A NEW manager has been given the task of looking after the Downland countryside near Wantage.
Ecologist Fiona Newcombe has been appointed director for the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a large area which includes the landscape of south Oxfordshire.
Ms Newcombe, formerly head of rural strategy at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, takes over from Richard Clarke, who is now chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
She said: "I'm looking forward to meeting people who live, work and visit this superb nationally-important protected landscape.
"Active management of the landscape makes it the way it is, and we need to work with local authorities, farmers, land managers and businesses to ensure it continues to be a place for everyone to enjoy."
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