A Wilder Walkmill

Walkmill Community Woodland is a 36-hectare former coalmine site close to Moresby Parks, near Whitehaven. WCRT, in partnership with Moresby Parish council, has been awarded a grant of £1.9 million as part of a £2.3 million project from the National Heritage Lottery to develop the site. Over four years ‘A Wilder Walkmill’ will help to make Walkmill community Woodland a haven for wildlife and people, improve access so that everyone can benefit from the site, and create events and activities for the local community.

Community is at the heart of all the activities and oral and social research will be collected to ensure that people’s stories and memories are shared when co-creating some of the major infrastructure, such as the memorial, and the information and wayfinding boards.

Conservation activities will be carried out by the apprentices, young people’s groups (e.g. scouts/ Whitehaven Academy etc) and volunteers and contractors, and will include:

River restoration / wetland creation
Woodland and scrub management
Invasive non-native species (INNS) removal
Habitat creation
Creation of a tree and wildflower nursery
Citizen science monitoring

First volunteering session of the Wilder Walkmill team

Local people will support the management and maintenance of Walkmill Community Woodland in the future. Activities will provide support and training for volunteers, including a community management group to ensure there is a structure in place for the future.

How to get involved

There are weekly and monthly events at Walkmill.

Volunteering

Monthly Wednesday and Saturday practical conservation volunteering
Monthly Wellbeing walks, TCV’s Green Gyms™, regular Wellbeing sessions and family events
Corporate volunteering
Citizen Scientist monitoring

If you would like to get involved with volunteering at Walkmilll, sign-up to volunteer and look for activities in the Walkmill Catchment.

Community events

Working with local schools on our new ‘Discovering Walkmill’ programme and delivering Forest Schools.
Annual progress events
Family fun days during the major holiday seasons
Guided heritage and environment walks including bat and adder walks, forest bathing and history/heritage talks
Co-creation workshops to inform on-site information boards, wayfinding signs and the Walkmill colliery memorial

To find out about events and activities at Walkmill sign up to our newsletter.

View our events

History

The coalmine was known as Walkmill Colliery and was active from 1879-1961. Twenty years after it closed in the 1990s, the site was successfully reclaimed and made into a community recreational area with woodland, grassland, a pond, beck and footpaths. Cumbria County Council managed and maintained the site until 2018 when the woodland was put up for sale.

The community successfully campaigned to keep the woodland as a public amenity leading to a Community Asset Transfer of the woodland to Moresby Parish Council, who now have a 99-year lease for the site and are responsible for the management and maintenance.

A partnership was formed, blending the skills, experience and resources of Moresby Parish Council, Walkmill Activity Group and West Cumbria Rivers Trust. This partnership is looking to maintain and enhance the significant natural and industrial heritage at Walkmill Community Woodland, improve access and provide activities to improve community health, wellbeing and learning opportunities.

For more information, contact Project Manager Jenny Garbe.

Email Jenny