Appeal to raise £3m to buy ancient woodland

The Woodland Trust hopes to buy and restore Harrison Woodlands near Louth

A charity is trying to raise more than £3m to buy an ancient Lincolnshire woodland.

The Woodland Trust said it had until December to purchase Harrison Woodlands near Louth.

The trust said the 483 acre (195 hectare) forest was recorded in the Domesday Book and was home to a variety of wildlife, including goshawks and the rare, white admiral butterfly.

It also houses two Neolithic burial mounds designated as scheduled ancient monuments.

Launching the appeal, the charity's chief executive, Darren Moorcroft, said: "If ever there was a site which encompasses our conservation principles, it's this one.

"Being able to bring this wonderful wood into our care would see a valuable and irreplaceable ancient woodland, and its wildlife, given a vibrant and healthy future."

If the land is bought, the trust said it would work to restore it by removing invasive species and thinning out conifers to allow native trees and plants to "reclaim the wood".

There are also plans to open it to the public.

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