Prickly Fell is mainly covered by secondary (recent) woodland dominated by sycamore, elm, oak, ash and cherry with an understory of holly, ivy and brambles. It contains a small patch of grassland with remnants of gorse from which the wood is thought to have derived its “Prickly” name. This grassland/gorse area is becoming increasingly overgrown with shrubs and young trees so its biodiversity, including species such as grasshoppers, has become greatly reduced.
Access to the wood is restricted due to storm damage. Some traditional paths on the fell are no longer passable due to wind-felled trees.
Natural AssetsPrickly Fell is a natural home for common species of songbirds but, with the exception of some patches of bluebells, it has a poor coverage of woodland ground flora.
What could be done / needs to be donePrickly Fell was much more open than it is now, so was a great place for children to play. By restoring some of the grassland area it could become a better place for children to play and also enhance biodiversity within the site. The path network needs to be extended and made more usable. The existing patches of gorse should be rejuvenated for their historic value and for the protection they provide for ground nesting birds and its associated wildlife. The woodland should be managed in-line with the Council’s existing woodland management plans by: keeping the area safe for users, protecting boundaries and adjacent property, retaining as much deadwood as possible (for carbon storage and biodiversity), restricting the growth of non-native and invasive species (such as laurel) but otherwise following a practice of non-intervention and allowing natural processes to dominate the future of most of the site.
PlanA more detailed plan will be developed with input from the local neighbourhood community to improve access and restore habitats for biodiversity and amenity. Volunteers will be needed to help undertake planned restoration – keep an eye on Natural Kendal’s events calendar and sign up to help Prickly Fell or join Kendal Conservation Volunteers at http://kendalcv.org.uk/
