National Trust completes coastline 'jigsaw'

A narrow strip of land has been acquired by the National Trust, completing its ownership of a stretch of the Dorset coast.

The trust said the 26.3 ha (65 acres) strip was the "last piece of the jigsaw" of the land it manages between Worth Matravers and Durlston Country Park on the Isle of Purbeck.

It said it would allow nature restoration and improve access for walkers along its 5.5-mile (9km) stretch of coastline, part of the Jurassic Coast Unesco World Heritage site.

The steeply sloping ground is already designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for the importance of its wildlife-rich grassland.

However three fields inland have been more intensively managed and currently have less value for nature.

The trust said filling the gap would encourage wildlife to spread, including rare wildflowers like early spider orchids and butterflies like the Lulworth skipper and Adonis blue.

David Brown, lead ecologist for the National Trust, said the chance to acquire the land was a "fantastic, not-to-be-missed opportunity".

He said: "These fields are where we can really make a difference. The land will still be farmed, but in a more nature-friendly way.

"With appropriate management – like stopping chemical inputs and introducing a conservation grazing regime – we can restore the wildlife that's missing."

The trust said it also planned to improve the area for walkers, including widening the South West Coast Path to make it safer.

The acquisition was funded through legacies to the trust's coastal campaign, Enterprise Neptune, over the past 60 years.

The appeal began after a coastline survey in Purbeck by Reading University in 1965.

It has since raised £114m and led to the protection of 900 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dr John Whittow, who led the national coastline survey, said: "It was imperative that a pilot survey should take place to acquaint my 30 students, post-grads and staff from Reading University with my newly devised methodology.

"What better place than Dorset's Purbeck coast which we 'invaded' in May 1965."

The trust said it planned to declare the section of the coast as inalienable, meaning it would be protected forever.

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