Dropping Well Farm: Heathland in Worcestershire to return

Dropping Well Farm (l) sits next to The Devil’s Spittleful which the trust already owns

Almost 100 acres of land in Worcestershire are to become part of a vital heathland habitat after a charity secured enough funding to purchase it.

Dropping Well Farm is at "the heart" of a series of nature reserves being repurposed into heathland by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

Donations and now over £500,000 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled the trust to buy the land.

Up to 85% of the habitat has been lost across the UK over the past 150 years.

The purchase will create the county's largest block of heathland and become the biggest project the trust has ever taken on.

Insects like pantaloon bee and minotaur beetle, common lizards, and birds such as stonechat and yellowhammer will benefit as they already inhabit nature reserves that surround the land between Stourport, Bewdley and Kidderminster.

The area is already home to many insects, like the hornet robberfly

Colin Raven, director of the trust, thanked everyone for their support and donations

It is hoped that other birds like nightjar and woodlark will be tempted back to the area, the trust said.

Nature trial

Colin Raven, director of the trust, said he was delighted and thanked everyone for their support.

"Lowland heathland is an international rarity and one of the UK's most threatened habitats. We've lost more than 80% across England and 90% here in Worcestershire over the last 200 years," he said.

"This is a great help in our nationwide campaign with other Wildlife Trusts to see 30% of land managed to help nature to recover by 2030."

He said the trust would be working with Wyre Forest District Council and the local community and organisations to encourage people to look after it.

"Whilst we intend to leave vast areas as true refuges for wildlife with very little disturbance from people, we'll also be creating a new nature trail that links up all these individual nature reserves," he added.

Anne Jenkins, from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said it was proud to support the project.

Common lizards and slow-worms will see their habitat expand through the purchase of the land