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With the help of the The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are improving access to nature at our Three Hagges Woodmeadow Nature Reserve – find out how.
We are launching an exciting new project, Pathways to Nature, at our Three Hagges Woodmeadow Nature Reserve in York, to boost community connection with nature.
The reserve has grown around the volunteers and community who have cared for it, and this important project will help us strengthen our commitment to ensuring that high‑quality natural heritage is accessible to everyone.
Pathways to Nature is a 3-year project that will transform access, inclusion and engagement at Three Hagges Woodmeadow.
Through the project, we will improve physical and social access to nature to the reserve. This in turn will help to develop new organisational approaches that will enable Plantlife, and the wider conservation sector, to better involve diverse audiences in nature‑based activity.
Pathways to Nature is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.
With the help of volunteers and the local community, working alongside our Reserve Manager, we will:
We will enhance the visitor experience and remove barriers to participation by creating:
• New accessible paths and seating linking key areas of the reserve• Improved access to our education and volunteer cabin• An accessible pond‑dipping platform• Improved interpretation, shaped by the local community• Ongoing habitat management to maintain species‑rich meadows, woodland and ponds
These improvements will enable a wider range of visitors, families, schools and community groups to enjoy the reserve safely and confidently.
The project will strengthen Plantlife’s organisational capacity through:
• A Lived Experience Group to co‑design inclusive approaches• New volunteer roles and training opportunities tailored for a wide range of people• Knowledge‑exchange days with partner organisations and other nature reserves• A new monitoring and evaluation framework embedding equity, diversity and inclusion• Internal and external webinars to share learning
This work will shape future policies, volunteer pathways and engagement strategies across all Plantlife reserves.
To extend access beyond the reserve, we will create:
• An audio trail co-designed with local users• An accessible video introducing Three Hagges Woodmeadow’s habitats, wildlife and community• Updated web content including an Access Statement• A photo gallery showcasing less accessible areas of the reserve
Did you know that Three Hagges Woodmeadow is a 10‑hectare mosaic of meadow, woodland and freshwater habitats supporting:
• Nearly 200 plant species• Over 1,000 invertebrates• 10,000 trees and shrubs.
Three Hagges Woodmeadow is Yorkshire’s first woodmeadow and one of only a few in the UK, making it a unique and pioneering site for biodiversity restoration. It serves as a demonstration model, inspiring other communities and landholders to create their own woodmeadows.
Public and private transport links are excellent, with Three Hagges Woodmeadow located just off the A19, 6 miles from Selby and 9 miles from York on a frequent bus route, and accessible via the Sustrans Route 65 cycle trail. It is a free accessible nature site near Selby, York, and Tadcaster and one of only 6 within a 20-mile radius. It has a free car park including accessible parking. It therefore offers vital natural green space – especially for under-served communities.
The woodmeadow is a valued community space used by schools, disability groups, volunteers and local residents. Pathways to Nature ensures the site continues to thrive ecologically while becoming a model for inclusive, welcoming nature spaces across the UK.
Plantlife has been awarded National Lottery Heritage Funding support for Pathways to Nature.
Thanks to National Lottery players, we can deliver this project for the benefit of Three Hagges Woodmeadow’s nature and its local communities.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage.
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more.
Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
We're launching a new project to put the local community at the heart of our Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserves future.
Queendown Warren is renowned throughout Kent for its orchids. Ten species are regularly recorded, including rare plants.
Winks Meadow Nature Reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its exceptional botanical richness.
The base-rich alluvial soils at Upton Ham together with regular flooding and a long history of traditional management, have encouraged a diverse flora.
Hidden away down narrow lanes, the meadows contain a wealth of wildflowers and other plant and animal wildlife, making them well worth the effort of arranging a visit.
Moaney and Crawyn's Meadows are fine examples of traditional hay meadows rich in wild flowers.
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