THERE will be new opportunities to learn about the heritage of Burrator Reservoir in future, thanks to funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

South West Lakes Trust with the support of Burrator Advisory Group have been successful on their stage 1 application to HLF, enabling them to employ a heritage officer for eleven months, to develop key ideas and submit the final funding application next year.

A series of public consultation events has been organised, starting today (Thursday).

Burrator Reservoir is set within a Premier Archaeological Landscape, hosting a wide range of historic buildings and features dating from 2,500 BC, and is an important site for nature conservation.

A spokesman for South West Lakes Trust said: 'Currently the Burrator catchment receives in excess of 250,000 visits per annum.

'A majority of these visitors take part in informal activities such as walking, picnicking and enjoying the countryside, however it has been found that only a small number of people visiting take the opportunity to learn about the historic or natural environment at Burrator.

'If the application is successful the Burrator Historic and Natural Environment Project hopes to address this by providing more opportunities for people to become involved in either the built or natural heritage, and provide an events, education and volunteer programme.'

The project will enable important works to be carried out to safeguard the future of several upstanding ruins and many historical sites, and develop a volunteer team to carry out the habitat and species conservation plan, overseen by a full time member of staff over a 3 year period.

To support the development of this project the heritage project officer will be running a series of community consultation sessions, and visiting specific groups in the surrounding villages and towns, enabling residents to

l Learn about the new heritage project and meet the staff.

l Find out what Burrator and the surrounding environment has to offer

l Tell the team how they use the site and how much they know about its history.

Informal drop-in sessions will be held today (Thursday) between noon and 3pm and 6.30pm and 8.30pm at The Royal Oak, Meavy; Monday June 20, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at The Skylark, Clearbrook; Tuesday June 21 at noon to 3pm and 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Drake Manor Inn, Buckland Monachorum; June 23, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Walkhampton Inn; June 27 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Memorial Hall, Yelverton; June 30 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Community Centre, Princetown and on July 4, from 5pm to 6.30pm in Tavistock Library.

All welcome.