Two sites in the North East are part of the National Trust’s “ambitious” plans for the next decade as it “ramps up” efforts to restore nature and end inequality of access to green spaces and heritage sites.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the conservation charity, and it has launched its new 10-year strategy pledging to create landscapes that are rich in nature over an area equivalent to one-and-a-half times the size of Greater London. The strategy has been drawn up following consultations with 70,000 people, and includes plans to support 100 towns and cities to transform and expand green spaces, and launch an apprenticeship scheme for 130 young people across a range of areas.
Wallington in Northumberland is considered a “nature super site”, meaning it has been identified it as having great potential for wildlife recovery and people will be invited to “adopt” plots of land there. The Trust said that it has seen a decline in the abundance and variety of wildlife over the last 100 years there; whilst extreme weather has left its mark.
However, a programme of nature restoration and conservation has been put in place across the estate, with beavers re-introduced to the site for the first time in 400 years, and an “ark” created to protect endangered crayfish. In recent months the freshwater crayfish have been quarantined in tanks at Wallington after around 70 of the endangered species were found dead in the River Wansbeck catchment.
Fresh ambitions include protecting the 50km of waterways across the estate, creation of new hedgerow and woodland, restoring wetlands and peatlands, championing nature-friendly farming, protecting threatened species, and improving Wallington’s network of public rights of way and paths. The Trust commended the site’s tenant farmers who it says are “actively making space for nature.”
More than 180,000 trees have been planted, with a further 136,000 expected to be planted this winter. Overall, the Wallington site’s ambition is to plant one million trees by 2030.
Closer to Newcastle, the Tyne Derwent Way has been earmarked as a key site to end unequal access to nature, beauty and history; as part of a partnership with Mind to address the mental health crisis. The nine-mile trail connecting Gateshead Quays and Gibside opened in April 2024 alongside the reopening of the Dunston Staithes, and aims to showcase Gateshead’s nature, heritage and culture.
As a partner in the Tyne Derwent Way, one of three “green corridors” in the North East, the charity is working with local authorities, universities and other charities in the hope of supporting local communities to boost health and wellbeing, improving habitats where wildlife can thrive, and improving access around the routes. This will continue throughout 2025, with a series of events planned, and the creation of a Forest School site on the trail said to be one of the biggest highlights so far.
The National Trust’s director-general Hilary McGrady said that since its formation, the National Trust has responded to the crises and challenges of the time. She said: “Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale.
“Meanwhile, millions of people can’t enjoy the benefits that green space and heritage bring. So we will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries.
“We’ll work to end inequality of access to green space and cultural heritage. And we will inspire millions more people to take action to protect the things we all need to thrive.
“Our charity’s founders were passionate campaigners who recognised the threats to our natural and cultural heritage, and, against the odds, did something about it. That same boldness is needed today.
“The Trust is uniquely placed to do something about these challenges and it’s why we are setting ourselves these ambitious but much-needed goals.”
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