Why it’s a problem
Long Beech Mire is a small mire catchment on the Open Forest, which drains northwards into Long Beech Inclosure and the Coalmeer Gutter. This Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) was in unfavourable condition due to the headward erosion of the mire tributaries, which was due mainly to unconsolidated stock crossing points along the watercourse, and the presence of artificial drainage beside the Inclosure boundary.
How did we fix them?
On the Open Forest, the restoration work involved repairing four heavily poached and eroded areas and construction of two gravel fords on the eastern mire tributary, and the repair of erosion nick points and construction of a gravel ford on the western mire tributary. This aimed to protect the fragile mire habitats and prevent further loss through erosion. Formalising two gravel ford locations aimed to reduce damage from stock poaching.
Within Long Beech Inclosure, a deep drain running through dense bracken in the south-western corner of the Inclosure was bed level raised for a distance of 200m, until it becomes a more natural channel within the woodland. This will spread the water across a wider area of floodplain, slowing run-off, reducing erosion and suppressing bracken