Heartbroken National Trust staff were reeling after a devastating wildfire ripped through one of Britain’s best-loved beauty spots, leaving it scarred beyond recognition.
Firefighters have been battling the inferno since it broke out on 29 July before spreading across an area the size of 220 football pitches, engulfing large parts of the charity’s treasured Dunwich Heath site in Suffolk.
The conservation charity said the destruction was heartbreaking, with the blaze wiping out the habitat of some of the UK’s rarest species and ravaging the landscape famous for its spectacular carpet of purple heather.
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More than 100,000 visitors flock to Dunwich Heath every year, but shocking before-and-after images now reveal the astonishing scale of the devastation, showing the once-vibrant landscape transformed into a blackened wasteland.
The neighbouring Minsmere nature reserve, managed by the RSPB, has also been affected by the fire, as reported by Need To Know.
Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, said: “We are looking at total devastation of a beloved and important landscape.
“We’ve lost precious habitats, wildlife, trees, and a place where people have made memories over generations. It’s heartbreaking.”
The charity has now launched an emergency appeal to help restore the internationally important heathland and protect it for the future.
McGrady said donations would enable the National Trust to restore the site while making it more resilient and better adapted to the changing climate in the years ahead.
The trust hopes public support will help bring the cherished landscape back to life following one of the most destructive wildfires to hit the area in recent years.
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