Northamptonshire Limestone and John Clare Country

Join us

Collyweston-Quarries_Marbled-White_HS

creating a network of woodland, grassland and wetland habitats

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire

The wildlife of the open, expansive landscapes beloved of Northamptonshire poet John Clare has all but vanished. This Living Landscape scheme will link and extend the remaining fragments to ensure that the flowers, butterflies and creatures recognised and loved by the poet have a place to call home, long into the future.

This scheme aims to create a network of woodland, grassland and wetland habitats, safeguarding existing areas, interpreting the historical and wildlife value of the area to local people, and enhancing the resource for the future.

It aims to achieve this by enlarging existing nature reserves and working in partnership with local landowners to help them to enhance their land for wildlife.

What’s happening?

We have:

Purchased 89 hectares of woodland and grassland.
Begun a successful restoration of 12 hectares of limestone grassland on unproductive ex-arable land.
Provided a wide range of training events to give volunteers the skills they need to support a Living Landscape scheme through practical habitat management, wildlife monitoring and education work.
Purchased Torpel Manor Wildlife Site in Helpston - a 9-acre wildflower-rich grassland site.
Extended Swaddywell Nature Reserve by purchasing an additional 18 acres, taking the total reserve up to 40 acres.
Worked with owners Tarmac at Maxey Quarry and entered into a management agreement for their important 65-acre site, as they have with National Grid at a 20-acre site at Bainton Heath.

Scheme area: 11,000 hectares

Trust reserves within the scheme

Old Sulehay & Ring Haw; Collyweston Quarries; Southorpe Meadow & Paddock

Partners

Natural England, Forestry Commission, Local Authorities, local landowners, Langdyke Countryside Trust.

To find out more

Email: northamptonshire@wildlifebcn.org | Tel: 01733 294543 | Northamptonshire Limestone and John Clare Country

Living Landscapes

Find out more about our Living Landscape conservation work - targeting areas for landscape-scale nature conservation and transforming places for people and wildlife.