Tag: National Trust

Hungry and hairy Hungarian hogs help save UK’s most endangered butterfly

Stuart Mitchell

Conservationists racing to save the UK’s most endangered butterfly have recruited the help of some unique volunteers: hairy Hungarian hogs. Butterfly Conservation is working with the National Trust using curly-haired Mangalitsa pigs at one of the charity’s sites on Exmoor to create perfect habitat for the High Brown Fritillary. Since 1978, this pretty orange insect with black chequered wings has declined by 65% in population and 87% in distribution across the UK. It is now found in just three locations in England, one of which is the sun-bathed Heddon Valley…

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Major European awards recognise conservation work of the National Trust

Stuart Mitchell

The conservation of a set of tapestries which took 24 years and cost £1.7 million to complete has won recognition from a major international heritage award. The National Trust received the Europa Nostra Award for its work to conserve the Gideon Tapestries at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire. The task, carried out by hand with traditional sewing and stitching techniques, was praised for “exemplifying the National Trust’s commitment to preservation”. The 2024 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European…

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Celebrated Mount Stewart garden wins European Garden Award for ‘exemplary’ climate mitigation measures

Stuart Mitchell

The National Trust’s Mount Stewart in County Down has received a first prize for Climate Mitigation Measures in Parks or Gardens in the European Garden Award. The prestigious award is given by the European Garden Heritage Network, which represents some 210 parks and gardens across 21 countries, and the Germany-based Schloss Dyck Foundation, a centre for Garden Design and Landscape Culture. It is seen as a ‘seal of quality’ for outstanding achievement in contemporary garden design, the management and development of historic gardens and climate adaptation measures. The celebrated garden…

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WaterAid Garden set to flourish in new home at the National Trust’s Manchester ‘sky park’ after winning Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Stuart Mitchell

WaterAid is delighted to announce the relocation of its striking Gold medal-winning garden from this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show to Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester, where it will inspire even more people to think about sustainable water management. The WaterAid Garden will stand at the entrance of the Victorian-era Grade ll listed steel viaduct in the heart of Manchester, which was opened as a sky park by the National Trust in 2022, providing vital green space and helping preserve part of the city’s industrial heritage. The charity’s garden, which celebrates…

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No shrinking violets! Conservation charity aims to create purple patch with mass planting of 20,000 violets to satisfy particular tastes of rare butterfly

Stuart Mitchell

Across the Shropshire Hills this spring, the National Trust and many dedicated volunteers will start the mass planting of 20,000 marsh violets, the largest planting of its kind in the UK. These delicate little plants are the favourite food of caterpillars of small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies, and by planting more, it’s hoped to attract many more of these rare butterflies. Led by the National Trust, and funded by the Natural England Species Recovery Programme, this ambitious planting is part of the Stepping Stones Project to restore habitat connectivity across the…

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