A KEEN conservationist has been revealed as the buyer of one of the parcels of land put up for sale by the Lake District National Park Authority.

Mary Danby, from Nottingham, is the new owner of Lady Wood in Grasmere and wants to assure people that the 2.4 acre plot is in safe hands.

Local residents feared that it could be bought by a property developer or irresponsible owner when it was put on the market in March with a £25,000 price tag.

But Ms Danby has given assurances about the preservation of the land in a letter sent to The Westmorland Gazette.

Ms Danby said: "I am honoured that the Lake District National Park Authority chose my tender to be the successful one, confident that my commitment as a conservationist and my love of the Lake District would mean that the Woodland Management Plan in place for Lady Wood would be respected and maintained, and that public access would continue unaltered.

"It is a desire for privacy and lack of publicity, not secrecy, which delayed this message, as well as wishing to observe the protocol of communicating my identity to my new neighbours first, engaging with local conservation bodies, and securing local services to help deliver practical conservation work at the wood.

"I hope this statement assures the local community of my good intentions and that Lady Wood is in safe hands."

MORE TOP STORIES: Cllr Vivienne Rees, South Lakeland District Council representative for Ambleside and Grasmere, said: "It's the best result that we could hope for. I think it's great that somebody who has the right views owns the land now. The only question is maintenance. The national park had rangers but what sort of workforce she would have, I don't know. There's a difference between someone with good intentions and someone who has the resources."

Gilly Hodkinson, from the Rydal Village Association, said: "It's really reassuring to know there's not some evil plot going on. The worry was who has it and what are they going to do with it? The fact that at last there is a named person who's contactable and is keeping a watching brief is absolutely brilliant."