MIRESIDE FARM
ENNERDALE
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
Mireside Farm has habitats ranging from lakeshore, meadowland, native woodland and fell.
The "Side" is part of the Pillar and Ennerdale Fell Site of Special Scientific Interest. This area has been designated for showing one of the bext examples of altitudinal succession in England. From native birch-oak woodland on the shores of Ennerdale, the vegetation changes through sub-montane heaths and grasslands, to montane heaths along the summit ridge. Side Wood also has an area of native broad-leaved woodland.
GEOLOGY
The farm sits on the Skiddaw Slates group of Ordovician age.
SOIL TYPE(S)
The soil around the farm consists of a thin layer of gritty loaml. The high fells have shallow, very acid, peaty topped upland soils.
FAUNA
Woodpeckers and cuckoos are seen or heard on a regular basis around the farm along with a wide variety of song birds, including the wren, robin, blue tit, thrush, and dunnock. Judith and David have seen barn owls but are not sure where they nest. Grouse and skylarks have been seen on Herdus fell as have a number of raptors including sparrow hawks, peregrine falcons, kestrels and buzzards. On the wetter areas, grey herons, mallard duck and grey lag geese have been seen. The farm also has badgers, moles, foxes, red squirrels and deer.
Two of the becks are important spawning grounds for arctic charr and trout.
FLORA
Both Herdus and The Side have extensive areas of heather fell. There are also bilberry and cranberry both on the fells and some on the managed inbye land.
Other plants found on the wetter areas of inbye include sphagnum moss, orchids, marsh marigolds and devils bit scabious - a plant that attracts the rare fritillary butterfly. Violets, primroses, snow drops, celandines and wood sorrel grow in some of the hedge banks and bluebells in one of the woods.
The Sundew also grows on the farm's wetter areas. This is a carnivorous plant that grows on poor soils with insects used to supplement the poor nutrition from the soil.
The Side has an area of ancient oak woodland at the base of the fell and there are some fine yew trees near the farm steading. Where Mireside farm borders the lake shore the bank consists of gorse, hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, ash, birch, willow and planted alder.
© Copyright
ARCHAEOLOGY
In an area of woodland at the bottom of Side Fell there is an old "bloomery" that was used for the smelting of iron ore. This part of Ennerdale lake was on the fringe of the haemetite iron ore field and in the bloomery a mixture of iron ore and charcoal would have been burnt with the help of a blast of air from hand worked bellows.
Goose Bield
Close to Rake Beck, which divides Herdus Fell from Great Bourne, there is a "Goose Bield" - a circular stone structure which narrows towards the top. This was baited with meat or a goose to attract foxes. The fox would be trapped when it tried to feed and then be dispatched by the farmer.
The Side deer park is thought to have been in place at least since 1612. Deer Parks are essentially a medieval concept and were a means of controlling deer for the Lord of the Manor's larder.
More information about the rich archaelogical heritage of Ennerdale can be found at www.wildennerdale.co.uk.
HEDGEROWS
The National Trust have planted hedgerows on the holding. Some of the Hedgerows have turf stone banks known locally as dyke kests.
DRY STONE WALLS
The farm has outstanding and well maintained dry stone walls.
VERNACULAR BUILDINGS & FEATURES
The farm steading dates from 1700 and is very traditional with no modern buildings and a cobbled yard.
The Cumbria Fells and Dales Leader + programme is based at Voluntary Action Cumbria and is part-financed by the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund of the European Union and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. This project is part of a trans-national project with Gévaudan Leader + Programme, Lozère, France.
© Copyright 2008 Cumbria Hill Farms