Programme’s achievements for this unique landscape
As the six year Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP) draws to a close, a newly published film and report highlights the programme’s achievements for this unique landscape known for its nationally important woodlands and wetlands, designed landscapes, orchards and rich heritage. Nine new projects for 2018/19 will build on these achievements and continue investing in the area. Watch the film below and read the CAVLP Evaluation Summary under related resources.
Between 2011 and 2018, the Heritage Lottery Fund supported Clyde and Avon Landscape Partnership undertook 68 projects, valued at £4.8million, which conserved these landscape features and connected people to the area through new trails, community events, web resources, play and volunteering.
Programme highlights celebrated in the film above include:
- 300 volunteers doing 17,000 hours of work
- 7,600 young people engaged through arts, heritage, outdoor play activities and active travel
- 15,000 native trees planted in new woodlands at Carbarns (North Lanarkshire), Carluke Golf Club and the Nethan Gorge.
- 20km paths improved and 22 new trails described along with 89 local places, heritage sites and other resources all featured on www.clydeandavonvalley.com
- 25 hectares of woodland improved by removing conifers, particularly at Chatelherault Country Park where the work also revealed the gorge landscape again.
- 1,800 fruit trees planted across 21 school, community and private orchards
- Thousands of local people enjoyed community workshops, festivals and events
- 2 new local community interest companies and one orchard co-operative formed
The projects took place in the 192 squared km of the Clyde and Avon valleys, stretching from Hamilton to New Lanark and Strathaven respectively, taking in sites including Chatelherault Country Park and the six Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve (NNR), Dalzell Estate, Baron’s Haugh and New Lanark. Watch the video below to find out more about woodland regeneration at Chatelherault Country Park.
Kirsten Robb, Manager at CAVLP said, “The Clyde and Avon Valleys are incredibly beautiful, and communities are rightly proud of the local area. The programme’s legacy will continue long into the future with site owners better able to manage this unique natural and historic environment and more people enjoying new trails and information about the area. New skills, working relationships and friendships that developed will also continue to bear fruit. We’d like to say an enormous thank you to all the funders, partners and volunteers who embraced the projects with such enthusiasm and made them a great success.”
The ambitious programme of 68 projects was supported by ten key delivery partners: South Lanarkshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Central Scotland Green Network Trust, Clydesdale Community Initiatives, New Lanark Trust, Northlight Heritage, Rural Development Trust, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Wildlife Trust Falls of Clyde.
The film was created by Arteus with drone footage courtesy of Drone Scotland www.dronescotland.com.
The legacy projects will focus on outdoor learning and play, environmental volunteering, web resources, communications, digital archives, graveyards, sustainable travel, designed landscapes, farm woodlands and the historic environment. See below for additional details.
Growing up Wild
To work with existing or emerging groups in Lanark, Carluke, Lesmahagow and more, building their capacity to develop outdoor learning and natural play. Contact
Environmental Volunteering
Working with Clydesdale Community Initiatives, the project will promote volunteering opportunities for all on community environmental assets. More details on www.ccciweb.org.uk.
Website and communications legacy
This project will ensure that the web resources on this website are available into the future through the new Community Action Lanarkshire website. This will also pay for the communications and networking support to promote environmental and heritage volunteering to a wider local audience. Contact
Digital archives
Training for local heritage groups to use a digital archive system through which they can then use the CAVLP archive and add their own archives as well as share material, interact and manage their own projects. Contact
Graveyard surveys to interpretation
Archaeology Scotland will continue to engage local people with historic graveyards, providing training in recording and refresher workshops along with developing an interpretation board at Stonehouse kirkyard. Contact
Historic Environment Legacy
Northlight Heritage will continue involving volunteers in local archaeological digs and practical heritage conservation, run a heritage summer school, take the CAVLP exhibition on a tour of the CAVLP area, engage schools and support local heritage groups. Contact pmurtagh@ yorkat.co.uk.
Getting Round the Rurals
This project, led by the Rural Development Trust, will deliver sustainable travel and heritage community workshops, community maps, trails and health walks, networking and community engagement and communications. Contact
Glorious Gardens
Building on work to research designed landscapes in the area, volunteers will be supported by Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage to survey and report on the remaining 8 significant designed landscapes within and adjacent to the CAVLP area in North and South Lanarkshire. Contact
Farm woodland assessments for woodland creation
To fund approximately 10 farm woodland assessments and the follow up work required to support landowners to submit applications for forestry grants in the CALVP area. Contact