Natural Advantage in the South West

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Initiated by English Nature

Project origins
Hardy’s Egdon Heath – Return of the Native Dorset Heathland, is the Dorset initiative of a a five year national partnership project, Tomorrow’s Heathland Heritage, initiated and led by English Nature. This aims to restore, re-create and conserve lowland heathlands in the United Kingdom. Named after novelist Hardy’s references to heaths, Hardy’s Egdon Heath project aims to achieve a significant percentage of the UK BAP targets for the internationally rare lowland heathland habitat. This project is focussed on putting back some of the 80% of Dorset heathland that has been lost since the 1800s to development, agriculture, forestry, and more recently lack of management.

Action for biodiversity
The more open heathland, with less dominant gorse and scrub, that the project has created benefits many of the rare species for which heathland is important, such as sand lizard, smooth snake and many invertebrates. Grazing introduced after scrub clearance will lead to a more diverse heathland structure.

Relationships to sustainable development
The Hardy’s Egdon Heath project will benefit the internationally important wildlife associated with lowland heathlands and thereby make a very significant contribution towards national, regional and local BAP targets. It aims to restore and secure management of 7000ha of lowland heathland in Dorset that is sustainable in the long-term. It seeks to enhance public and particularly the local community’s appreciation and enjoyment of heathland’s rich environmental, historical and cultural value.

Partners
English Nature
The National Trust
Borough of Poole
Borough of Bournemouth
Borough of Christchurch
Dorset County Council
Dorset Wildlife Trust
East Dorset District Council
Forest Enterprise
Holton Lee
Ministry of Defence
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Herpetological Conservation Trust

Extent
631 hectares

Resources
Heritage Lottery Fund
Matched funding from partners

Other information
Hardy’s Egdon Heath Project Management Team, Ryan House, Ryan Business Park,
Wareham, Dorset, BH20 4DY

Partners receive funding (63.9%) towards habitat management work on their sites, such as gorse and scrub control, bracken control and fencing.

All clearance work within the project is mapped and so is measurable against the UK BAP, as well as local, targets.

Contact
Angela Peters
Geoff Hann

The National Trust
Countryside Office
Middle Beach Car Park
Studland
Swanage
Dorset
BH19 3AX

Tel: 01929 450259
Fax: 01929 450508
Email: angela.peters@nationtrust.org.uk
geoffrey.hann@nationaltrust.org.uk