Gatton Park in Reigate has received over £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a new project encouraging people to get more involved in their local heritage.

They’re also aiming to reinstate ‘Capability’ Brown’s designed viewpoints and tree plantings across the landscape

The start of the project is well timed to link with this year’s celebration of the 300th anniversary of Brown’s birth.

As well as clearing areas to expose the original views and now mature trees, the project will plant new tree clumps and restore the character of the Park to Brown’s original vision.

There’ll also be new interpretation boards and leaflets to help visitors better find their way around Gatton Park.

By exploring the landscape with local community groups, ideas will be generated for pop up art installations to be created by local artists from natural materials from the landscape. Using outdoor adventures and indoor crafts a new family learning course for parents and children – Wow What a View! – will help children and parents discover the landscape of Gatton and how to explore designed and natural environments elsewhere. New volunteer tour guides will be trained to provide regular tours of the whole landscape for both individuals and groups. It is also planned to highlight the Wray Lane entrance to the Park by the installation of new railings and gate. The grant will also be used to provide parkland railings to replace old damaged fencing which will improve management of the landscape.

The National Trust and the Gatton Trust have already restored many of Brown’s features and this project will build on previous clearing and planting works to ensure that future generations can enjoy this wonderful landscape. Of the approximately 250 gardens attributed to Brown, there were three or four others in Surrey, but Gatton Park is the only one within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.