History
The Dove Valley Community Project began in May 2006 when a group of 31 residents in Hatton, Derbyshire, purchased the field adjacent to the River Dove and the island in the centre of the river Dove/Mill Fleam and decided to create a Nature Reserve (Thistley Place Meadow). The land in question is held under a legal Constitution so it cannot be sold in the future.
Having been successful in obtaining c.£36,000
from various
Grant sources
and with very kind
support and contributions, we have been able to clear the field of
invasive perennial weeds, install a new disabled access, mow footpaths
wide enough to allow wheelchair access, increased the marginal planting
along the riverbank by installing pre-vegetated coir rolls, installed
benches, picnic benches with wheelchair access, a disabled fishing
platform, dog and waste bins, planted over 450 shrubs – including hazel,
spindle, dogwoods, field roses, gorse, guelder rose, wild privet and
broom – to encourage native birds and wildlife. We have also erected
pictorial/informative nature reserve signage.
To the rear of the island, we have been able to dredge the severely overgrown Mill Fleam, which has created a physical barrier (together with a wrought iron gate and railings to the bridge end of the island) to prevent access, and allowed us to turn the island into a dedicated nature sanctuary where we have erected bird and a colony of bat boxes, an otter holt with a ‘dry run’ for the otter onto the island. The spore for the otter was originally found by a representative from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the otter is regularly seen by local fishermen. We also have a kingfisher and tawny owls on the island.
We have cleared the area of overgrown wild rhubarb, at
the end adjacent to Tutbury Bridge, and replanted this section with
aspen, black poplar, oak, birches, beech, holly, horse chestnut, maple,
hawthorn and dog
roses.
In the Spring of 2008, in conjunction with Hatton Parish Council, we took over the responsibility of the Hatton Picnic area (on an initial 5 year lease at a peppercorn rent). We have subsequently concreted around the picnic benches in this area, created mown pathways, planted an indigenous orchard with a variety of fruiting trees and shrubs and, in 2009, this area will be underplanted with indigenous plug plants and bulbs.
In future we shall be undertaking further improvement to the disabled pathways through Thistley Place Meadow and holding various fundraising initiatives to enable TPM to be enjoyed by the whole community in perpetuity.