Shropshire Council sent this bulletin at 23-10-2018 03:06 PM BST
Dear Subscriber
European Charter secured for Sustainable Tourism in the Shropshire Hills
We are delighted to announce that the Shropshire Hills AONB has been awarded the EUROPARC Federation Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, for the second time! We are one of only a handful of protected areas in the UK to have achieved this award. It recognises all the people and businesses that contribute to green tourism in the Shropshire Hills.
Further information about the Charter and Shropshire Hill Sustainable Tourism Strategy is on our website at
Look out for our new Fix the Fort Appealdonation boxes in the Church Stretton area. The ramparts of the Iron Age hillfort on Caer Caradoc are being worn away by walkers and we are trying to raise around £10,000 to do some repairs.
Help us Caer for the much loved Caradoc by donating online https://giv.ng/7485 by phone text FORT18 £5 to 70070 or by dropping coins into the collection boxes. Alternatively, if you'd like to raise money for the appeal, please get in touch.
Thank you to the organisers and participants of the 50-mile Long Mynd (Scout) Hike for supporting the appeal.
This excellent film captures what the Clee Hill Young Rangers get up to. We have worked with South Shropshire Youth Forum for many years, helping to connect young people to their local landscape. Similar Young Ranger projects have also been set up in Church Stretton and through the Stiperstones & Corndon Landscape Partnership Scheme. Each time, the AONB Conservation Fund has enabled us to support these valuable projects.
We are currently looking for funding to develop our work with young people through the John Muir Award, the Young Ranger programme and by offering traineeships.
Next month the Clee Hill Young Rangers will be out and about foraging for natural materials to make Christmas Wreaths. You can join them on Saturday 17th November, 1 - 3.30pm at The Recreational Rooms, Cleehill village, to make a Christmas Wreath. It's a free event and everyone is welcome, more details at http://www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk/enjoying-the-shropshire-hills/events/?cid=all&mc_id=974
Planning for the future of the Shropshire Hills
With agriculture policy going through significant change and a national review of designated landscapes in progress, this is an important time to consider the future of the landscape of the Shropshire Hills. The five year Management Plan for the AONB is currently being reviewed by the AONB Partnership on behalf of the two Councils.
The Partnership, including representatives from a wide range of interests, is discussing the draft new Plan on 23rd October, which will be published for public consultation shortly after. The Plan aims to set out priorities for the area and to address the major challenges – how land management and the planning system can support the landscape and natural beauty while maintaining a sustainable economy and communities, and how people can be encouraged to enjoy and care about the landscape more.
Please get in touch if you would like a copy of the draft Plan emailed to you once it is out for public consultation. Contact us by email shropshirehillsaonb@shropshire.gov.uk, or telephone 01743 254740.
The Glover Review of designated landscapes has opened a public call for evidence about National Parks and AONBs through an on-line survey. Organisations and individuals are encouraged to respond. The questions and survey can be found at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/land-use/landscapes-review-call-for-evidence/
Pearl mussel paradise
We recently added 120 boulders to the River Clun to create a series of microhabitats for fresh water pearl mussels. The boulders have been placed at 8 carefully chosen sites along a 1.5km stretch of the river. They will help riverbed stability and create a degree of turbulence on their downstream side to help sort gravel and sand to create oxygen-enriched substrate into which juvenile pearl mussels can burrow.
The photograph opposite is one of a series of boulders we placed further upstream two years ago and shows an area of clean gravels that have developed. Our River Clun Recovery Project is in its final 6 months, so please get in touch if you have land in the Clun catchment and have an idea of work you would like to be considered for funding. http://www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk/aonb-partnership/rivers/
The Future for Commons Post Brexit?
45 people attended a recent event in Craven Arms, which focused on upland commons and their future. The speakers were Julia Aglionby, Executive Director of the Foundation for Common Land & Chair of the Uplands Alliance, Dave Cragg, Natural England Agri-Environment Officer, and Cath Landles, our AONB Community Officer.
The presentations generated much talk around the impact of the Agricultural Bill, business planning, new schemes and the governance of commons. Many of the attendees were commoners in the AONB.
The Long Mynd, Stiperstones and Clee Liberty Common are participating in 'Our Common Cause', a new project which is looking at ways to support the centuries-old heritage of upland commons and make them more relevant to 21st century life.
Curlew Country release 21 headstarted chicks in the Shropshire Hills
It is hoped the release of these 21 headstarted chicks will offer a vital boost to the declining population. The fledged chicks were spotted around the release site for the following 2 to 3 weeks. Food was provided initially with a trail camera set up to catch glimpses of any returning chicks. The food was steadily diminished as their visits became less frequent. It is hoped that these fledglings have now made their way along their migration routes and have settled in to their overwintering grounds. So far no sightings of the reared birds have been reported, but if you see a colour ringed curlew please send a record of it to project ornithologist Tony Cross at avcross@btinternet.com.
Since the end of the breeding season the Curlew Country has been occupied in raising funds for future years work, as well as participating in strategic plans for wider curlew recovery. The project is planning to hold workshops in the coming months for those groups or individuals keen to help their local curlew populations.
Curlew Country is supported by the AONB Conservation Fund. For more information see www.curlewcountry.org, or facebook @CurlewCountryPage, or twitter @CurlewCountry.
Mesolithic finds at Cothercott Mill
The Shropshire Hills & Marches Community Archaeology Group have had a busy summer. Detailed survey work has continued at Cothercott Barytes Mill (SJ 340587 300273).
Helping the team this summer has been an undergraduate of Archaeology and Medieval History of the University of Aarhus, Denmark. While excavating a concrete cut pit, he unearthed broken flint including two microliths, dating from the Mesolithic, at least 6,000 years ago.
This exciting and unexpected find suggests a prehistoric settlement could be nearby.
This autumn, its trowels at the ready to remove all debris and plant material from the next section at Cothercott. Once cleared, the group will be able to measure and record the features visible.
Volunteers are welcome and no experience is necessary. To find out more please contact Mike Greene (Chair) 07816 133372, email: shamcommunityarchaeology@outlook.com
Telling the borderlands story
The Shropshire Hills has the greatest concentration of medieval earthwork castles anywhere in Britain, many of our hilltops are crowned with Iron Age hillforts.
Recently published, this handy field guide will help you to explore some of this rich heritage. The guide focuses on the hillforts and earthwork castles that were surveyed and investigated through the Stiperstones & Corndon Landscape Partnership Scheme.
The guide costs £6.99 and is available in local outlets including the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, or direct from ourselves. More information on these heritage sites and others can be found at records.stiperstonesandcorndon.co.uk
Achievements & Final Evaluation
Between June 2013 and April 2018, the Stiperstones & Corndon Hill Country Landscape Partnership Scheme ran 15 local projects to conserve, enhance and raise awareness of the area's rich natural, industrial and archaeological heritage.
The Scheme involved hundreds of people through conservation task days, local events, community groups and traditional skills courses. The Scheme also worked with young people, from primary school age and upwards, including offering traineeships and running a Young Rangers activity programme.
Click on the image below to read our Annual Review 2017-18
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