A PROJECT to restore rich meadows and grasslands along a five-mile stretch of the Durham coast will begin this year in a new conservation project by the National Trust.

The charity is embarking on ambitious plans to create 50 hectares of wild flower meadows between Hawthorn Dene and Cotsford Field, Horden, near Peterlee, benefitting wildlife including a variety of plants, birds and insects.

The project has been made possible as part of an award of £750,000 made to the National Trust by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

The £40,000 project will focus on the removal of species such as bracken and Himalayan balsam, which are out-competing native species in some areas, followed by the management and improvement of grassland through a programme of cattle grazing and grass cutting.

Cattle grazing encourages wild flower growth as cattle crop the grass and turn over the soil, creating good growing conditions for meadow flowers such as wild thyme, bird’s-foot trefoil, bloody cranesbill and common rock-rose, the larval plant of the rare Durham Argus butterfly. Areas fenced off for grazing will also reduce disturbance to ground-nesting birds including skylark, lapwing and grey partridge.

Eric Wilton, of the National Trust said: “The support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery is a huge boost to nature conservation on the Durham Coast.

“This special area features some extremely rare magnesian limestone habitat. It’s the only place in the world where you find this geology on the coast, which in turn leads to an unusually diverse range of wild flowers and insect life.

“Some meadows are home to up to 50 species of plant life in a square metre and we want to extend these areas.”

Clara Govier, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: We are delighted to see players’ funding supporting significant conservation activity across England and Wales to improve a range of priority habitats, from coastal slopes and chalk grasslands, to woodland pasture, and to safeguard species that call these places home.”