Wessenden Valley Rhododendron Removal
Marsden, HuddersfieldMoors for the Future PartnershipMarch 2026
Rope access rhododendron removal on steep embankments and crags at Marsden, Huddersfield — a five-person team working from driven ground anchors.
Challenge
Rhododendron stood on steep tiered slopes, valley embankments and a cliff face with a waterfall, where ground-based vegetation clearance was not practicable. Work areas ran from small regrowth to dense mature bushes across parcels of up to 3.87ha, with watercourses close to much of the vegetation and a four-week programme to cover the lot. No existing anchor points were available at Marsden, so every rope access system had to be built from anchors driven into the ground.
Approach
A five-person team carried out the vegetation clearance at Marsden: a site manager, an IRATA Level 3 rope access supervisor, two IRATA Level 1/2 technicians and a labourer. With no existing anchor points on site, ground anchor stakes were driven two-thirds in at 10°–15° backwards and fitted with steel anchor strops to EN795:Type B, with each technician rigged on an independent working line and back-up line. Seedlings were pulled and bagged, small bushes dug or winched out, and larger bushes cut at ground level with hand saws before the stumps were drilled and plugged with eco plugs. Arisings were bagged, trolleyed to the chipping areas and removed to a licensed waste facility daily.
Outcome
Rhododendron was cleared from all four parcels, from 0.9ha of tiered slope to the 3.87ha valley area, including the crag face and waterfall, within the four-week programme. Stumps were drilled and treated with eco plugs, vegetation within 3m of watercourses was dug or winched out where practicable, and arisings were removed to a licensed waste facility daily.
Project gallery.
Project specifications.
- Work areas
- Steep tiered slopes, embankments, valley slopes and a cliff face with waterfall; areas of 0.9ha, 0.6ha, 1.6ha and 3.87ha
- Access method
- Rope access from driven ground anchors; independent working and back-up line per technician
- Anchorage
- Ground anchor stakes driven two-thirds in at 10°–15° backwards; steel anchor strops (EN795:Type B)
- Rope access equipment
- 5 harness sets (EN358, EN12841:B, EN12841:A, EN362, EN355, EN397), 6 LSK ropes (EN1891), 8 steel strops and 10 slings (EN795)
- Team
- Site manager, 1 IRATA Level 3 supervisor, 2 IRATA Level 1/2 technicians, 1 labourer
- Removal method
- Hand saws only; seedlings pulled and bagged, small bushes dug or winched out, larger bushes cut at ground level
- Stump treatment
- Stumps drilled and plugged with eco plugs, quantity by stump diameter
- Waste
- Arisings bagged and trolleyed to chipping areas, chippings tipped and removed to a licensed waste facility daily