You may have already seen the massive landslide – more a mudflow – which brought down yet another large beech tree.
The middle path has slipped 3-4 metres down the hillside; the riverside path is covered with mud – with water seeping out of the hillside; and the slippage extends above the middle path. Possibly more will be come down. The County had started to instal drainage and boulders to retain the bank after those trees came down earlier in the year but they’ve been swept away. The current plan is to let the hillside stabilise and in the meantime the County have engaged geotechnical consultants to investigate the problem and to consider possible long term solutions.
The paths are closed but you can walk up through the Wood and then drop back down again to the river, bypassing the slide.
Several beech trees have been felled because they are infected with Meripilis giganteus fungus in the roots making them liable to fall unexpectedly.
There are more photos on Facebook
The County have postponed publishing the official notice for Pelaw Wood to become aLocal Nature Reserve until the landslide is resolved.
And finally – we have discussed the motor- & quad-bike problems with Durham Police. They are sympathetic to the issue, a County wide problem, and had some successes in Esh Winning and Ludworth when intelligence has been gathered to enable action to be taken against riders and some crushing of bikes.
You can assist by: Reporting immediately by calling 101 if you see bikes in or going to or from Wood and you can give the police a good description of the bike and/or rider – what they’re wearing – and especially if you know where they came from. If just noise of bikes in the distance call Sherburn Road police station.