The 15 hectares of farmland at Cold Springs, on the outskirts of Penrith was given to us by Ann Clark, in memory of her husband Brian.

Helen Duxbury, Development Manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: “We are incredibly grateful to Brian and Ann Clark for donating this gift of land to us. Together they have left Penrith with a wonderful community asset for the future. While the land is not currently home to much in the way of wildlife habitats or species, due to the lack of trees and years of grazing, we have a great opportunity to create more space for wildlife at Cold Springs in the future.”

Ann was born in London but often visited the Lakes on holidays, before deciding to move here. She married Brian Clark in 1982. Cold springs was Brian’s family farm and they lived at the farm for a while with other family members. After Brian’s death in 2004, part of the farm was sold for housing development, but Ann had a stake in the farm and negotiated to retain some of the land to give to Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

When Ann’s health was failing, she wanted to see the gift completed in her lifetime, so she set things in motion and the gift was finally transferred in August 2021. Ann said: “I am entrusting this land to Cumbria Wildlife Trust and have complete confidence that they will use it effectively, for nature and people.” Ann died in late 2021.

Helen Duxbury said gifts like Ann and Brian’s can make a real difference to Cumbria’s wildlife: “It’s a simple yet powerful way to keep your wishes alive and help Cumbria’s wildlife in the future. Over the years, gifts in Wills have directly purchased land that we look after as nature reserves, including at Brown Robin and Eycott Hill. They’ve also improved habitats for threatened species and helped some of our most loved wildlife return to our fells and valleys. By joining our mission for nature's recovery, these generous people are all making a real difference to Cumbria’s wildlife and our natural world. We are incredibly grateful to Ann and Brian and to all those who have supported us in this way.”

Helen explained why we need to restore nature-depleted habitats like Cold Springs: “Our natural world is in trouble - wildlife is disappearing at an alarming rate. Only 15% of Cumbria’s land is protected for wildlife and only one fifth of this protected land is in a good condition for wildlife - this isn’t enough. We’re calling for 30% of land to be connected and protected for wildlife by 2030. Transforming the fields at Cold Springs and other places like this could help us reach this target. Making more space for nature to become abundant once again, by improving habitats, will give our struggling wildlife the chance to recover and also restore beautiful wild places.

“The benefits of making more farmland better for wildlife are wide-reaching, for people and for nature. It would improve resilience by enhancing nature’s ability to prevent flooding and improve air quality, boost the recreational and local tourism economy, create new environmental jobs, and help tackle the climate emergency by storing carbon. 

“Our plans at Cold Springs are still in the early stages, but we’ll be consulting with local people about how they would like to see the land used, as we improve it for wildlife and biodiversity.”

Plans are yet to be drawn up but could include planting grasslands, trees and shrubs to increase biodiversity, in particular to help pollinating insects. The land could be transformed to a nature-rich park, with open access to everyone. Those living nearby will be invited to comment on the plans and Cumbria Wildlife Trust will be contacting local groups, such as schools and nursing homes, and holding a drop-in event at the site later in the year, when local people can comment on the proposals.

Our 15 hectares of fields at Cold Springs are beneath Penrith Beacon, south of Beacon Edge. A housing development currently being built nearby is not on the land owned by Cumbria Wildlife Trust, but is bordering it.

We work  closely with local landowners to ensure that farmland is managed in the best way for wildlife, while still providing a living to those who work the land. It provides guidance for farmers and landowners on wildlife-friendly measures and the supporting schemes offered by the government.  

To find out more about leaving Cumbria Wildlife Trust a gift in your Will, call Helen Duxbury on 01539 816300 or click on the link below.

We are also very grateful to the Network For Nature programme, which has given money to help us create pollinator habitat at Cold Springs.