News
New acquisition of a key site to help nature's recovery
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.
Creating a mosaic of wooded habitat and grassland
Although we're still developing detailed plans for the site, we aim 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. We 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.
Protecting and enhacing important habitats
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.
We 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.
Benefits for nature and climate change resilience
Craig Best, General Manager at the National Trust in the Peak District said:
“The work we will do here will help to protect and improve the variety of life it supports by ensuring important plants, animals, birds and insects, including pollinators like butterflies and bees, have the best conditions to live and feed in this patch of the Peak District. People will notice a difference over time in the wildlife they see here, but the benefits will also stretch to things they can’t see. We’ll be improving soil health and air quality as well as helping to make the area resilient to both drought and flooding as the climate changes.”
“Acquisitions such as this are a critical part of our work to create more space and join up places to give nature the best chance to thrive. It will be essential to work in partnership with our tenant farmers and other landowners to do this. We will continue to look for more opportunities in the coming years to extend the potential to recover nature across the Peak District in this way.”
Maintaining access for people
We 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.