[Duma]

Just noticed this on PF:

The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have just purchased the entire left bank of Watercum Jolly (includes places like Rubicon etc).

Exactly what effect this will have on climbing there is yet to be seen and a site visit by the BMC Access reps is imminently planned.

However, it is know that some very rare fauna already exists in and around the climbing areas which it's fair to speculate the DWT will wish to protect. In the meantime tye advice is ‘please don't garden, retr-bolt or equip news lines in the area as this is bound to damage aggravate a delicate situation'


This purchase of land is among a growing trend of organisations purchasing land for the use / protection / interests of their members... the RSPB tried to buy the Eastern Moors Estate (Froggatt, Curbur etc). In the long term how will the BMC respond to this? Will they have to purchase land or by involved in cooperative purchases alongside the likes of the RSPB etc?

dunno what to make of this really - but good to be aware of developements.

[Johnny Brown]

I'm fairly sure there isn't any 'very rare fauna' anywhere near WCJ. There may be some fairly rare flora and habitat types, though these will be on the cliff-tops and above meaning they and sport climbing can co-exist fairly well.

The DWT already own much of cheedale so any climbing related issues will no be new to them; they seem to be a pretty good landowner.