The Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership Scheme began in 2020, working with local communities to better connect people with the landscape.
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and in partnership with Cranborne Chase National Landscape, the scheme delivered 20 different projects celebrating the natural, historic and cultural landscape of the area.
Now complete, the project has left many legacies.
Detailed overview of what we’ve achieved.
Our people
A major part of the scheme was to engage people with the landscape, and one of the ways we did this was by actively encouraging volunteers to join us. As a result, there are now hundreds of people who have learnt new skills such as:
Conservation skills such as habitat management, coppicing and hedge laying
Wildlife surveying and biodiversity monitoring
Designing new walking and cycling routes
Taking sky quality measurements
Leading stargazing events
Monitoring the dark sky
Oral history, archiving and historical research
Recognising and interpreting archaeological features on LiDAR images
Our volunteers can continue to use these skills beyond the end of the scheme. And people can still get involved in our volunteering opportunities.
Our landscape
Thanks to the work of our team and volunteers, there are some lasting physical legacies to the scheme. These include:
New walking and cycling routes
Time Travellers of Cranborne Chase app
Curious Jack and the Time-travelling Shepherd’s Hut audio stories
Voices in the Landscape songbook
Words in the Landscape poems and creative writing
Oral living memories from the Chase & Chalke area
Our understanding
Over the course of the 5-year project, our understanding of the landscape has increased.
Understanding of the archaeology of the landscape
Understanding of the historical characters linked to the area
Understanding of the rich history of the Chase & Chalke landscape
Understanding of the creative influence of our landscape on writers, musicians and poets
Understanding of people’s personal connection to the landscape
Understanding of the wonderful biodiversity of the area