Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Newsletter

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Free Biodiversity Walks this Autumn
Book your school Landscape Workshop
The Wild Flowers of Wiltshire
The future for our churches
Farmland Birds call for Applications
Game Project Overview
Archaeology and Farming
Landscapes into Planning

Free Autumn Walks

Get out and about this autumn with our Free autumn walks – The AONB team are celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity by offering these free autumn walks:

Saturday 30th October - 10.30am – 12.30pm

Martin Down National Nature Reserve

A great opportunity to hear from Robert Lloyd, Natural England Senior Reserve Manager, about the biodiversity work undertaken on this important chalk grassland reserve:

Meet Point: At A354 car park (Grid Ref SU036200)
Duration: Approx 2 hours
Terrain: Easy however please wear suitable footwear and appropriate clothing for the time of year
Toilets: None
Dogs: No dogs

Saturday 6th November - 10.00am – 2.00pm

Fontmell and Melbury Downs

Clive Whitbourn, a National Trust Warden, will lead a walk around these fabulous downs. A unique chance to hear about the biodiversity, along with the history of the landscape and its archaeology.

Meet Point: NT Fontmell Down car park at the top of Spread Eagle Hill (Grid Ref: ST888185); further parking on the north side of the triangle, near to the airfield.
Duration: Approx 4 hours.
Terrain: Consistently steep in places including 3 stile crossings. Stout footwear and clothing suitable for time of year required
Facilities: If you wish to bring food/drink, there will be rest stops. Refreshments and toilet facilities are available close by, for when the walk has concluded.
Dogs: On leads

Saturday 4th December 10am - 12.30pm

Downlands Church Farm Tytherington Near Warminster, BA12 7AB

Tracy Adams, South Wiltshire Farmland Bird Adviser and Victor Sidford, farmer, will lead a walk around this mixed farm with wonderful views of the Wiltshire Downs. A fantastic opportunity to find out about how wildlife management, particularly for farmland birds, can co-exist with farming.

Meet point: Farmyard accessed through Downlands Equestrian Centre (Grid Ref ST915406). Meet in the car park for the event field, where car sharing can be arranged.
Duration: 2-2.5 hours.
Terrain: Easy including 2 climbs but no stiles. Wear suitable outdoor clothing and footwear for the time of year.
Toilets: None
Dogs: On leads

Your Views and Ideas are Needed

The AONB Partnership and a number of potential partners are putting together a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The fund is known as the 'Landscapes Partnership Scheme' and, if successful, would provide approximately £1.5 million to the historic and distinctive Cranborne Chase area of the AONB, over a period of up to 5 years. This funding would be used to undertake specific, practical projects, to conserve and enhance this very special area. The project will focus on the heart of the Cranborne Chase medieval hunting forest.

Welcome to the Autumn 2010 edition of The Hart

The Hart newspaper keeps you up to date with all that is going on within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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