Durlston Country Park near Swanage has won support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund to restore and enhance its lost Victorian landscape for local people and wildlife. The project will receive £900,000 from the HLF’s Parks for People programme towards the ‘Durlston Pleasure Grounds’ Project.
Over the next 3 years, volunteers will work with Rangers, artists and specialists to create a landscape which is inspiring, accessible, educational, playable and sustainable.
Victorian landscape and features will be enhanced, inspired by Victorian owner George Burt’s vision for people to ‘Look round and read great nature’s open book’.
Plantings and habitat management will benefit wildlife and the tranquillity of the area will be maintained, creating opportunities for play, discovery and creativity, along with a base for training and volunteering.
Ali Tuckey, Project Leader, said: “This grant is the result of many years of hard work by staff, volunteers, Friends of Durlston and partner organisations, and we are really grateful to everyone who has helped so far – now the real work starts!
The Durlston Pleasure Grounds Project will help make sure Durlston can play a part in improving the lives of local people and we hope that the work we are planning would make George Burt proud.”
