Bolton Abbey Litter Pick

On Friday, 20th March the Duke of Devonshire will don a fluorescent jacket and lead his team of staff at Bolton Abbey in a mass litter pick. Equipped with litter pickers they will walk over 18 ½ miles of roadside verges covering all the major and minor approach roads to the Estate. No hedgerow or riverbank will remain untouched.

This annual clean up, in readiness for the Estate’s main visitor season, has formed part of the Bolton Abbey calendar for the last seven years. Naturally the litter sweep boosts the overall appearance of this popular visitor destination but, more importantly, it brings endless benefits to the wildlife and the environment. The team are determined to overturn this common problem and are united in their belief that this part of Wharfedale is too beautiful to trash.

 Last year 26 members of staff collected over 240 bags of rubbish filling two industrial sized skips at a cost of £1, 700. The most popular brands found littering the roadside were Stella Artois, Walkers Crisps, Red Bull and Lucozade. Larger items included a Hi-fi, car parts and dead animals. An overwhelming number of more embarrassing items were also found leaving the staff quite perplexed!!

Janet Smith, organiser of the litter sweep, said “over the last few years there has been a noticeable increase in the amount of fly tipping.” This highlights the importance of national campaigns such as Bill Bryson’s “Stop the Drop Campaign”. Mr Bryson, who is President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is running this campaign to raise the profile of litter as a threat to Britain’s countryside.