Natural England marks the 250th anniversary of Constable’s birth
The best locations for 300 hectares of new woodland identified. Hedgerow restoration supports rare species like hazel dormice, turtle doves and barn owls
As we mark the 250th anniversary of John Constable’s birth, Natural England is advising on nature recovery across Suffolk’s Dedham Vale.
The undulating farmland and meandering waterways Constable painted in masterpieces including The Hay Wain in 1821, and Dedham Vale in 1828, are being restored.
The Dedham Vale National Landscape is facing threats from climate change, with the decline of ancient woodland, hedgerows and meadows. The nature recovery work will create new hedgerows and scrub providing habitats for the hazel dormouse, the Dedham Vale’s flagship species, and benefit more than two-thirds of the area’s priority wildlife, from turtle dove and yellowhammer to barn owl, water vole, and stag beetle.
Hannah Thacker, deputy director for Natural England in Norfolk and Suffolk, said:
Natural England is investing in nature recovery in Suffolk so future generations can enjoy the landscapes captured in Constable’s beautiful work.
Dedham Vale is one of England’s most treasured landscapes, with rolling farmland, ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and the winding River Stour. It has drawn visitors for centuries, but it now faces real threats from climate change.
We have given farmers advice and funding to help them restore hedgerows, improve soil health and reduce river pollution, in landscapes that Constable lovingly painted throughout his life.
Natural England has set a local target of 300 hectares of new woodland in the Suffolk portion of the Dedham Vale, based on the most suitable areas for new woodland. This directly supports the government target for a 3 per cent increase in tree canopy and woodland cover across protected landscapes by 2050.
Natural England is advising on nature recovery across the Dedham Vale, working with local farmers, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the National Trust, and the Dedham Vale National Landscape team. The work is guided by Suffolk’s local nature recovery strategy, which maps where efforts will have the greatest impact on wildlife and people.
Background:
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Photos are available from the Natural England press office.
- Dedham Vale is a national landscape, formerly an area of outstanding natural beauty, designated in 1970, sitting along the Suffolk-Essex border. The protected landscape targets and outcomes framework, or PLTOF, is a DEFRA framework setting targets for England’s national landscapes and national parks. Natural England is responsible for monitoring progress against PLTOF targets.
- As the government’s official environmental adviser, Natural England plays a pivotal role in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. The act now states that authorities such as Natural England must “seek to further” the statutory purposes by conserving and enhancing the area’s natural beauty.
Contact us:
Natural England press office: Journalists only - 0800 141 2743 or communications_se@environment-agency.gov.uk.
If you are not a journalist and would like to contact Natural England - 0300 060 3900 or enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.