Watershed Landscape

Over the three years of the Watershed Landscape Project from 2010 to 2013 nearly £3 M has been invested in our South Pennine upland landscape. The project has benefited from a grant of £1.87 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership Programme, £427,000 from South Pennine LEADER and over £700,000 from the 14 project partners. The funding enabled 28 projects within six themes to be achieved.

Managed by a small team including a Project Manager, Support Officer, Community Archaeologist and Interpretation Officer to tell the story of the Watershed Landscape; our partners have improved access, restored landscape features and created new habitat. There were also secondary benefits from many of the outcomes aimed at the restoration and conservation of the natural, built and cultural heritage. For example, an enhanced landscape, reduced erosion and improved water quality resulting from moorland restoration.

The Project delivered an ambitious programme of diverse and innovative public and community engagement. This award-winning landscape partnership project has not only engaged people, but in some cases has had a prolonged and profound impact on people’s lives.

• The project has worked with over 1500 volunteers who have given over 15,000 hours of their time
• Over 8,000 pupils from colleges and schools, both primary and secondary, have taken part in landscape based activities from poetry writing to geocaching. More than 50 community groups involved in workshops and outings (over 2,000 individuals)
• Over 125 funded events with our partners.
• Improvements to about 20km of footpaths including 5 km of causey paving on Ilkley Moor, the Kirklees Way and on the Pennine Way in Calderdale.
• Over 3km of dry stone walling repaired including five drystone walling training weekends with The Conservation Volunteers.
• Six artist and writers in residence, 10 exhibitions in museums, galleries, visitor centres, and a shop window!
• 449 hectares of hay meadows managed as part of the Twite Recovery Project with a further 200 hectares restored for twite. That's more than 400 football pitches. Over 50 farmers managing this land in a way which will help to conserve the twite- our Pennine finch.
• 8 Full time equivalent jobs created, four apprentices, 80 training days with 400 participants and over 50 vocational qualifications awarded.
• Surveys of 500 prehistoric carved stones, three former historic industrial sites, and 6 Local Geological Sites with new information on site including geology trails at Penistone Hill Country Park and Todmorden Moor;
• 24 interpretation panels produced; two exhibitions created at Hollingworth Lake Visitor Centre and Brownhills Countryside Centre, new publications, trails and an app.