Heritage Lottery Fund to increase access and interpretation at Oxhey Woods Local Nature Reserve

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a grant of £46,000 to increasing access and awareness of Oxhey Woods Local Nature Reserve.

The £200,000 project about to get underway is set to reinvigorate Oxhey Woods Local Nature Reserve, South Oxhey. The project will deliver improvements, previously identified in the local Green Infrastructure Plan, which will greatly enhance this underused public asset.

New signage and updated access points will connect local communities and create a strong identity for this Local Nature Reserve. An easy access trail will be created and local children engaged in the design of sculptures that will be found along the way. More active visitors will find the site easier to explore following new waymarked routes thanks to drainage and surfacing works. An orienteering course is also planned.

Local people will be engaged in conservation activities throughout the life of the project. A training programme will provide new skills to volunteers, enabling them to continue taking an active role in caring for Oxhey Woods long into the future.

Countryside Management Service has just secured a ‘Your Heritage’ grant for £46,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a further £60,000 has already been recruited through the Forestry Commission’s Woodland Improvement Grant. The remaining project fund has been allocated by Three Rivers District Council.

Councillor Keith Williams, Three Rivers District Council Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Community, said;
“We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has chosen to support this project, the improvements to Oxhey Woods will allow all generations to experience and understand this fabulous local nature reserve”

Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said;
“We at the Heritage Lottery Fund are really pleased to be able to help fund this project at Oxhey Woods. Valuing and learning about our environment is vital to ensure that we preserve our precious woodlands for future generations. This project has the potential to give many more people the opportunity to learn about and explore their precious natural heritage.”