Woodland gets picnic tables and animal sculptures

Picnic tables and wooden animal sculptures have been installed in a woodland in North Yorkshire.

The project at Round Howe Wood, by the River Swale, was led by Richmond Rotary Club to improve the area for visitors.

It included two oak picnic tables, wooden toadstools and sculptures of otters, badgers, an owl and a mole by chainsaw artist Sam Bowsher.

Funding was provided through a £10,000 National Highways Community Legacy Fund grant, while work on the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project takes place in the surrounding areas.

Volunteers from the British Gurkhas and Nepalese Community, from Catterick and Darlington, helped to install the new features alongside club members.

Colin Grant, from the Richmond Rotary Club, said: "I am really pleased with the outcome of this community project.

"Some time ago, the club was asked to see if we could improve Round Howe Wood, which had some 15-year-old woodland sculptures that had seen better days.

"This is a picnic area, but visitors had few facilities to attract them to stay for a picnic."

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