Country diary: a butterfly boom out of the barren land

Crook, County Durham: Fast-forward half a century and few casual visitors would suspect that this was once a scene of industrial derelictionLocal people with a long memory can recall the time when this small woodland was Roddymoor colliery waste heap. In 1968 the mountain of rock was regraded to blend with the gently undulating farmland. Grass was sown and Newcastle University ecologists began an experimental project to test the feasibility of reforesting it, planting 45 species of trees and shrubs in the barren, acid, stony substrate.Fast-forward half a century and few casual visitors would suspect that this was once a scene of industrial dereliction. Dig an inch or two below the leaf litter and you'll find coal shale, but survivors from the original plantings are now lofty trees, with sheltered glades that are a haven for butterflies. Continue reading...