Cash for the Cotswolds (From Gazette Series)

Cash for the Cotswolds

A GRANT of £224,500 has been awarded to farmers and landowners by the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership.

It is part of the partnership's Caring for the Cotswolds project that has attracted £1.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The grants will help conserve limestone grassland and dry stone walls, both important features of the area.

Uley Bury is one of the seven areas of grassland that will share £29,500, while £195,000 will help repair 24 dry stone walls, including walls in Badminton and Hawkesbury Upton.

The partnership's dry stone wall project officer, Jonathan Gahan, said: "Dry stone walls are well recognised as a feature of the Cotswolds and we are helping to conserve them by awarding grants to part-fund repairs."

Grassland project officer Jenny Phelps said: "The Cotswolds contains over half the country's Jurassic limestone grassland which hosts a wide range of wildlife and wild flowers. The grants will help fund fencing and water supplies for grazing livestock, as well as helping farmers to diversify into traditional breeds. The animals graze the grassland sites and create Cotswold produce such as cheese and meat."

The latest round brings the total dry stone wall and grassland grants to more than £400,000.