Higher Ground December 2024

Welcome to this years round up from the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape. From the team at the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service we wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Joyful 2025.

Lincolnshire Wolds Grant Scheme

Our grant scheme is now closed and all funds have been successfully allocated!

Please visit out website in April/May 2025 for further updates.

If you have a project idea that you’d like help, advice and possible grant aid for, then please get in touch. Projects that deliver improvements and enhancements for landscape, conservation, access, information and business within the Lincolnshire Wolds are eligible to receive up to 80% support.

Farming in Protected Landscapes

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, delivered by the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service on behalf of Defra, is in its final year of delivering project funding which will end in March 2025.

FiPL was set up to support farmers and landowners with projects that:

• Help nature recovery.

• Mitigate the impacts of climate change.

• Provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage.

• Protect or improve the quality and character of the landscape.

The Lincolnshire Wolds FiPL Programme has already allocated over £460,000 to projects in the coming financial year, but that still leaves around £30,000 available for applications. These will be welcomed from farmers and landowners in the National Landscape (AONB) who meet some of the outcomes in the national themes of Climate, Nature, People and Place and the relevant ones related to the current Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Management Plan.

Because there is a tight timetable for project applications to be approved by the Local Assessment Panel (LAP), and successful applicants must be able to complete projects, make claims to access their agreed funding and be paid before the end of the financial year in March 2025, the projects most suitable will be for small-scale capital works or equipment that will meet the programme outcomes.

Since December 2021, the Lincolnshire Wolds contribution to the FiPL programme across all of the National Parks and National Landscapes so far has been to:

• allocate £1,024,000 for projects.

• support 67 projects for nearly 50 farmers and landowners.

• deliver across more than 21,000 hectares of farmland.

In addition, the FiPL-based Historic Buildings Restoration Grant is supporting four historic building projects with grants of nearly £800,000.

Steve Scoffin (Lincolnshire Wolds FiPL Project Officer) is keen to work with farmers and landowners to develop their projects and support them in writing their applications. If you want to find out more about FiPL on the Lincolnshire Wolds or make an application, get in touch with him at steve.scoffin@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

Nature Calling

After a successful engagement period our commissioned writer Ayesha Chouglay will be unveiling her work for the ‘Wolds’ to see on the 15th January, along with the other Nature Calling Hub Writers at - Surrey Hills, Chilterns, Mendip Hills, Dorset and Forest of Bowland.

We can’t wait!

The Protected Landscapes Duty

Defra has this week published the following update on the ongoing roll-out of the new amended duty Guidance for relevant authorities on seeking to further the purposes of Protected Landscapes - GOV.UK which has been developed in response to the recommendations of the previous National Protected Landscapes Review.

The duty is intended to facilitate better outcomes for England’s Protected Landscapes, which are in line with their statutory purposes. The duty does not prevent relevant authorities from undertaking their statutory functions and discharging their legal duties and other responsibilities. The duty is intended to complement these requirements by ensuring that the purposes for which Protected Landscapes are designated for are recognised in reaching decisions and undertaking activities that impact these areas.

Find out more by clicking on the links below

Round up of 2024

The Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project introduced their new Species Recovery Project awarded through Natural England. Sarah Teasel joined the team to look for the elusive Crystal Moss animal in Lincolnshire Blow Wells. 

The Nature Calling commission was announced! Successfully recruiting Ayesha Chouglay as our writer and INSTAR are our artists. Keep your eyes peeled for the Season of Art 2025.

Lincolnshire Chalk Stream Project was awarded funding to train volunteers to monitor Riverflys by the Get River Positive initiative. After two successful training days 13 new volunteers can now survey our precious Chalk Streams.

Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor festival celebrated another flourishing two weeks of events all over the Wolds.The highlight of the Festival taking place at Stourton Woods. Look out for 2025 announcements!

In August our Annual Review was completed and can be seen on our website under

‘Our Work’.

Kent University and the Northern Lincolnshire Archaeology and History Society 

re-opened their excavation site at Swinhope at Binbrook & Brookenby. This year members of the public were able to get involved and try out excavation techniques, cleaning artefacts, field walking, geo-phys surveying and more! 

The Lincolnshire Wolds & Coast Churches Festival had another productive two weeks during September. 

Lincolnshire Chalk Streams recruited Sarah Catley to become their new Northern Becks Officer. Hailing from New Zealand Sarah used to plan and implement restoration projects which focused on improving biodiversity, water quality and sustainable farming.

Community engagement for Nature Callings writer Ayesha Chouglay took place through October to December. Ayesha held writing workshops at Hubbards Hills and online. Thank you to all the participants! 

Festive Ramble?

Do you fancy walking off the turkey and all those mince pies? Or you just want to go for a beautiful winter walk. The Lincolnshire Ramblers have a number of walks over the festive season. Follow the link below and check out their calendar for walks going on near you. 

Wolds walks being organised by the Ramblers are: 

Donington on Bain
Sunday, 29th December

Walesby
Wednesday, 1st January

Ludford
Wednesday, 1st January