We are thrilled to announce that Gregynog has been awarded an incredible £246,966 through the Nature Networks Fund via the Welsh Government.
The funding supports nature recovery and encourages more public access to some of Wales’ most special natural environments.
For Gregynog, and for all our visitors, this investment in our National Nature Reserve and two areas of Special Scientific Interest will make a huge difference and we can’t wait to get started.
Gregynog’s Great Wood, an internationally significant ancient oak woodland, is home to rare lichens and to birds such as pied flycatcher, willow tits and wood warblers.
Our grounds are open to everyone, every day and we know lots of people regularly visit to enjoy a walk in the woods and a coffee in the Courtyard – but also that the rutted tracks make access difficult for both visitors with mobility issues and those with young children – and the woodland tracks can be a muddy mess for much of the year.
The Nature Network Funds support will allow us to:-
- Repair and top dress both the drives down to Bwlch y Ffridd, improve the drainage and fill all the pot holes
- Create a new accessible path around the lily pond, restore the pond and create an accessible 360 degree bird hide on the island accessed by a new bridge
- Clear the lily pond of invasive plants over two years in four periods of work to allow for wildlife.
- Re-sign all our walks on the estate, improve our pathways and mapping.
- Install 50 bird boxes with the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
- Work with the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust to run public events for the next two years, and to monitor wildlife on the estate.
- Install a children’s playground and covered picnic benches for adults and children using sustainable materials and – and a bike rack for visitors and staff by the Courtyard entrance.
- Plant meadow flowers and flowering specimen trees along the drives.
- Continue our work restoring the walled gardens.
Gregynog’s ‘Welcome Home to Nature’ project is one of just 17 in Wales set to benefit from £3.78 million in Welsh Government conservation funding.
The Nature Networks Fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
We are hugely honoured to have been awarded the funding and this grant will be a massive step forward in terms of how we welcome visitors to the Estate.
Gregynog’s Chair Carole-Anne Davies told us:
“We are very proud of our team and their work on the ‘Welcome Home to Nature’ programme. The project allows us to enhance and broaden visitor access and experience, as well as protect and nurture our richly biodiverse reserve as a haven for nature. It also helps consolidate our partnerships, opening up further potential for collaboration and helping us to reveal and share Gregynog’s magic with more people than ever – exploring the joy that comes with integrating nature, science and creativity.”
Ruth Jenkins, Head of Natural Resource Management Policy at Natural Resources Wales said:
“We are delighted to see these projects, each driving forward the practical action needed to address what is one of the most urgent challenges of our times. These projects will seek to recover species and habitats through collaboration among a wide range of land owners and organisations.
“They are all superb and diverse examples of the exciting restoration and community engagement that is a critically needed step to bring about the recovery of nature in Wales.”
Image copyright @Puddleduck Photography
