Huntingdonshire District Council, alongside the Ouse Valley Trust, the Freemen of Godmanchester, and Godmanchester Pollarding Society have come together in a trial to nurture willow to the banks of the Great Ouse Valley.
The project involves planting two willow pollards along the bank of Cooke’s Stream on Westside Common. It is hoped that with any lessons learned from this trial planting, a full landscape can be undertaken in winter, to further improve the Ouse Valley Meadows.
Executive Councillor for Operations and Environment, Marge Beuttell, said: "Preserving the beautiful landscape of the district is a high priority for us and this project is something we’ve delved into in the past.
The landscape of the Great Ouse Valley has been denuded of willow trees the past century and there have been very few examples of replacement. Therefore, it is great to be involved in reviving this beautiful area and some early positive signs show that the landscape would require little maintenance – extremely beneficial if a larger scheme were to be considered.
The landscape project links many local groups together with the common shared goal to restore the commons between Huntingdon, Godmanchester, and Hemingford Abbots by planting new willows on the banks of the watercourses, restoring ancient trees, and reinstating lost hedgerows to bring back the area's former glory."