Big Lad pulls his weight in the woods

His name’s a clue: Big Lad the giant Clydesdale comes to Dovestone on Friday

A leading conservation group has recruited heavyweight horse power to help at a beauty spot.

Visitors can see Big Lad, a 10-year-old Clydesdale, help the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) group at Dovestone at Greenfield. The horse, from the Green Estate in Sheffield, will be part of a woodland demonstration day on Friday (11am-3 pm).

Wardens and volunteers will be working near Ashway Gap and Big Lad will drag timber to the main path, where it will be used for fencing and benches. For a donation, children will be able to lead Big Lad along the path at key times during the day.

RSPB visitor experience manager at Dovestone, Miriam Biran, said: “This should be a really exciting day and a great opportunity to see traditional methods of woodland management. Big Lad will be removing timber from an area difficult to access with a machine. It’s wonderful to have his help and at around six-feet tall, he’s an impressive sight.”