£1m boost to rural habitat

A major cash injection by Natural England – one of the largest ever made under its Environmental Stewardship Scheme - will give another boost to the environmental credentials of the world’s first Garden City.

For the second time in 10 years, Letchworth Garden City Farms Ltd – a subsidiary of Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation - has been awarded grants to continue to improve its countryside stewardship work on the 1029 hectare Letchworth Estate that it owns.

This time, a total of £956,000 has been granted by Natural England over the next 10 years through its Higher level Stewardship (HLS) scheme. It will help a number of projects, including the upgrading of the 21.8km (13.6 mile) Greenway, the town’ route round the Garden City for walkers and in parts wheelchair users, cyclists and horses. On the very popular route, there are several things to do and places to visit with each an attraction in its own right. Information on wildlife, flora and fauna are provided on interpretation boards at four recreation points along the way.

The £1.2m Greenway was built and funded by the Heritage Foundation to celebrate the town’s Centenary in 2003, with financial assistance from one of Natural England’s predecessor organisations.

The Environmental Stewardship Scheme will allow further tree and hedgerow planting around the Estate along with grassland management which will play an integral role in increasing local biodiversity. The scheme also includes planting areas of wildflowers, rich in nectar for bees and butterflies, including the meadow brown and gatekeeper and provision of seed sources for key farmland birds such as the lapwing and corn bunting through the winter and early spring

The historic environment also takes centre stage in the new scheme, with the protection and conservation of many archaeological features around the Estate, including the Ninesprings Roman Villa and Wilbury Hillfort - both of which are Scheduled Monuments in the town.

Elizabeth Towler, the Foundation’s Consultant Landscape Architect said: “We are once again so grateful to Natural England for its unbelievably generous grant, which will prove a major help in our continuous mission to protect, provide and enhance the rural environmental parts of our unique town.”

Andrew Mills, Land Management Adviser for Natural England, said: “We are pleased to be in a position to help in such a tangible way through Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship Scheme. Letchworth Garden City has a proud tradition and its founder Ebenezer Howard was way ahead of his time in wanting to provide easy access for its residents to rural beauty spots close to the heart of the town. Importantly, we can also now fully appreciate the added benefits to health and wellbeing that this access can provide.”


* A sign to acknowledge the massive support from Natural England was commissioned by the Heritage Foundation and erected near Willian Arboretum. The photo shows Stuart Kenny, the Heritage Foundation’s Director General (centre) with Andrew Mills and Elizabeth Towler shortly after the sign was erected on Greenway ‘territory.’