The National Trust has recently acquired 76 hectares (189-acres) of land at New Hanson Grange, near Milldale in the White Peak area of the Peak District National Park, as a key site to help nature’s recovery, by making more space for wildlife to thrive and improving the areas resilience to climate change.
Although the National Trust is still developing detailed plans for the site, the conservation charity aims to care for the new area of land in a way which creates more homes for birds like tawny owls, song thrush, woodcock, redstart and meadow pipit, as well as small mammals such as voles and hedgehogs, and insects like bees, butterflies and moths. They would like to create a mosaic of wooded habitat and grassland where wildflowers, fungi, scrub, like hawthorn, holly and gorse, and native trees will grow.
Work will take place to establish more trees in the landscape by creating wood pasture, which will help to extend the 12 hectares (30 acres) of woodland and wooded habitat which already exists on the site and in the adjacent valley. This will support biodiversity and create a buffer zone along the edges of the land near Dovedale where the 118 hectares (292 acres) of woodland is home to a range of different wildlife species.
The acquisition will protect and enhance important grassland and river habitats on adjoining land in the Dove Valley, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve
The Trust will work together with local farmers to deliver the best for nature, climate and people. Grazing animals will be an important part of their work to create a landscape to provide homes for nature at the same time as supporting healthy livestock.
The charity will continue to maintain public access on the footpaths which already run through the land at New Hanson Grange, while looking for new opportunities to improve access for the local community, ramblers and visitors to the area so that people can enjoy views across the beautiful Dove Valley.”