TWO sets of overhead power lines have been removed from the Afton Marsh nature reserve, near Freshwater.
Engineers from Southern Electric Power Distribution have removed the 40-year-old lines and 11 wooden poles, which stretched nearly a kilometre across the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Beforehand, replacement electricity cables had already been buried next to the nearby road, so homes could keep their lights on. The site was identified by the Isle of Wight AONB Partnership as a top priority for power line removal to restore the open character of the marshland landscape.
Project manager Greg Moore said: "From an engineering perspective, this scheme was quite a challenge.
"Most of the new underground cable went alongside the local road but, to cross the river, we had to burrow it deep down under the tidal watercourse with a high-tech, directional drill.
"It took us over a year to complete the scheme as we had to avoid the nesting season, so we didn’t disturb the wildlife.
"This is a beautiful spot and taking away the power lines makes it look even more stunning."
On the upper reaches of the Western Yar, the nature reserve is on the old flood plain of the river and was once grazing marsh.
The area boasts many plants, including yellow loosestrife, marsh fern, marsh cinquefoil, greater bird’s-foot trefoil and marsh woundwort, as well as the southern marsh orchid and yellow flag.
Water voles, reed and sedge warblers and a wide selection of butterflies are also resident.
On other parts of the £200,000 project, a 'mole plough’ was also used to lay cable.
This specialised piece of equipment causes minimal environmental disruption but can bury cable at nine times the speed of conventional trenching.
Reporter: martinn@iwcpmail.co.uk