Tamar Valley apprentice kicks off £268K beauty spot scheme

Myles Pinkney has started his apprenticeship at the Cotehele estate on the River Tamar

A young conservationist is the first of 20 new apprentices to start work at a beauty spot which runs along the boundary between Devon and Cornwall.

Myles Pinkney, 23, will be getting his hands dirty as part of a £268,000 trainee scheme in the Tamar Valley.

The Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme's assistant ranger role is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Trust.

A total of £3.2m is being ploughed into conserving the area until 2025.

The Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, shaped by the rivers Tamar, Tavy and Lynher, has a rich mining and market gardening history and is a haven for wildlife.

Mr Pinkney, who started his 18-month apprenticeship at the historic Cotehele estate on the Tamar, said he was "looking forward to exploring the woodlands and various other habitats to learn how to manage and protect this special historic and environmentally rich place".

He already knows the area well, having grown up there.

Project officer Chris Harris said it would "train local people so they have the right skills needed to work in this historic and protected landscape".

The Tamara Landscape Partnership is a five-year project designed to improve access and and promote ways for people to enjoy the landscape.