Hay Time - North Pennines

This project aims to enhance and restore upland hay meadows at carefully selected sites within the North Pennines AONB by harvesting seed from species-rich meadows and spreading it on sites that have lost their special species. Detailed guidance is provided to hay meadow farmers on both meadow management and sources of available funding support. The project also aims to increase public awareness, enjoyment and understanding of this internationally important habitat

Harvesting seed in 'green hay'

Hay Time was launched in May 2006 and will run until October 2012.

Priority Habitat

Upland hay meadows are a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat and an Annex 1 habitat of the EU Habitats Directive. They are now almost exclusively restricted to upland valleys of the North Pennines and North Yorkshire. Teesdale and Weardale, together with some of the Yorkshire Dales are widely acknowledged to possess the finest concentration of upland hay meadows anywhere in the UK. This is one of the rarest grassland types in the UK with recent estimates indicating that there are less than 1,000ha in the UK, of which 440ha (around 40%) are in the North Pennines AONB. Through Hay Time, the North Pennines AONB Partnership restores and enhances hay meadows by harvesting seed from species-rich meadows and spreading it on sites that have lost their special species and by providing detailed habitat management advice.

Surveying

In the early summer, between May and July, the Hay Time team carry out botanical surveys of upland hay meadows in the North Pennines.  These surveys help us to identify sites that are suitable for restoration or enhancement, sites where seed can be harvested from and sites where we can provide habitat management advice. Between 2006 and 2009 we surveyed 744 fields and visited more than 200 farms to give hay meadow management advice.

Restoration and Enhancement

Following these surveys, we identify and match a series of 'donor' and 'receptor' sites.  'Donor' sites are upland hay meadows which contain a good mix of typical upland hay meadow plants from which we can harvest seed.  'Receptor' sites are meadows where the conditions are suitable for restoration or enhancement through seed addition.  Once the sites have been matched, specially designed machinery is used to harvest the seed-bearing top of the hay crop, or the entire crop, in July and August. Different machines are then used to spread this 'hay concentrate' or 'green hay' on sites to be restored.  Between 2006 and 2009, 95.3ha of hay meadow has received locally-harvested seed in this way. This has been supported by management advice for participating farmers. 

Agri-environment schemes such as the Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme and Higher Level Scheme are central to the operation of the Hay Time project. These schemes provide funding for contractors to operate the harvesting and spreading machinery and purchase of the seed from the 'donor' farmer.

After the first three years of the Hay Time project, we produced a 'step-by-step guide to upland hay meadow restoration in the North Pennines' which sets out in detail the approach we take.  This can be downloaded below.

Awareness

We are developing a range of ways to inform and inspire farmers, local residents, young people and visitors about the management needs and special qualities of upland hay meadows. Since May 2006, through the Hay Time project the AONB Partnership has delivered illustrated talks, guided walks and land management training events. An ID Guide to Hay Meadows Plants, a set of three hay meadow walk leaflets (Hay Time Walk 1, Allendale, Hay Time Walk 2, Weardale, Hay Time Walk 3, Baldersdale) and a report on the cultural and land management history of hay meadows in the North Pennines have also been produced (The history of hay making in the North Pennines).  Hay Time Annual Summary documents give details of the progress of the project to date and can be downloaded below.

In 2009 we welcomed Neil Diment to our team as Hay Time Community Officer which has enabled us to develop a number of new initiatives:

 In June 2010 we plan to run a second History of Hay Time Exhibition in Allendale (Hay - what's all the fuss?).

Collaboration

Hay Time – North Pennines, is a collaboration between the North Pennines AONB Partnership and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. It is supported by a County Durham Environment Trust CDENT PREMIER Award under the Landfill Communities Fund, Natural England via the Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Action Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Further Information

For further information about the Hay Time project please contact:

Fiona Corby - Hay Time Project Officer (Fiona@northpenninesaonb.org.uk)

Neil Diment - Hay Time Community Officer (Neil@northpenninesaonb.org.uk)

Rebecca Barrett - North Pennines AONB Project Development Officer (Rebecca@northpenninesaonb.org.uk)