Founded in 1967, Earth Trust is an environmental charity (not-for-profit organisation) which was originally known as the Northmoor Trust for Countryside Conservation.[1] Earth Trust was initially established by the British engineer Sir Martin Wood to promote environmental conservation through land management, education, and land science. It is a registered charity under English law.[2]
Earth Trust is the owner and manager of the largest freely accessible natural green space landscape in Oxfordshire - Wittenham Clumps: 500 hectares of woodland, farmland, wildflower meadows and wetlands. Earth Trust also care for a growing number of smaller community reserves - special places for both nature and people within urban areas and towns. These places receive 200,000+ visits each year.
As well as managing and promoting accessible natural green spaces, Earth Trust also operate a working farm. Along with their Farm Step tenants, Earth Trust are one of Oxfordshire's mid-sized producers of legumes, grains and wildflowers, beef, Goat's cheese and honey.
Earth Trust have 500 hectares of mixed use farmland, demonstrating the links between environment, wildlife, landscape and growing food. Earth Trust encourages and supports the production, distribution and eating of good quality, local, healthy food. Land management, skills and the means needed to produce and distribute food locally, minimising transport and waste are all important ingredients. Earth Trust continue to explore and develop methods to show that farming practices can be environmentally friendly and economically sustainable.
In 2009, Earth Trust came into a management position of Thrupp Lake, located in Radley.[3]
In 2014 Earth Trust started managing Abbey Fishponds in Abingdon. Tucked away in a residential area of the town, Abbey Fishponds is a small nature reserve with wetland wildlife. The reserve is around 7ha and completely enclosed by housing.[4]
The newest Earth Trust building, Earth Lab is a sustainable building.
The ponds and backwaters were developed in 2021 and provide important habitats for wildlife as well as wetlands which help to alleviate floods and absorb carbon.
Earth Trust hosts a programme of events each year, including countryside management courses, taster workshops and family festivals. They are best known for their Lambing Weekends in spring, which were attended by over 8,000 people in 2016.[5]
Properties
Little Wittenham
Round Hill at Wittenham Clumps.
Earth Trust Centre – Located at the base of the Wittenham Clumps, the Earth Trust Centre comprises the office, Earth Lab learning centre and Fison Barn, which is hired out for weddings, parties and corporate events.
Earth Lab - Used as the learning environment, Earth Lab also provides a range of spaces for corporate events. Earth Lab features an atrium space, two indoor classrooms and a covered outdoor meeting space.
Wittenham Clumps – The two hilltops of Castle Hill and Round Hill are known to be the two oldest planted hilltop beeches in England, dating back over 300 years. Wittenham Clumps and Little Wittenham Nature Reserve are the most visited free site in Oxfordshire.
Little Wittenham Wood – Located in the area of North Wessex Downs, Little Wittenham Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the large breeding population of Great Crested newts that live in the ponds and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
Broad Arboretum – Planted in 1998, the Broad Arboretum features every species of fauna native to Oxfordshire along with recent introductions such as walnut, sycamore and chestnut.
Neptune Wood – Neptune Wood was planted to honour the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Thousands of oak trees were planted in this area to replace some of the trees that were used to build the ships. Specifically, Lord Nelson's flagship was made out of approximately 5,000 oak trees, while the 27-ship fleet had used over 50,000 trees.
Paradise Wood – Paradise Wood is a national research woodland that is the largest collection of hardwood timber trials in the country. It consists of around 60,000 hardwood trees.
Wallingford Castle Meadows - Now in ruins, the castle was known to be one of the greatest medieval castles located in England. In 1066, William the Conqueror and his army crossed into the Thames at Wallingford and ordered the building of the castle. Castle Meadows today is home to important wildlife habitats and is a much-loved community greenspace. Earth Trust manage the site on behalf of South Oxfordshire District Council.
Riverside Meadows - Riverside land located alongside the Thames River in Wallingford. It is considered to be a rare and threatened habitat and Earth Trust is working to restore the wildflower meadows. Riverside Meadows can be enjoyed during the summer months when the meadows are full of oxeye daisy, common knapweed and bird’s-foot trefoil. Earth Trust manage the site on behalf of South Oxfordshire District Council.
Other
Mowbray Fields - Earth Trust manage this local nature reserve in Didcot on behalf of South Oxfordshire District Council. It is home to the common spotted and southern marsh orchids.
Thrupp Lake - Thrupp Lake, part of the Radley Lake complex, is located in the village of Radley on the edge of Abingdon and is a man-made lake owned by RWE npower and managed by Earth Trust. Radley Lakes were the subject of a community campaign to save them from being filled in (2005-8).[7] In 2015 Earth Trust was awarded the management contract for some of the surrounding former lakes.
Abbey Fishponds - Earth Trust took over the management of this community nature reserve in Abingdon in July 2014.The site is also known as Daisy Bank. Earth Trust manage the site on behalf of Vale of White Horse District Council. The reserve is around 7ha and completely enclosed by housing.
Earth Trust events
Earth Trust host many events throughout the year. The majority are held at their flagship site in Little Wittenham with a small number taking place on the nearby community nature reserves that the charity manages.[8]
One such notable previous event was the Children's Food Festival, held in 2007 and in 2009 in Oxfordshire.[9][10][11][12][13] It was fronted by patrons Raymond Blanc and Sophie Grigson, who gave hands-on demos, inviting children to help them chop, stir, smell and taste. Other guests have included Annabel Karmel, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall (author of The Good Granny Cookbook), Sam Stern (the Teenage Chef), Nora Sands (Jamie's School Dinner Lady) and children's cookery writer Amanda Grant.
