The preservation of an historic woodland on the Lincolnshire Wolds has been made possible thanks to funding from East Lindsey District Council.

The site, Harrison Woodlands near Louth, has been purchased by the Woodland Trust and is now open to residents and visitors to the district.

This has been achieved through a major investment of £1m through the East Lindsey Investment Fund, provided through the council’s own funds, and further support (£0.18m) from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. In addition, the Woodland Trust received contributions from other funders and ran a very successful public appeal which raised over £1m towards the purchase of the site.

Harrison Woodlands is a 482 acre ancient woodland, mentioned in the Domesday Book, and is already home to some wonderful wildlife, including regionally-rare white admiral butterflies and one of only four known pairs of nesting ravens in the county.

In recent times the woodland has been managed for commercial timber, but the Woodland Trust is now starting to implement a significant programme of restoration. This will involve the removal of non-native conifers to allow the return of native tree species and their associated wildlife.

The grants from the council were agreed with condition that the site is to be conserved and made accessible for the long-term use and enjoyment of East Lindsey’s residents.

Ancient woodland is an integral part of the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a unique landscape of rare beauty within East Lindsey, which attracts thousands of visitors a year.

Councillor Craig Leyland, Leader of East Lindsey District Council, said: “It is absolutely wonderful that East Lindsey District Council has been able to help the Woodland Trust in its pursuit to purchase and preserve this beautiful and historically important site.

“The plan to save the woodland and ensure that residents and visitors can enjoy it for years to come is something we were keen to support through both the East Lindsey Investment Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

“Supporting the creation of sensitively developed public, green spaces will not only promote conservation of the district’s natural environment but is integral in supporting the local economy through promoting sustainable tourism.

“In creating ELIF, we set the aim of attracting more people to visit the district – including the Lincolnshire Wolds – and through investing in sustainable tourism in East Lindsey, the Council is making sure that residents in all parts of our District can share in the prosperity that comes from our rapidly growing Visitor Economy sector.

“Being able to facilitate the safe reopening of Harrison Woodlands ensures that this ancient green space will once again become an interesting and peaceful place to enjoy for all.”

Toby Bancroft, Regional Director at the Woodland Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to secure the purchase of Harrison Woodlands last year, with significant financial support from East Lindsey District Council as well as generous contributions from the public via our appeal.

“We’ve been busy behind the scenes over the last 12 months doing the groundwork needed to both make the site safe for visitors and to plan our long-term restoration of the woodland for the benefit of nature and biodiversity.

“Ancients Woodlands are unique, irreplaceable and vulnerable habitats, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to safeguard the future of Harrison Woodlands for generations to come. In addition to their ecological value, we also recognise the plethora of wider benefits that trees and woodlands bring to a landscape, from carbon sequestration to health & wellbeing improvements for local communities.

“We’re proud to be able to realise these benefits through our long-term plans for managing Harrison Woodlands and we’re looking forward to seeing how the site and its wildlife develops over coming years.”

You can learn more about funding opportunities in East Lindsey here: www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/LGGF and more about Harrison Woodlands here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/harrison-woodlands/