We are delighted to report that Ada in Porlock has been awarded a second generous grant by DEFRA’s Farming in Protected Landscape (FIPL) scheme, working with Exmoor National Park.
This is another public vote of confidence in our plans to restore the historic woodlands above Porlock Weir that Ada and her husband William King first developed in the 1840s.
The new grant will allow us to prepare the hillside overlooking the site of the old Ashley Combe, ready for our volunteers to start further exploration and renovation in the spring. We will then start to plant onto the hillside some of the rare tree species that Ada and William first imported 180 years ago imported to create their Picturesque arboretum.
The new funds will also allow staff from the site’s landowners, the Exmoor National Park Authority, to fell and mill selected timber from the hillside. This will provide the raw material for our local woodland craftsman to create distinctive tree guards and a viewing seat, to be installed adjacent to the South West Coast Path.
We are also working on plans to re-introduce a rare plant that was once endemic to Ashley Combe but which has now been placed on the list of nationally endangered species. We’ll have more news of that soon.
Our sincere thanks to DEFRA’s FIPL programme team and our partners at Exmoor National Park Authority for supporting this wonderful work recovering this lesser known output of the remarkable Ada Lovelace.
Ada in Porlock are always pleased to hear from potential volunteers and funders, so if you are interested in joining one of our volunteer groups or supporting our work in the local environment and schools, please contact info@adainporlock.org