Gateway to Nature: A summer of steady progress

By Dave Lewis, Director of Operations 

Wittenham Clumps is a landscape rich in biodiversity, history and wildlife, and for many it is the first place they spend time in nature. Gateway to Nature aims to bring the wonder of this landscape to more people, and encourage communities to embrace the natural world. Our work so far this summer is bringing that mission closer to reality. 

What will visitors notice this summer? 

During June’s update I shared how the new track from Sires Hill was just beginning to take shape, but now the new access way is nearing completion.

The view from the ground is less glamorous. But however dry and dusty, it’s the unshowy, practical work that makes everything else possible, and I’m pleased that how we’ve approached the work says a lot about how we want to do things at Earth Trust. 

Using what we have 

We expect the new linear car park to be complete during August. Breaking up the old farm track to make way for the car park raised an interesting question – what do we do with 20 cubic metres of waste concrete dug out of the ground?  

Instead of having lorries take it away, which means cost, carbon, and heavy vehicles disrupting local traffic, we decided to crush and reuse it within the new works. It is a modest quantity in the scheme of things, but the principle matters: before anything leaves this site, we ask whether it needs to. 

 The same thinking follows in Bessie’s Field, where work is now finished. The subsoil excavated during the track construction was used to reinforce and build up the track crossing the field – while also creating a new wildflower margin and securing the integrity of the woodland access track around the field’s perimeter. 

Access and highways 

As part of the new track and drainage works, we were required to put up a temporary diversion on Ladygrove Greenway’s footpath.  We are waiting on delivery of the material needed to reinstate the footpath exactly as it was, and it will go back as soon as that arrives. We know diversions are a nuisance, particularly for people who walk here every day, and we’re very grateful for your patience. 

Now we’re nearing the end of the wider construction programme, the remaining significant piece is the new entrance onto the highway at Sires Hill Road. That work sits with Oxfordshire County Council, and we are waiting for them to confirm the final details before we can build it.  This is normal for a scheme of this kind, which is why I’m holding off on sharing a precise open date.

My expectation remains that the track will open to its first visitors this autumn, at which point the Hollow Way entrance through Little Wittenham village will close to Visitor Centre traffic. 

Recovering the land 

Here is the part I am most looking forward to. We are hopeful that some areas of the site will be handed back to us from the contractors in September, which means we can begin seeding and planting ahead of the autumn opening. This will make a huge difference to how the place will look and feel next spring. It will be so good when it stops looking like a construction site!

Earth Adventure 

Alongside the construction, we will shortly be submitting a planning application to vary the approved design for the play area. If permission is granted, landscape works would begin in the autumn with equipment installed over the winter and into spring. 

The existing consent, granted in 2016 and updated in 2020, seeks to create a landscape-led natural play space, using natural materials and planting, and inspired by the shape of the land itself. With the right design, Earth Adventure will engage children with the landscape through fun and play, encourage curiosity, and build lasting connections with nature. 

South Oxfordshire District Council will consult publicly on the application in the usual way, so everyone will get a chance to comment.  We have already talked to a range of stakeholders ahead of our submission to make sure the design meets people’s needs, including the statutory consultees on landscape, heritage, ecology and highways. We hope our diligence will make sure the design we submit is right for everyone. 

The café and shop 

Work on converting the existing building into the new café is anticipated in September, and will create the proper welcome point that visitors expect – somewhere to get a coffee, warm up, and find out more about this landscape.  

Visiting this summer 

Parking remains limited while the works are underway, so event numbers are still reduced and tickets have been going quickly. Construction areas are fenced and clearly separated, but please do take extra care near the Centre buildings when larger vehicles are moving. 

I remain grateful for the patience people have shown. It has made a real difference to how smoothly this has gone. 

Looking ahead 

There is not much of the heavy work left now. The next update should be a rather different one. Gateway to Nature has always been about more than tracks and parking spaces. It is about making it easier for more people to reach this landscape and find their own connection with it. We are getting close. 

I will keep sharing updates as we go, alongside refreshes to our FAQs.