Wallington to receive share of £5m funding from Garfield Weston Foundation to help ‘turn the tide’ for nature on a huge scale

The battle against both the nature and climate crises is being stepped up on land cared for by the National Trust at four locations in England – including a site in Northumberland – thanks to funding support of £5million from the Garfield Weston Foundation.

‘Turning the tide for nature’ will build wildlife-rich environments while also taking steps to mitigate the effects of climate change in Wallington.

The financing will transform the Fallowlees Burn (river) corridor at the Morpeth estate over the next three years by restoring 70 hectares (173 acres) of land, resulting in marshes, forests, and grasslands.

Following a feasibility assessment, the mosaic of habitats emerging from the river’s banks will improve its health and promote the potential return of water voles.

Year one of this three-year initiative will be spent working with Forestry England, Northumbrian Water, and the estate’s tenants to determine what can be accomplished and develop a plan.

This effort will include investigating the area, focusing on wildlife, archaeology, and water, to determine what is already there and what people concerned can contribute to its improvement. The implementation of that plan will then take place in years 2 and 3.

The funds will also allow for the establishment of a third ark site near Wallington for white-clawed crayfish, the UK’s only native crayfish. This will join the two ark sites already constructed on the Northumberland estate, one in 2022 and the other last year, to help protect the species.

Wallington’s countryside manager, Paul Hewitt, stated, “We’re very excited about the opportunity to work on a project that will restore 70 hectares of land for nature.” Working at a landscape scale, it will connect ecosystems, allowing species to thrive.

“We are also thrilled to be collaborating with our neighbours Forestry England and our farm tenants, and view this as a model for future cooperation.

“We are hugely grateful to the Garfield Weston Foundation for their funding – which in turn has helped unlock additional money from Northumbrian Water and Starling Bank, adding extra value to what should be a great project.”