Crewe Heritage Trust welcomed representatives from The Julia Rausing Trust following an award of £22,500 to deliver a new project focused on restoring green space, enhancing biodiversity, and reconnecting people with nature at its historic railway heritage site in Crewe. 

Before the arrival of the railway in 1837, the land now occupied by Crewe Heritage Centre, off Vernon Way, was open fields.

This project will look back to that earlier landscape, transforming parts of the site into greener, more wildlife-friendly spaces while supporting learning, volunteering, and wellbeing for the local community. 

Chair of Crewe Heritage Trust, Gordon Heddon, said: "This generous grant from The Julia Rausing Trust allows us to reconnect our site with its pre-Industrial Revolution landscape.

"By restoring green space, creating new wildlife habitats and involving volunteers, children and families, we're ensuring our heritage site is not only a place to learn about the past, but a living, breathing space that supports nature, wellbeing and community pride. 

"We're incredibly grateful for this support, which will leave a lasting legacy for both people and wildlife." 

The £22.5k project will also deliver five new wildlife habitats, including bug hotels, bird boxes and a mini pond, creating shelter and feeding opportunities for insects, birds, and amphibians (Photo: Ryan Parker).

Central to the project is the creation of a new green corridor alongside the Trust's miniature railway.

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This corridor will be divided into three distinct zones. Wildflower Way will be full of native and pollinator friendly planting. Lavender Lane will offer colour, scent, and nectar sources while Butterfly Bank is designed to support butterflies and other insects. 

The project will also deliver five new wildlife habitats, including bug hotels, bird boxes and a mini pond, creating shelter and feeding opportunities for insects, birds, and amphibians. 

An existing locomotive workshop will be enhanced as part of the programme to create a greener, more sustainable space.

Improvements will include the addition of water butts for rain collection and a new green roof. These changes demonstrate how the Trust is looking to adapt railway buildings to support modern environmental goals. 

The Trust will also create six raised pocket gardens across the site which will include herbs, pollinator friendly flowers and edible crops.

The pocket gardens will tell different stories from Crewe's past including the importance of allotments to the town and Crewe's pharmaceutical heritage through a medicinal garden. 

A new station garden will also be created at the miniature railway using pots, planters, and baskets, bringing greenery to a highly visible area enjoyed by visitors of all ages. 

The Trust is planning a supporting programme of drop-in activities for all visitors to take part in when the Centre reopens on 1 April.

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Recruitment is also underway for Green Space Volunteers. The volunteers will help build and maintain the new environments. To find out more please visit HERE.

By reconnecting the site to its pre-railway landscape and embedding nature within its heritage setting, Crewe Heritage Trust is creating a place where history, environment, and community come together. 

The project aims to increase recorded wildlife sightings and the diversity of species on the site by more than 50 per cent.

The Trust would like to thank The Julia Rausing Trust for its generous support, which will enable lasting benefits for wildlife, volunteers, visitors, and future generations. 

Grants Manager at The Julia Rausing Trust, Harry Erskine, said: "It was a pleasure to visit Crewe Heritage Centre and see first-hand the enthusiasm and care that is going into this project.

"Meeting the team and learning more about their plans to restore green space and support local wildlife brought the vision to life. 

"We're delighted to support a scheme that will create lasting benefits for both the community and the natural environment." 

READ MORE: Crewe town centre taped off after man on prison licence recall escapes to rooftop.

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