AN ancient wetland is ready to be rediscovered after months of hard work by staff and volunteers at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, fuelled by funding from the Two Ridings Community Foundation.

Earlier this year the wildlife charity won a £47,000 grant from the Allerton Waste Recovery Park Landscape and Cultural Heritage Fund to boost public access to its little known Upper Dunsforth Carrs Nature Reserve.

The grant has enabled the installation of a renewed and extended walkway, essential for improving visitor access whilst protecting its fragile wetland ecology.

The 10.21 hectare nature reserve is at the heart of Upper Dunsforth village. Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, those responsible for its care liken the reserve to a "hidden time capsule" holding increasingly rare examples of habitat and wildlife that were once widespread.

The reserve now boasts 230m of new walkway made from recycled plastic, offering significant benefits over timber for the damp environment, including a lifespan four to five times that of treated softwoods