Reconnecting Grantham to its historic landscape
Londonthorpe Woods and Bellmount
Bellmount and Londonthorpe Woods once formed part of the 17th century Brownlow Estate around Belton House, but over time this historic landscape has become fragmented. The Woodland Trust and National Trust, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, are working together to connect these two sites for people to explore and enjoy.
Our vision for the project
To unite this historic landscape to the east of Belton House, making it accessible to a wider range of people and providing benefits including improved biodiversity, health and wellbeing, learning and skills. Our hope is that this amazing landscape will become a much loved community resource, benefitting the lives of local people and wildlife.
To achieve this, we will:
- Develop understanding and appreciation of the heritage of Londonthorpe Woods and Bellmount, and the role of trees and woodland in the landscape
- Create a Londonthorpe 'gateway', with interpretation, joint access and promotion between the sites
- Promote and improve access, reaching out to diversify the user base at Londonthorpe Woods and Bellmount
- Promote the sites for healthy, active, informal countryside recreation
- Encourage local community involvement in the long-term care of both sites through practical training and the creation of a joint volunteering programme
- Undertake a programme of conservation work to restore and enhance habitats for wildlife, restore built heritage features and establish a programme of long-term ecological monitoring.
See how the project is processing
We began the Reconnecting Grantham project in 2020, and after four incredible years, we're excited to share the progress with you!
We're at Londonthorpe woods this morning and I'd like to tell you about a project that we're working on here. The project is called Reconnecting Grantham to its historic landscape and it's a partnership project between the Woodland Trust and the National Trust at Belton House. And the project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The reconnecting Grandam part of the project is all about reconnecting the landscape, creating a beautiful seamless visitor experience where people can explore the site as a whole rather than in two parts and then also reconnecting Grandam reconnecting the site with the town. So, when we first started the project we found that a lot of people in Grandam didn't even know the site existed and we've been working hard during the project to encourage people from the town to get out to site and enjoy this beautiful green space.
So, I'm here at Londonthorpe car park and this is the new car park that we created just over a year ago. This new car park has a total capacity of about 40 spaces but the really exciting thing about it it does have this this overflow section of the car park that we have closed for most of the time but we do open it up for Community groups to use which allows us to sort of engage with a wider audience really rather than just the local dog walkers coming here. We can also invite school groups here for instance. At the moment we're in our outdoor classroom. We've got a lovely circular bench that sits a class of about 30 children. As part of the car park renovation, we were able to install some compost toilets because the lack of facilities was a major barrier to schools coming to the site.
Schools are starting to come to the site using it regularly they start in the classroom and then venture out onto the site to explore and another thing that they'll be able to do soon is a bit of pond dipping. We're planning to install a pond dipping platform which will just add another layer of interest and excitement for the children when they come to site.
I'm walking along our new 1.2 km easy access track. This runs in a loop all the way from the car park, you can use it all the way through the year. The other thing we're finding with the track and one of our objectives was to bring new people to the wood and this track is helping us to achieve that by allowing disabled people to access the wood. It's allowing parents with younger children in buggies and pushchairs to also come here. One of the other tracks that we've created at the wood here is this new cycleway. So, this is a a new surface track that runs for approximately a kilometre. It fulfils one of our other important objectives of the project which is about green travel. It provides an off-road accessible route from the edge of Grantham to the wood.
As part of the project we've been able to offer an amazing training program for a number of 18 to 30 year olds focused on unemployed youth. So, we call it the Woodland skills training week and we run a week in November and another one in February each year. Where we gather about 10 or 12 unemployed youngsters and we teach them skills like tree planting, thinning, hedge laying all sorts of different activities that they learn and it's been a brilliant opportunity for them because this industry is notoriously difficult to get into without any experience. Working with the job center locally and the young people's learning provision has really allowed us to reach that audience in a way that we wouldn't normally be able to.
The tower that you can see behind me is called Belmont Tower and it's a really well-known feature that you can see from the center of Grandam lot of people are very interested in it. And as part of the project we have been able to work with the National Trust and open the tower on a regular basis. So, once a month we have an open day led by our volunteers and they allow people to go up into the tower and look at the really beautiful views from that special place.
Our main aims for the completion of this project are to promote it as as much as possible within the local community. Community engagement is really important to us and we want as many people as possible to see what Londonthorpe has to offer. We also want to make sure that the Belmont Tower is restored. That we provide the new National Trust car park and also to make sure that the World War II firing range is restored back to its former glory. Our National Trust partnership is really important to us and it's something that we want to ensure continues after this project has ended. We've achieved a huge amount here at Londonthorpe but we still have a slight funding gap to be able to finish everything that we would like to.
If you think that you might be able to help us close that Gap please do get in contact with us.
Helping nature thrive
Restoring Belton’s Eastern Avenue
This historic avenue of veteran trees has been professionally surveyed and is being managed and restored according to guidance from expert surveyors and consultation with stakeholders. This work will prolong the life of these ecologically valuable trees.
Monitoring wildlife
Our team of wildlife monitor volunteers are surveying the project site to record biodiversity. They have surveyed butterflies, birds and waxcap fungi. An ecologist has also carried out bat and bird surveys and has assessed all ponds for the presence of great crested newts. While none have been found so far, we hope that will change with the renovation of the pond at Five Gates Wood.
Habitat conservation
We have several plans in place for habitat conservation including conservation grazing on parts of the site. Grazing areas are fenced in such a way that walkers will still have substantial access to the site even if they do not want to interact with the cattle. With the help of local schools and volunteers, some new tree planting has taken place along the boundary with the industrial area to create a screen.
Trails and outdoor classrooms
A number of children's trails and a tree identification trail will help visitors explore the sites, linked to online resources and spotter sheets. We have installed two dedicated outdoor classroom areas for use by local schools and forest school groups, and we'll be facilitating class visits to help them gain Green Tree Schools Awards. At Five Gates Wood we will create a pond dipping platform, and at Alma Park and Five Gates Wood a natural seating area has been created.
Improving health and wellbeing
Guided walks
We hold regular, volunteer-led guided walks across the sites. These cover themes such as the history of the site as well as ecology and conservation. These guided walks are also available on request to local community groups.
To request an introductory walk, email us at reconnectinggrantham@woodlandtrust.org.uk.
Waymarked trails
We have several routes planned of varying distances and across different areas of the site. Routes will show estimated walking time along with the distance of each route. Alongside these waymarked routes we will soon offer self-led guided walks using an online app.
Cycle route
We have installed a cycle track that runs from Alma Park Industrial Estate to the Londonthorpe car park. This route effectively links the site to Grantham town centre. We are currently in discussion with Sustrans to extend their route no. 15 to include this new section.
The route allows visitors to get to the Londonthorpe car park, park up their bikes and explore the site on foot.
Easy access trail
Woodlands are not always accessible to people with limited mobility or those that use buggies and mobility scooters. We have created a level, easily accessible circular route within the main Londonthorpe Woods site in order to open the site to more users.
To create interest and resting points along this easy access trail we also plan to create a sensory trail and install benches and perch rests.
Carers’ days
We have started to hold regular carers’ days to introduce carers (including parents, teachers and group leaders) to the site and the activities we have on offer.
Email us at reconnectinggrantham@woodlandtrust.org.uk if you'd like to get involved.
Bringing history to life
Interpretation
Londonthorpe Woods and Bellmount have an astonishing history that very few people are aware of. We will create interpretation to tell the stories of past users of these historic sites. Our Historic Research Volunteers have already mapped the interesting features on site to assist with this.
Restoration of historic features
Structural surveys have taken place at Bellmount Tower, at the water tower that sits below it, and at the brick shooting range at Alma Park. These together with the 30-yard machine gun range at Alma Park will be restored or renovated and provided with interpretation explaining their history.
Access to Bellmount Tower
Bellmount Tower is a well known landmark in Grantham. Now that the window repairs are complete, we are able to open the Tower to the people of Grantham on a regular basis. We are currently recruiting volunteers who will open the tower on a regular basis for interested visitors. In summer 2023 the Tower will undergo extensive restoration work and interpretation will be installed.
Although Bellmount Tower can be seen from Belton House, it is not accessible through the deer sanctuary and the gate at Five Gates Lane. We host regular guided walks to facilitate this access.
National Heritage Open Days
As part of the Heritage Open Days event, we host tours to Bellmount Tower and guided walks to showcase the other historic infrastructure on the site (at Alma Park). Grantham Dramatic Society dress in period costume and assist with the guided walks and tours of the Tower and bring the site's history to life.
Other plans
Off-site activity
As part of the plans for the restoration for Belton’s Eastern Avenue, a small tree nursery has been set up near the Rangers’ office at Belton House. This is used for our youth skills training program and for volunteer engagement and training.
In March 2022 we hosted the first 'Ride to the Woods' event in collaboration with Wyndham Park, guiding local residents from the centre of Grantham to Londonthorpe car park along our newly installed cycle path. Our intention is for this to become an annual event. We also plan to offer a series of talks for local groups covering topics of interest relating to the project.
Improved car parks
Londonthorpe car park has been improved and will become the welcome gateway to the site. It has increased slightly in size and has two disabled bays. We have installed an overflow car park for use by visiting groups or for small events. Improvements include a pedestrian gate alongside the bus layby to allow children to alight directly into the safety of the woods. The National Trust's Bellmount car park will remain open but will be reduced in size. Work will start here in summer 2023.
Toilet facilities
The lack of toilets on site prevented some groups from using the woods. We have installed compost toilets as part of the car park design. Daily opening and closing, servicing and cleaning of toilets will be managed by the facilities team at Belton House.
Volunteer opportunities
A number of volunteer opportunities will become available during the delivery of the project. We host regular volunteer training sessions and an annual social event where volunteer groups can share what they’ve been up to and get to know each other.
Skills training
A week-long programme has been created following on from the success of the first Woodland Skills Training Week held in February 2019. We partner with the Grantham and Sleaford Job Centres and YPLP, and provide training sessions twice per year for unemployed 18–30 year olds.
Project costs
Delivering our partnership vision will cost £1.2m over 4 years. We are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding just under half this amount which has been a fantastic kick-start to the project. We are fundraising for the remaining amount from a range of sources and our brilliant members and supporters will be critical in helping us achieve this.
For further information or to give us your feedback or comments, please email our community development officer at reconnectinggrantham@woodlandtrust.org.uk.