A NEW woodland area has been planted beside a holiday park near Peter Tavy with help from the local community.

Peter Tavy villagers helped the Williamson family, who own Harford Bridge Holiday Park, to plant 471 native broadleaf trees back in November.

As a thank you, the family afterwards presented them with a cheque for £471 to be given to Peter Tavy village hall, Peter Tavy Methodist Chapel and St Peter’s Church.

The trees have been donated by charity Moor Trees, who help people within Dartmoor National Park plant new woodland.

The new woodland is within a meadow area beside the A386 enjoyed by the holiday park’s guests.

Paul Williamson, a director of the family holiday park, said: ‘Our parents bought the grazing meadow in the early 1990s as it came on the market and is next to our holiday park. Back then it was an ideal green space to extend the amenity value of our land and was made available for our holiday park guests who love to stroll the field, many with their dogs.

‘My father, Gerald, used to graze and school his carriage horses there, but as he has now given up carriage driving, both horses have been retired.

‘He kept his hobby up until he was 86 with our late mother Irene. He now enjoys looking out at the field from his kitchen window so we thought we would do something to enhance the view as it includes the meadow and a stretch of ‘A’ road up the hill towards Mary Tavy.

‘As far as we know the meadow has never been ploughed. It was probably woodland many, many years ago, so we thought it would be good to replant some of it with native broadleaf trees and keep the rest for wildflowers. This woodland planting scheme was conceived with the support of Moor Trees and will add to what a neighbour has planted the other side of the road and extend the wildlife corridor.’

He added that he and his family were very grateful for everyone’s help.