£2.75m grant set to transform woodland
AN area of natural beauty frequented by naturalist Sir David Attenborough as a child looks set to secure a £2.75 million grant.
Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire is where Sir David first began his love affair with the great out- doors.
Now a development grant of £176,429 has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable the Charnwood Forest Regional Park Partnership to develop its plans and seek final approval for the full grant amount of £2.6m at a later date.
It will help people to explore Charnwood by investing in the ‘honeypot’ sites of Beacon Hill, Bradgate Park and the outwoods and improve the network of footpaths, bridleways and cycle routes that link them.
In addition, it will also help people to engage with Charnwood’s rich history through arts, activ- ities and events and offer them opportunities to learn new skills such as drystone walling and wildlife recording.
It will then harness people’s interest in Charnwood to get them involved in its future through helping tell its stories, managing its habitats and protecting its heritage.
Charnwood Forest’s unique landscape erupted out of a volcano 600 million years ago, in the oceans near the South Pole.
It has developed rich layers of heritage: its landscape is defined by granite-topped hills, wooded valleys, heathlands and grasslands; its shaded lanes reveal arts and craft cottages, ancient monasteries and drystone walls.
Sir David was inspired as a boy in Leicestershire by its internationally important geology and fossils.
Drew Bennellick, from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Natural Heritage, said: “Across the UK people are increasingly realising that nature is in trouble and it’s time to take a more proactive approach.
“Schemes like these provide a creative solution to helping people reconnect with landscapes and the environment, to implement solutions at a truly landscape-scale and tackle issues such as soil loss and flooding by supporting partnerships and coalitions of the willing.”
John Everitt, chief executive of the National Forest Company, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to develop the Charnwood landscape and we are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund and to all National Lottery players for making it possible.
“We look forward to working with all our partners to bring Charnwood’s stories to life and help the surrounding communities engage with this very special place.”
Pam Posnett, Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “From the bluebells in the spring to rock climbing and hiking, there are lots of reasons to visit Charnwood Forest.
“Its unexpected and dramatic upland landscapes are steeped in history, with one of the world’s earliest fossils being found there in the 1950s.
“It really is fantastic that the funding bid has been successful, encouraging people from Leicestershire and beyond to appreciate what’s on their doorstep.”