A DEDICATED group of volunteers has helped remove three scheduled ancient monuments at a Furness beauty spot off Historic England's 'at risk' register.

A prehistoric stone circle on Birkrigg Common, near Ulverston, which features enclosures and a nearby bowl barrow, together with round cairn, have been taken off the register.

The 'at risk' register is an annual snapshot of the health of England’s historic environment, which identifies listed buildings and scheduled monuments that are in danger of being lost to the nation.

The sites have been saved thanks to the heritage conservation efforts of the Morecambe Bay Partnership and its hard-working volunteers and a team from the Ulverston branch of Cumbria Wildlife Trust who have undertaken targeted vegetation clearance over the last three years.

Ulverston based GlaxoSmithKilne and the National Trust have also provided support to the project, through volunteer action days and working parties.

Together they have helped reduce bracken growth in the area and in turn helped to increase visibility around the site. Bracken has a destructive underground network of roots that can damage archaeologically important remains.

Louise Martin, Morecambe Bay Partnership’s Cultural Heritage Officer, said “We are delighted that the work of our dedicated volunteers has made this possible and to have such a direct and important impact upon Birkrigg’s precious prehistoric sites.

"This has been made possible with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and this wonderful outcome could not have been achieved without the support of Historic England and the dedication of our volunteers, who have turned out in all weathers to tackle the bracken that has encroached on the site for years. And it shows how, through hard work, we can protect the historic environment”

Sarah Howard, Heritage at Risk Project Officer for Historic England, who has worked closely with the partnership to guide and advise on the conservation efforts said “Without the dedication of the Morecambe Bay Partnership team and volunteers to clear bracken on Birkrigg Common, the double ring ‘concentric’ stone circle, one of only 15 in Britain, would be almost invisible.

"The removal of the Birkrigg monuments from the register marks a milestone for addressing prehistoric Heritage at Risk sites in the Bay area, and the challenge now is to find a sustainable solution to keep the bracken under control.”

Cllr Graham Vincent, South Lakeland District Council’s portfolio holder for Economy and Assets, said: “This is testimony to the effective work of the Partnership and the dedication of the volunteers that have worked so hard on this project. Their efforts will ensure that these important sites can continue to be preserved and enjoyed by visitors to this wonderful part of our district.’’

Conservation work will continue on the sites in 2018, to ensure that the bracken growth is kept under control. Morecambe Bay Partnership is seeking local enthusiasts to form a group that will ‘adopt’ the monument.