A Staffordshire vineyard will open a new nature trail this weekend, adding to the number of attractions at its 60-acre site.
Buzzards Valley Vineyard, on the Canwell Estate near Tamworth, secured funding from Lichfield District Council for the project, which is aimed at ‘bringing nature to life through all the senses’.
The business received £5,839 from the Rural England Prosperity Fund grant after the local authority secured £200,000 from the government.
The new area features a bird and bug nature trail, a sensory path, a den building area and a pollinators garden.
Jayne Dale, from Buzzards Valley, said the UK Shared Prosperity Fund rural funding has been vital to helping them create the project and thanked Lichfield District Council for the grant.
She added: “It has paid for plants, materials and thousands of seeds for our new pollinators garden and sensory path together with a map board and information boards, a seed library and ironwork models of the wildlife at Buzzards Valley.
“The grant has also funded new leaflets with maps that visitors can carry as they explore and two water resistant shelters. One of these can be hired by wellbeing groups for outdoor yoga, tai chi, sound baths and meditation while the other is situated in our woodland and they can both double as outside classrooms for schools to hire when they visit the site.”
A spokesperson for Lichfield District Council said: “We are delighted that we have been able to deliver a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant to Buzzards Valley. The money has helped the business diversify further with a fantastic nature trail for visitors.
“The full allocation of £200,000 has been granted to a total of eight projects to support the growth of farming businesses and the creation of new, or improvement of existing rural hospitality venues. It’s great to be able to support brilliant small local businesses.”
The free nature trail opens on Sunday, 6 April, and will be available seven days a week from 10am until 3pm. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on a lead.
Buzzards Valley, where 8,000 vines are grown, was established in 2001 and has since grown to develop six fishing lakes and a successful retail and online shop.
It is also home to an artisan shop, flower wholesale business Excelsior Wholesale, Ex Showhome Furniture, Kiki’s Bistro, RMD Flooring, Lichfield Garden Buildings and a spiritual retreat centre, Shaman’s Rest.
