Broadland Country Park Enters New Era with Norfolk Wildlife Trust Partnership
In a significant move for conservation and community recreation, Broadland District Council (BDC) has transferred management of Broadland Country Park to Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT). This milestone partnership coincides with NWT’s centenary celebrations and promises to secure the long-term future of this beloved green space. Since its establishment, the 140-acre park has become a cherished destination for residents of Felthorpe, Horsford, and the Greater Norwich area, offering a precious connection to nature in an increasingly developed region. The handover represents a natural evolution for the park – while BDC successfully established the foundational infrastructure, NWT now brings its specialized expertise in wildlife conservation and public engagement to take the park to new heights of ecological significance and community value.
The partnership marks a dramatic expansion of the park through the purchase of Drayton Drewray, an additional 114 acres of land to the south of the current site. This acquisition effectively doubles the park’s size, creating an even more substantial green sanctuary in the heart of Broadland. Over the coming years, visitors can look forward to new walking and cycling paths alongside ambitious conservation work designed to enhance biodiversity throughout the landscape. The plans include restoration and expansion of native broadleaf woodland and heathland habitats, creating a richer tapestry of environments for wildlife to thrive. This expanded vision will strengthen the vital “green corridor” connecting the park to the wider Bure Valley, enhancing ecological connectivity across the region and providing wildlife with greater resilience against the challenges of habitat fragmentation and climate change.
A special event at the park marked this transition, bringing together Sue Holland, Leader of Broadland District Council, and Eliot Lyne, Chief Executive of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, to celebrate their shared vision for the site’s future. Reflecting on the handover, Holland expressed pride in what the Council has accomplished in establishing the park while acknowledging NWT as the ideal custodian to take it forward: “Broadland Country Park was born from a vision to provide our residents with world-class access to nature. I am incredibly proud of what the Council has achieved in establishing this site. As we move into this next phase, there is no better custodian than Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Their expertise will ensure that while the park remains a beautiful place for a Sunday stroll, it also becomes a thriving engine for nature recovery in our district.” This sentiment captures the dual purpose at the heart of the partnership – maintaining public enjoyment while elevating the site’s contribution to nature conservation.
NWT’s Chief Executive Eliot Lyne shared his organization’s enthusiasm for the opportunity, emphasizing the ecological significance of the site within Norfolk’s broader conservation landscape: “We’re delighted to become custodians of Broadland Country Park and to be able to grow this amazing green space to almost twice its size with funding from Broadland District Council. This is a brilliant site for the people of Norwich and its surroundings to experience nature and a vital piece of the puzzle for nature’s recovery in Norfolk.” Lyne highlighted the specific conservation potential for rare species such as the nightjar and silver-studded blue butterfly, whose specialized habitat requirements align perfectly with the park’s heathland and woodland composition. His comments underscored the trust’s holistic approach, noting that “nurturing Norfolk’s nature and helping make it part of everyone’s daily lives is vital if we are to protect wildlife for future generations and support healthy, happy communities.”
Under NWT management, the park will continue to welcome visitors free of charge every day, maintaining its role as an accessible natural resource for all. The trust plans to implement several enhancements to both the ecological value and visitor experience at the site. Specialized management of the woodland and marshy grasslands will boost biodiversity, creating more varied and wildlife-rich habitats. Community engagement will expand through new wildlife-focused events, guided walks, and educational workshops designed to deepen visitors’ connection to and understanding of the natural world. In a thoughtful continuity measure, existing park volunteers have been invited to join NWT’s extensive volunteer network, where they’ll receive specialized conservation training while continuing to contribute to a site they’ve helped nurture.
This partnership between Broadland District Council and Norfolk Wildlife Trust represents a forward-thinking approach to public green space management, recognizing that specialized conservation expertise can enhance both ecological outcomes and public enjoyment. As climate change and biodiversity loss present increasing challenges, such collaborations between local authorities and conservation organizations offer a promising model for protecting and enhancing natural spaces. The expanded Broadland Country Park will serve as a living laboratory for conservation techniques, a classroom for environmental education, and most importantly, a place where people of all ages can form meaningful connections with the natural world. Local residents and visitors alike are encouraged to explore the park and participate in new NWT-led activities beginning this spring, witnessing firsthand how conservation management can create richer, more vibrant natural spaces for wildlife and people to share.
