200-Year-Old Wall at "World's First Nature Reserve" Crumbles, Festival Launched to Save It

In the 1820s, pioneering environmentalist Charles Waterton built a 9-foot-high, 3-mile-long wall around his estate near Wakefield, Yorkshire. The structure was designed to keep out foxes and poachers, enclosing what experts believe could be the world’s first nature reserve. Two centuries later, that historic boundary is crumbling. To fund its repair, a new event called WallFest has been launched. Waterton was an eccentric and controversial figure. He installed nest boxes, built special banks for sand martins, created innovative bird hides, and even paid locals sixpence for every hedgehog they brought into his reserve. His work laid the foundation for modern conservation. Now, the wall that protected his pioneering sanctuary needs urgent attention. WallFest aims to raise money to restore this landmark before it is lost.