The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has earmarked £5.5m to restore three parks in England.

The Landscape Partnership programme has awarded £2m towards Weald Forest Ridge in East Sussex, including improvements to Ashdown Forest, which inspired A.A. Milnes to write the Winnie the Pooh stories.

£1.86m has been awarded to the wider £3.6m Wyre Forest scheme in Worcestershire, which aims to revive 280 fragmented fruit orchards and conserve 1,200 species of butterflies and moths.

The third park scheme to benefit is Sandstone Ridge in Cheshire, where a £1.4m grant will help restore natural habitats and historic features, including its six Iron Age hill forts.

Barry Gardiner MP, parliamentary secretary for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs, said: “Our landscapes are vital for our countryside, people, wildlife, economy and environment. The money will help people and communities work together to create tomorrow’s living landscapes, protecting and enhancing habitats and local environments for the benefit of all.”