Restoring the natural landscape

The Ridgeway is Britain's oldest road, stretching for 87 miles through two areas of outstanding natural beauty: the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns. Historically, both areas were covered in large expanses of chalk grassland – a biologically rich and diverse habitat, known to support as many as 40 species of flowering plant per square metre. Today, however, very little of this grassland remains.

Dr Lindsay Turnbull, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, is leading a three-year study into the value of the Ridgeway National Trail for conserving the biodiversity associated with chalk grassland. Here, she explains how donors are helping to make this important work possible.

This project has been made possible by a donation from Mr and Mrs J A Pye's Charitable Settlement.