Liz Coates A new wildflower meadow and accessible wildlife garden will be officially opened at Horsey tomorrow. The Horsey Breathing Places project was funded by £8,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

Liz Coates

A new wildflower meadow and accessible wildlife garden will be officially opened at Horsey tomorrow.

The Horsey Breathing Places project was funded by £8,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.

It will be launched by Sir Nicholas Bacon, The National Trust's regional chairman, who will plant a Silver Birch tree.

Pupils from Winterton Primary School will be planting some wild flowers in the meadow and pond dipping as part of the celebrations. Along with the wildflower meadow, an orchard has been planted with varieties of local apple trees.

Rupert Wheeler, chairman of the Norfolk National Trust Volunteers Group (NNTVG) which carried out the work said: “We started work on this back in September 2007, and are delighted to launch the end result. This truly is a Breathing Place, the meadow, gardens and ponds are a great resource and focal point for the community here, accessible to be enjoyed by all. My thanks go to Access North Norfolk Association for their help during the consultation process.”

The meadow has already lured bees, hoverflies and 15 species of butterflies.

Adam Stevens, a regular volunteer at Horsey and member of NNTVG added: “A wheelchair-friendly wildlife garden has been created as part of the project. The garden planting has been designed to attract wildlife and also to provide a sensory experience with scented flowers and foliage, coloured and textured leaves.

Two raised ponds bring aquatic life closer to wheelchair users, something which is not often easy for disabled visitors to see in the Broads. The ponds will also be used for children's pond dipping activities.”

The funding has also provided explorer education packs for children, pond dipping equipment and bird nest boxes. A wheelchair-friendly picnic table has been donated by Trust members.

Horsey warden Steve Prowse, said: “This is by far the biggest project undertaken by the Norfolk National Trust Volunteers and the results are a credit to their hard work and enthusiasm. Visitors to Horsey will be able to get closer than ever to some fantastic habitats and the wildlife they support.”

New members are always welcome. Anyone interested should visit www.norfolkntv.co.uk or contact the National Trust Regional Office on 01284 747500.

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