Living Landscapes Award

At the AGM of the Essex Wildlife Trust on 3rd October 2015 the Friends of Priory Fields were announced as winners of the Living Landscape Award. This award is presented to parks, nature reserves, councils or landowners who have taken practical steps to protect and enhance the local landscape.

Paul Harden and Bob Law with Iolo Williams

Living Landscapes is a national initiative promoted by The Wildlife Trusts. In the context of Essex Living Landscapes, Danbury Ridge, our area, covers the area south of the River Chelmer and surrounding the villages of Great Baddow, Danbury, Little Baddow, Bicknacre and Woodham Walter. The Area has a diverse mix of habitat for wildlife and its history is apparent in many features within the landscape, including the Iron Age hill fort of Danbury Camp and the designed landscape at Danbury Palace. The Area has historic field boundaries, woodland banks and ditches, earthworks from prehistoric and Tudor times, medieval deer parks, a wealth of archaeological sites and historic buildings all of which contribute to the character of the Ridge.

All the winners

The objectives of Living Landscapes is to conserve and enlarge existing habitats and benefit the wildlife that depend on them, to develop wildlife corridors to enable wildlife species to move to new areas, to conserve the historic assets and to conserve and enhance the landscape character.

 

These objectives are exactly what The Friends of Priory Fields are aiming to achieve and it is very gratifying that our efforts have been acknowledged in this way. Bob Law and Paul Harden who have been two of our greatly valued volunteers for many years collected the award from TV presenter Iolo Williams on behalf of the Friends.