Trust vows to ‘maintain spirit’ of nature reserve

The National Trust has taken ownership of Flatford Wildlife Garden in Suffolk, securing its future after the RSPB said financial pressures meant it would need to sell or lease the site. The trust says it will make some small changes while preserving the garden’s character and improving links with the wider Flatford site.

The garden, beside the River Stour in Constable Country, was gifted to the RSPB by sisters Sylvia and Margaret Richardson and has been managed by the charity since 2011. It includes wildlife habitats, a pond, a carved-creature trail and a willow tunnel; it is expected to reopen to visitors in early March or before Easter after preparations over winter.