Bow Bridge Community Meadows

We are delighted to share that the Community Earth Project has secured the right to buy seven acres of land along the upper reaches of the River Esk. The riverside plot is perfectly situated with excellent road access and has huge potential to benefit nature and the community. 

The site will become Bow Bridge Community Meadows and it will be held in perpetuity by a Land Trust for the benefit of nature and communities around the Esk Valley.

A local community group has purchased the land on our behalf and has agreed to hold it for up to a year while we raise the funds to buy it. We have already been awarded a generous grant of £50,000  which means we are over halfway to our goal of £90,000 to cover the land purchase and legal fees.

Who we are

The Community Earth Project (CEP) is a community group made up of individuals from the Esk Valley and East Cleveland who are passionate about our local environment. We want to restore natural habitats and increase community engagement with nature. CEP grew out of a successful Community Earth Festival of 40 events held over ten weeks in the summer of 2023. 

For more information about the Community Earth Project or to join our group please click here

Bow Bridge Community Meadows has the support of North York Moors National Park Authority and the Yorkshire Rewilding Network.   

The plan

The nature recovery, development and ongoing management of the land will be organised by the Community Earth Project.  A community workforce will be engaged to develop and look after the community nature reserve and orchard, drawing from CEP members and other local environmental groups. The site will be a mosaic of habitats created with careful planning from expert ecologists. 

With your help, the sheep pastures will become vibrant wildflower meadows with mowed walkways. The wetter areas will turn into wetlands and a wildlife pond and dense spruce trees will in time give way to native woodland. A community orchard will produce delicious and healthy fruit to be shared in the community and amongst those who need it most.

Who will benefit?

Bow Bridge Community Meadows will be a place for everyone to get involved in communal tasks to help create and maintain the habitats. It will be a place for young people to learn about nature and see wildlife up close. Less mobile people will have the opportunity to get close to nature too, to join in workshops and sit and watch the River Esk go by. Everyone will be able to join community gatherings in the autumn to harvest and juice the fruits from the orchard, and enjoy other events celebrating nature and local culture. Opportunities to connect with the natural world will also be offered to those suffering from illness and those isolated from the benefits of being in nature.

Thank you for whatever help you can offer.