Britons raise £1m to protect White Cliffs of Dover
SAVED!
THE White Cliffs of Dover have been saved for the nation after an appeal raised more than £1million in three weeks.
Dame Vera Lynn praised the generosity of the public yesterday which means the National Trust will be able to protect the landmark immortalised in her Second World War song.
More than 17,500 people donated money to buy 170 acres at the top of the cliffs amid fears they could have been sold off to developers. The purchase will allow the trust, which secured five miles of the clifftops in 2012, to preserve the natural habitat and wartime structures in the area.
Forces’ sweetheart Dame Vera, famous for her 1942 hit The White Cliffs of Dover, said: ‘My thanks to everyone who embraced the campaign to protect this national icon. The White Cliffs of Dover are a significant landmark and it is so encouraging to know they will be protected for future generations.’ The National Trust appealed for funds on September 4, with a deadline of September 22.
When the appeal was launched Dame Vera, 100, said: ‘They were often the first sight of home for our brave boys as they returned from war and they continue to represent important British ideals such as hope and resilience.’
There are more than 40 species of flowers and grasses per square metre on the land between the South Foreland lighthouse and Langdon Cliffs, which is home to butterflies including the Adonis blue and birds such as peregrine falcons. Military structures include the Wanstone gun battery which deterred invasion.
Virginia Portman, of the National Trust, said: ‘This wonderful landscape now belongs to the nation for ever.’ The cliffs are up to 350ft high and stretch eight miles along the Kent coastline. In addition to the public appeal, which included a significant contribution from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the National Trust was also able to use legacy donations from its Neptune Fund.