Gift to the Nation

Levin Daily Chronicle, 21 April 1917, Page 3

Gift to the Nation

8000 ACRES ON EXMOOR. The Earl of Plymouth, chairman of the executive committee of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest and Mr John Bailey, vice-chair-man, write to the "Daily 'Express'' "We hope you will allow us to announce through your columns a very important and interesting gift which has just been made to the 'National Trust. "Most of your readers know that Ex'moor is one of the most beautiful of the too few wild places of (England which circumstances have allowed' to remain almost in their original state. Many will know that a part of this district has long been the propery of the Acland family. « • "The present owner, Sir C. Thomas Dyke Acland, Bt., has for some time been anxious to safeguard this 'beautiful country, so far as it is his property, from such dangers as migjht possibly arise in future, from disfigure- | ment or injury through building de- ; velopment or otherwise. With this object he apprached the trust, with a view to seeing wheher the trust' could c-operate with him in a scheme which, without depriving his successors of the enjoyment of the property would ensure the preservation of its natural features in the way he desired. "We are now glad to he able to announce that the negotiations have been successful, and that, unless legal difficulties should arise some seven or eight thousand acres of very beautiful country will be permanently preserved in their natural condition undler . the guardianship of the National Trust. "It will not be a possession ; n the ordinary sense of the word. The trust w'l rot become the owner of the lands. Si i Tic mas Acland will grant to it a l"' ise of them for five hundred years. "We desire to express, on behalf of the trust and the nation, our most cordial gratitude to Sir Thomas Acland for the generous and far-seeking public spirit which he has shown in malting the arrangement."