Environment honour for Birdoswald Roman fort team

Birdoswald Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria has picked up another accolade for environmental excellence.

It is returning to traditional ploughing methods to create a wildflower meadow for visitors. The site was given a silver award from the Cumbria Business Environmental Network for its continuing commitment to ‘green’ management which has put energy saving, recycling, composting and supporting wildlife at the top of the agenda at the English Heritage property.

Most recent work involves the transformation of an excavation site, which uncovered artefacts from an ancient burial ground, into a lush meadow. A dales pony and plough were used to till the ground.

Miriam Lincoln, English Heritage’s supervisor at Birdoswald, said: “The creation of a wildflower meadow is the perfect way of marking a former burial site in a sensitive and appropriate manner. Not only will it be a wonderful setting for visitors to enjoy but it will also help to create habitats for many native wildlife species.”