Holly Hill Woodland Park awarded £1.09m Heritage Fund grant
Fareham Borough Council has been awarded £1,088,866 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Holly Hill Rediscovered project.
Fareham Borough Council announced on 30 September 2026 a grant of £1,088,866 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Holly Hill Rediscovered project.
Holly Hill Woodland Park is a council-owned local nature reserve in a shallow valley leading down to the River Hamble. The council describes the 35-hectare site as Victorian landscaped garden and parkland set around interconnecting ponds, lakes and water features made of Pulhamite stone, which it says need repair.
What the money will fund
The council said the funding will allow it to appoint a part-time Engagement and Education Officer and a part-time Project Officer, restore the designed landscape including the Pulhamite features and the Sunken Garden, and build a new pergola. A new, larger lakeside platform at the main bridge crossing is planned, designed to be easier to access for visitors with limited mobility.
Footpaths and entrances will be improved to address fragmented circulation, difficult gradients and poor drainage, so that the principal route to the lakes is accessible to wheelchair and pram users. Lakes will be de-silted and a silt deposition lagoon created, alongside habitat work such as native bankside planting and deadwood features. A two-year activity programme will share the site's nature and history.
Planning and next steps
The council said a planning application for the silt removal has been submitted and it is awaiting the decision. Cllr Ian Bastable, Executive Member for Streetscene, said National Lottery players made it possible to implement the council's plans. Read the full announcement on the Fareham Borough Council website.