Derbyshire Wildlife Trust this week announced completion of the purchase of Common Farm, at Nether Heage near Belper. The site will be rewilded to create a mosaic of habitats, at what is a critical time for nature. 

Over 2,000 people donated to the public appeal, launched last October, contributing almost £300,000 towards the purchase. A range of major donors and philanthropic organisations provided the remaining funding required to secure the site.   

The local community have been crucial to the success of this appeal, with people organising walking tours for potential donors, delivering leaflets and encouraging others to get involved. Hundreds of local residents also donated themselves. The Trust is now excited to start working closely with the community to develop the site as a great place for people and nature. 

Jo Smith, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust added:  

“We have been overwhelmed by the support from all over including some incredibly passionate local groups who have shown what people can do for nature when they come together. Each and every person who has donated or shared our messages has helped to secure this land for people and for nature.” 

“Making more space for nature at Common Farm will give wildlife the chance to recover here, and once regenerated it will store more carbon, help store more water to reduce local flooding and help trap nutrients that leach into our river systems. The purchase is also great news for local residents and visitors who will be able to continue to enjoy the area, and to see it become richer for nature in the years to come.” 

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s team of rewilders will now take action to help nature recover at Common Farm. Within months of relaxing land management, the reserve will start filling up with the sights, sounds and scents of nature returning. In time, a mixture of grasslands, scrub and woodland, with water retained on site wherever possible, will provide habitats for kestrels, woodpeckers and warblers, with many more bumblebees, butterflies and flower rich meadows throughout the summer.  

Common Farm is less than a kilometre away from the River Derwent and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s existing nature reserves at Wyver Lane and Crich Chase and provides another space for nature within the Living Derwent Forest landscape. The site will be managed as a community asset supporting wellbeing programmes and more ways for visitors of all ages to enjoy and understand the landscape around them. 

Find out more about Derbyshire Wildlife Trusts rewilding projects here