Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) has announced the purchase of arable land in Wood Norton, previously Manor Farm, near Fakenham. 

The land will be transformed into meadow, wetland and woodland habitats as part of the trust's centenary celebrations. 

Eliot Lyne and Steve Collin of Norfolk Wildlife Trust at Norton Beck (Image: Jimmy King)

Eliot Lyne, chief executive of NWT, said: "We’re excited to mark our centenary with one of the most significant habitat creation projects in our 100-year history. 

"By connecting any remaining wildlife habitats with new ponds, grasslands, hedges, trees, and wetlands, we’ll create a bigger, better home for nature." 

NWT will also reinstate the natural course of Norton Beck to support a greater diversity of aquatic and wetland species. 

Eliot Lyne, Tom Sayer, Chelsea Collinson, Hannah , Steve Collin, Emily Girling at the new site (Image: Jimmy King)

Public access will be provided in the future, allowing communities to enjoy the space. 

"It’ll be fantastic for people too,” Mr Lyne said. 

"We're creating a wild place that will capture carbon, allow the land to once again act as a natural floodplain and one in which residents and visitors can explore, learn, and feel connected to nature." 

(function (d, s, n) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; js = d.createElement(s); js.className = n; js.src = "//player.ex.co/player/9eb68dce-e5e3-40c3-a31b-12479fdb5350"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); js.setAttribute('programmatic', 'true'); js.onload = function () { const playerApi255241 = ExCoPlayer.connect('9eb68dce-e5e3-40c3-a31b-12479fdb5350'); playerApi255241.init({ "autoPlay": false, "mute": true, "showAds": true, "playbackMode": "play-in-view", "content": { "playFirst": [ { "title": "Ariel footage of the site by Thetford Photography", "src": "https://large-cdn.ex.co/transformations-account/production/4a3bc053-9182-43c6-a264-62b0fb218ea8/0bd065a9-5c7e-4d22-982d-33d32c01b875/720p.mp4" } ], "playlistId": "649d6b165f10d8001259835d" }, "sticky": { "mode": "persistent", "closeButton": true, "pauseOnClose": true, "desktop": { "enabled": false, "position": "bottom-right" }, "mobile": { "enabled": false, "position": "upper-small" } } }); }; }(document, 'script', 'exco-player'));

The project will also help tackle climate change with new trees, which will cool the landscape, and the meandering river will aid in flood reduction. 

The purchase was supported by £3.8 million from Natural England through a nutrient mitigation scheme. 

Together, the scheme helps to enable long-term nature recovery while unlocking sustainable housing developments across the county. 

A map of the site (Image: Norfolk Wildlife Trust)

In accordance with the requirements of the scheme, NWT will significantly reduce the amount of nutrient pollution released from the land, enabling up to 1,000 new houses to be built in the area without adversely impacting the protected areas of the Wensum and Broads. 

Hannah Thacker from Natural England added: “Through the stewardship of NWT and the backing of the Norfolk Nutrient Mitigation Fund, the Wood Norton scheme delivers a successful example of how local leadership, strategic conservation and innovative funding can work together to restore wildlife habitats and support community growth.” 

© Eastern Daily Press