[19] There are no toilets, the nearest being at Grewelthorpe or Masham, and there is no wheelchair access, due to rough terrain and steep paths.[20][21]
This ancient woodland was mostly felled in the 1930s, and the present tree cover has naturally regenerated since then, featuring a diversity of localised species, and also many common species such assycamore,beech,scots pine,foxglove,dog rose andred campion. Hack Fall Wood is known for its spring carpet ofbluebells.[1][20]
Plants grow here in specific groups according to the underlying geology. For example, around the Brimham Grits cliffs and steep slopes the soil is acidic, and woodland trees areholly,rowan, with a predominant canopy ofsilver birch andsessile oak. On the woodland floor aresmall cow-wheat,hard fern,heather,bilberry,wavy hair-grass andgreat wood-rush.[2]
Under the less steep slopes are Ure Shell beds, and here the soil is less acidic. Among the herbaceous plants areherb Paris andtoothwort, which are "uncommon." Other woodland floor plants here areprimrose,wood anemone,enchanter's nightshade,woodruff or sweet-scented bedstraw,ramsons or wild garlic anddog's mercury. This ground flora is described byNatural England as "characteristic of old, established woodland." Above these, the understorey containsguelder rose andhazel. Above this is a canopy ofsycamore,wych elm andash.[2]Lesser celandine,early dog violet, opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage(Chrysosplenium oppositifolium) andwood sorrel are also present in spring.[22][23]
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This site has many pools and streams, resulting from "a series ofcalcareoussprings," which "give rise to ... extensiveflushing." On the wettest ground istufted hair-grass,pendulous sedge,great horsetail andmeadowsweet, belowspindle,bird cherry andalder. Beside the streams, on steep sides and rocks, are manybryophytes, andferns such asmale fern,polypody andhart's tongue.[2]
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In the northern part of the site, many wych elms have been lost toDutch elm disease, leaving clearings full ofrose bay willowherb,bramble andbracken. The southern end is more fortunate in having wood fescue(Festuca altissima) "which has a very local distribution in Great Britain." The wood fescue grows on cliff faces above the River Ure. In the woods nearby are manysmall-leaved lime, some of which has regenerated from 18th century plantings.[1][2]
The site supports a large variety of birds. Beside the river,common sandpiper,grey wagtail,dipper,kingfisher, and evenosprey, have been reported. In the woods arelesser spotted woodpecker,green woodpecker,great spotted woodpecker,wood warbler,nuthatch,chiffchaff,treecreeper andbuzzard.[20] The Harrogate and District Naturalist's Society (HDNS) recorded 24 bird species here in March 2017, includingmallard,sparrowhawk,grey wagtail,wren,robin,song thrush,blackbird,chiffchaff,great tit,long-tailed tit,nuthatch andchaffinch.[22][23]
Animals seen here arestoat,badger,red fox,[20]brown hare,rabbit,grey squirrel,mole,roe deer,[3] andotter.[10] Thenoctule bat andpipistrelle are here, besides thecommon frog, which congregates seasonally at the Fountain Pond.[3] Thepalmate newt,smooth newt andcommon toad have been seen here also.[22][23]
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202liverworts andmosses have been recorded here,[3] and Harrogate and District Naturalists' Society (HDNS) recorded 24bryophytes in March 2017, includingPseudotaxiphyllum elegans,Orthotrichum pulchellum,Thamnobryum alopecurum,Mnium hornum,Eurhynchium striatum andOrthotrichum affine.[22][23]
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Various butterflies are present, includingspeckled wood,orange tip andpeacock. Also recorded here are the "locally rare" beetle(Platycis minutus) and thelemon slug.[20] The lemon slug is a creature of ancient woodland which eats fungi; it has become rare as a result of loss of habitat.[2][24]
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The main principles of maintenance in this case are to make sure that the woodland is appropriate for the site's history, geology andgeography, that it can continue toregenerate following theclearcutting of the 1930s, and that the protectedhabitat andbiota can be supported. This means that there should be old and young trees, and some mature trees with a thickunderstorey.[25]
Dead wood is good forfungi andinvertebrates, but this wood constitutes a public area, so dying trees must be made safe especially in popular places. Invertebrates andbutterflies will benefit from occasional lighter man-madeclearings; this may require cutting,coppicing or evenfelling trees. Between August and February (to avoid the breeding season), non-Indigenous trees andshrubs may be cleared, and in some areas thinning may take place to maintain variety of woodland structure. Stump re-growth and natural seedregeneration is preferable to planting, because such natural processes contribute to all woodland life. Lightgrazing by deer, cattle and rabbits is conducive to speciesdiversity, but sometimes the woodland will need protection from these if they over-graze.Himalayan balsam andrhododendron should be controlled to protect the integrity of the natural woodland. Some areas of the wood should be left completely unmanaged, with fallen trees permitted to pile up, providing habitat and insect food for a variety of wildlife.[25]
Around thecalcareoustufasprings, there is specialised plant life. This plant life depends on the minerals from the springs, and the springs depend on protection of theaquifer below. Therefore, the site should be protected against commercial and agriculturalwater extraction or ground pollution by waste,fertiliser,herbicide andinsecticide.[25]
The whole site is covered by upland "broadleaved, mixed andyew woodland," whichNatural England has measured out in two large units and one smaller unit. When the site was assessed on 28 May 2012, the first two larger units were judged to be in favourable condition. Unit One, 17.5165 hectares (0.1752 km2; 0.06763 sq mi) in the north, had mature woodland with old and young trees, fallen deadwood and somesycamore but not too much. Its ground flora met with approval. Unit Two, 17.3069 hectares (0.1731 km2; 0.06682 sq mi) in the centre of the site, had been in less favourable condition but was now acceptable, with varied woodland, diverse flora and sycamore whose expansion had been cut back sufficiently but still required monitoring. The report mentions issues with previous "scrubbing up of thetufa,"[nb 1] which had now been addressed.[26]
The third unit, 8.1285 hectares (0.08128 km2; 0.03138 sq mi) in the east, was judged "unfavourable, recovering." It was considered mostly acceptable, with "diverse ground flora," and especially wood fescue(Festuca altissima). There was plenty ofbilberry above Raven Scar, which was given approval. The unfavourable assessment was due to the overwhelming amount of sycamore. There was too little regeration of plant life other than sycamore.[26] There was no perceived immediate threat to the condition of any part of the site.[27]Harrogate Borough Council'sconservation document of 2011 provides full information on the quality of the site and public consultation obligations.[3]
There are about eight SSSIs in theHarrogate region,[28] others beingBishop Monkton Ings,[29]Brimham Rocks,[30]Cow Myers,[31]Farnham Mires,[32]Hay-a-Park Gravel Pit,[33]Kirk Deighton,[34]Mar Field Fen,[35]Quarry Moor,[36] andRipon Parks.[37]
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