The Little Quarry Project
The Little Quarry sits beside Langlees Road, just a hundred metres or so beyond Little Mitchellwood. The quarry once supplied stone for local buildings but was, in more recent times, planted with trees and now supports a nice little woodland with a mix of conifers and broadleaf trees. BDCH have entered into a 25 year lease agreement with Mr. Simpson, the owner, to manage the woodland for wildlife and people and during 2008, much work has been done.
To start with, many bags of litter were collected and disposed of while funding was sought to carry out access improvements. The Big Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage both contributed to footpath works, fencing, hedge and tree planting and a sign.
The footpath runs in a short loop around the quarry and if you stop for a while, you may see a treecreeper hunting for insects as it hops up the tree trunks or a flock of blue tits and great tits twittering in the canopy.
To improve the woodland for wildlife, some of the pine trees will be felled and replaced with native broadleaved trees like birch and oak. We also plan to fell the small sycamore trees which can spread quickly and cast a dense shade over the wildflowers. Some of the wood will be left to rot as dead wood provides a valuable habitat for beetles, birds, fungi and small mammals. We have also planted a new hedge along the roadside that links the Little Quarry to Little Mitchellwood making it easier for birds and animals to move between the two woodlands. The hedge is made up of 10 different species including hawthorn, blackthorn, elm and holly. We've also included gooseberry, loganberry, blackberry and crab apples which will provide a valuable food resource for birds and people in the autumn.
At the top end of Little Mitchellwood, we've left an open area that will be planted with some fruit trees, including apples, pears and plums which are also there for people to help themselves to, but they may take a few of years to get really established.
Please come up to the Little Quarry to have a walk round and enjoy this quiet little corner of Biggar and if you would like to get involved with the practical work in the woods, then get in touch with us through the contact page on the website or call the Secretary, Steve Blow on 01899 229151.
