Severn Valley Country Park receives funding for new project
Severn Valley Country Park has been awarded £81,500 for a project that will research the history of the Park and present the discovered stories to visitors.
Severn Valley Country Park
‘Severn Valley Lives in the Landscape’ is being jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Jean Jackson Trust and Shropshire Council.
‘Severn Valley Lives in the Landscape’ will investigate the lives of previous generations who lived and worked within the boundaries of Severn Valley Country Park.
The main focus of the project will be on the industries in the valley like mining and sandstone quarrying, the historic river crossings such as Potter’s Loade ferry and the social history of the families and local people in the valley.
The project will be delivered over a 12 month period by a newly appointed project officer.
The project officer will encourage new volunteers to join the current volunteer group at the Park to help with the research for the project. Local school children will also be encouraged to participate and education pack will be produced for schools to learn about the heritage of the Park.
‘Severn Valley Lives in the Landscape’ will include archaeological volunteer training days, study days for local geologists, open days for the public to get involved. Special attention will be given to recording oral histories to preserve the stories of the Severn Valley for future generations.
Lezley Picton, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for culture and leisure, said:
“We’re so lucky in Shropshire to have such beautiful countryside and stunning country parks like Severn Valley.
“It’s wonderful that we are able to delve into the history of the landscape of Severn Valley and involve local volunteers in helping us tell the hidden stories of the Park for Shropshire residents and visitors to this fabulous destination.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the final result.”
Harvey James from the Jean Jackson Trust, said:
“Jean Jackson came from the Market Drayton area. During her life she had a great interest in Shropshire fauna and flora evidenced by many years as a trustee and supporter of Shropshire Wildlife Trust. She also was instrumental in setting up the Hospice Support Group in Market Drayton showing her concern for people’s needs.
“This project in the Severn Valley Country Park is one of which she would have approved and her trustees are pleased to be able to provide the matched funding for this innovative project.”
The ‘Severn Valley Lives in the Landscape’ project will greatly compliment the current work happening at the Park where the visitor centre is being extended and interpretation being updated as the result of a successful grant application to the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under the Marches LEP Tourism Infrastructure priority.
For more information about Severn Valley Country Park, click here.
To learn more about Shropshire’s Great Outdoors, visit the website.
Further Information
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
About the Jean Jackson Trust
When Jean died in 2007 most of her estate was put into her Charitable Trust which had already existed in a small way for some time.
When the Trust received the proceeds from her estate in 2009 her trustees decided to spend the money over ten years while people still remembered Jean.
This aim was achieved in January 2019 and Severn Valley Country Park was the last recipient of forty grants made to a variety of Shropshire projects over that period.
The charitable trust has now been wound up.
