New beauty spot chief pledges better visitor centre (From Oxford Mail)

New beauty spot chief pledges better visitor centre

1:00pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News By Andrew Ffrench

THE woman now in charge of Oxfordshire’s best loved beauty spot has promised to improve facilities at the visitor centre next to Wittenham Clumps.

As reported in the Oxford Mail, Dr Jayne Manley has been appointed as the Earth Trust’s new chief executive.

The mum-of-two joined the Earth Trust three years ago as director of development and was the driving force behind renaming the trust last March. It was previously known as the Northmoor Trust.

The trust looks after the clumps, which attract 200,000 visitors a year, and at the heart of its work is a three-year project called Connecting Naturally, helping city youngsters to enjoy a taste of country life.

The £350,000 scheme launched last year is encouraging families from 10 children’s centres – five in Oxford, one in Berinsfield and four in Banbury – to explore the area around the trust’s headquarters, Hill Farm visitor centre.

The project is run in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and the trust expects 24,000 people to benefit.

Dr Manley, who lives in Pewsey, Wiltshire, said improving facilities at Hill Farm to attract more visitors would include opening a cafe.

She said the trust was also putting together a new programme of events which would include the popular lambing weekends in March and April where families can see lambs being born.

Dr Manley added: “At the moment, there is a cafe at Hill Farm but it is only open for private events and we would like to open it on a more regular basis.

“Another exciting project is offering land here for small firms at favourable tenancy rates so that green entrepreneurs can come and start up new businesses.

“We are also planning to restore wetland habitats between Little Wittenham Wood and Shillingford Bridge by digging water channels off the Thames and creating new ponds.”

Chairman of trustees Robin Buxton said: “The Earth Trust, like other charities, is finding the current economic climate difficult and Jayne’s role will focus on leading the trust and turning its new vision into reality.”

The name change followed the trust striking a £6m deal in December 2010 to almost double the size of Oxfordshire’s most visited open space.

The 700-acre Wittenham Clumps and Little Wittenham Wood benefited from a 500-acre expansion into neighbouring North Farm.

For more information, visit the website earthtrust.org.uk