The Trent Vale Landscape Partnership – led by British Waterways – is set to regenerate the valley along the River Trent from Newark to Gainsborough between 2009 and 2012.

The £2.6m scheme has been kick-started, thanks to a £1.76m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Projects will include refurbishing the late Victorian Old Willow Works at Beckingham, near Gainsborough, for use as a heritage centre; encouragement of sustainable land management to benefit a range of wildlife; celebration of traditional festivals and local access improvements, including improved visitor moorings.

Emma Sale, HLF regional manager for the East Midlands, said: “Trent Vale is an important part of the UK’s landscape heritage. The emphasis of this project is on people, enabling them to get actively involved in the heritage of their local environment as well as learning about crafts, skills and traditions.”

Caroline Killeavy, general manager of British Waterways in the East Midlands, added: “The Partnership hopes that through the delivery of a diverse range of projects aimed at reconnecting the local communities with their landscape, people will find and recognise the uniqueness of Trent Vale.”