On the first Wednesday in November, ten of the Practical Projects Volunteers from the Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership joined forces with members of the Alton Towers Gardens and Woodland Team to help clear the Millrace in Alton. The volunteers worked over several hours to clear an area below the road bridge in Alton and thoroughly enjoyed the day in spite of the heavy rain. The removal of some trees, brash and litter exposed the previously hidden stone structure which in days gone by formed the Millrace- the channel which conducted the water to the old mill’s water wheel. Several habitat piles were constructed in the area, from the residual timber after felling, which will encourage wildlife to settle in the newly cleared area.
Richard Whiting Practical Projects Officer said "It was great to see the volunteers and the Alton Towers Tree Team working to protect an important piece of the Churnet Valleys hidden industrial heritage. We could not have done the work without the expertise of Steve Taylor from Alton Towers and his guys. The previously hidden Millrace can now be easily viewed from the Alton Bridge. The trees that had to be felled to protect the stonework have been used to create wood fuel, hedge laying stakes and habitat piles popular with birds as nesting sites and homes for invertebrates."
