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World News

Pasture which inspired CS Lewis' heaven saved from sale

by Anna Rees Green

An area of farmland, which inspired CS Lewis' description of heaven in The Chronicles of Narnia, has been spared from sale.

The 400-year-old water meadows at Turnastone Court in Herefordshire is among England's oldest pasturelands. 

Set in the Golden Valley above Ross-on-Wye, the land provided inspiration to CS Lewis when writing his beloved series. Nearby is the ancient Arthur's Stone, upon which Lewis based his description of the place where Alsan was slaughtered - an allegorical parallel of Christ's crucifixion. 

Since 2003, it has been owned by the Countryside Regeneration Trust. In May, the Trust put 247 acres (100 hectares) of the land up for sale without restrictions, meaning a new owner would have been able to do whatever they liked with the land - including apply for planning permission to build on it. 

However, after being petitioned by campaigners and fans of Lewis' work, the charity has reversed its decision. 

"We had to make some difficult decisions, and we thought that selling Turnastone might be an opportunity to release some capital which we could then invest in our other farms," Rosie Hicks, vice chair of the charity, told BBC Hereford & Worcester. 

"We didn't realise how wide the interest is; it's heartening to see that a lot of people care about this farm." 

Campaigners are now calling for the land to be given further protections, due to its cultural and environmental significance. 

 

 

 

 

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