Plans to boost Dartmoor’s heritage and natural beauty has been awarded £3,124,179 in funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

With the money given, it is hoped that Okehampton, Ivybridge and Princetown will become ‘hubs’ for visitors which will allow people from all backgrounds to spend time and money in these places.

The funds will go towards Dartmoor’s Dynamic Landscapes which is a partnership between Dartmoor National Park and organisations such as the RSPB and The Woodland Trust to restore nature, protect and enhance Dartmoor’s cultural heritage and enrich people’s understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities.

Pamela Woods, chair of Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have secured this funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. There is so much excellent work taking place already on Dartmoor and thanks to National Lottery players, we can continue building on our collective successes.

"We are delivering on our ambitions set out in the Dartmoor Partnership Plan and are making this wonderful national park better for nature, farming, people, heritage and place.”

The conservation work will advance the woodland, habitat and river restoration already taking place, with a particular focus on the river catchment areas of the Okement, Dart, Erme and Yealm.

As well as conservation work on the moors, the funding will go towards enhancing creative events, engagement activities, support for farmers, improving access and active travel opportunities.

Helen Booker, RSPB senior conservation officer, said: “We are delighted that this funding bid has been successful. We are now looking forward to providing more targeted bird conservation advice to Dartmoor farmers and, through involvement of volunteer survey workers, improving our knowledge of Dartmoor’s moorland birds.”

With partner contributions, the total investment in Dartmoor’s Dynamic Landscapes will be around £5.85 million and will run until 2030.