A TEAM of conservation workers have been using traditional methods to help keep the grass in check.

Volunteers from Durham Wildlife Trust have been scything at the Old Durham Gardens, on the outskirts of the city.

The ancient method of grass cutting has been in the public eye as a result of BBC programme Poldark but is also becoming more popular as a way of conserving wild flowers.

The trust has been running at Heart of Durham project on a number of sites and community projects.

Anne Porter, Heart of Durham project officer, said: “Scything is very much in vogue. The new lightweight Austrian scythes are easy to use and it is a very conservation-friendly method of cutting grass and has proved to be effective on the grassland sites we work on.

“For community projects, such as working with the volunteers of Old Durham Gardens, scything and removing the cut grass helps to reduce fertility, which is important to increase the range of wildflowers.

“A greater abundance of wildflowers means increased pollinators, which is good for the fruit trees in the old orchards in the gardens. It is such a tranquil setting that using this traditional methods of grass cutting just fits.”

Volunteers from the project helped at Old Durham Gardens, a restored 17th century walled garden near Gilesgate.

Joy Brindle, chair of the friends of Old Durham Gardens, said: “Working with the Durham Wildlife Trust’s Heart of Durham scythers fits in with our work in so many ways.

“Working peacefully amongst the apple, plums and damson trees in the orchards, increasing the fruitfulness of the trees and using historic techniques makes for an ideal partnership.”

The wildlife trust has been working with Northumbrian Water for about four years in areas to try and promote wildlife.

Ms Porter added: “They really love using them. Without the whine of a two stroke engine, they can chat whilst working but, above all, they can hear the wildlife around them.”

“Scything has other benefits, including eradicating the use of fossil fuels and saving on the cost of training as we do it in-house with volunteers training their colleagues, which means everyone can have a go, whereas using conventional brush cutters only a few get trained because of the cost.”

Stuart Pudney, land manager at Northumbrian Water, said: “Scything wildflower areas is a perfect way of cutting small areas of grassland, such as the wildlife areas at our two main offices in Durham.

“Using scythes rather than strimmers or mowers is far quieter and is more inclusive, allowing all of the volunteers to get involved in what is a much more relaxing and enjoyable way of managing meadows.”