HARNHAM Water Meadows has been awarded £25, 000 to both celebrate and preserve their history and land, which will be achieved through a display of local, rural crafts.

The grant received from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Salisbury Area Board will be used to create an exhibition showcasing the crafts that the water meadows are supported by, as well as illustrating the Trust's unique agricultural system.

Chairman of the Trust, Graham Jagger said: "The Trust is very fortunate in receiving these generous grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Wiltshire Council, they will ensure that details of the craft skills related to the Water Meadows, which sustained them from the 17th Century, are saved for posterity."

Trustee Hadrian Cook said: "Our rural heritage is of national importance and relevant to our community today and it is essential that it is recorded and researched in order to conserve these ancient practices for future generations."

The exhibition will be on display from next year, with additional information about the exhibit on a touchscreen in the Town Path's Rose Cottage.

The Trust encourages the public to get in touch if their family may have been involved in rural crafts during the past several centuries in Wiltshire, including bee keeping, green woodworking, and basket making to name a few.

Hadrian added: "It is so important to the Trust that we can reach out into the community, engaging both the young and not so young in this important part of the local economy and culture."

To get involved with the project or to find out more information, email: HarnhamWM@hotmail.com