The overall aim of the Living Levels programme was to reconnect people and communities to the Gwent Levels, and to provide a sustainable future for this historic landscape.

The programme sought to conserve and restore important natural heritage features of the area, such as reens and traditional orchards, and to develop a far greater appreciation of the value of the landscape by inspiring people to learn about and participate in the heritage of the Gwent Levels.

Thanks to a £2.5 million grant from The National Heritage Lottery Fund, Living Levels was able to deliver a huge range of projects, including new interpretation and visitor information, community engagement events, engagement with schools and colleges, restoration of reens and traditional orchards, creation of new pollinator habitat, and a wide range of volunteering opportunities; in total, over the lifetime of the programme, 600 volunteers contributed over 25,000 hours of support. 

The heart of Living Levels has been about reconnecting people with the landscape, history, and wildlife of the Levels. One of the main achievements of the programme has been a mass engagement with people from across the region, including residents, landowners and farmers, visitors, business owners, volunteers, and politicians with influence over important policy decisions affecting the Levels.

The Living Levels programme and partnership have also provided a focus for national policies around nature conservation and landscape restoration, leading to greater collaboration between local and national government, statutory agencies, eNGOs, and local communities through the Gwent Levels Working Group.

Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Living Levels has been able to drive a revival of interest in, and enthusiasm for, the Gwent Levels, which is leading to changes in the way the landscape is viewed, valued, and managed, and sustained pressure for policy change to better protect the landscape and its heritage.

Some key achievements:

• 26km of reens and field ditches restored, allowing the recovery of aquatic plant and animal communities

• 150+ willows pollarded

• 160+ fruit trees planted and traditional orchards restored and restocked

• 27ha of land managed for the shrill carder bee and other pollinators

• 30+ fly-tipping cases investigated, and 7 prosecutions made

• 120,000+ unique visits made to the website

• 10 gateway and visitor hubs created

• New pre-history display at Newport Museum and Levels display at Caerleon National Roman Legion Museum

• 5 ’People of the landscape’ sculptures installed

• 8 walking and 4 cycling routes created

• PROW network upgraded and improved with new bridges, stiles and way marking

• 17 community hubs funded

• 239 events and activities delivered with over 16,000 attendees

• 37 history RATS volunteers recruited

• 52 oral histories recorded

• 73 schools, 1000+ primary pupils and 150+ college students reached

• Over 600 volunteers contributed 25,144 hours, equivalent to £177k of support.