Man spends life’s earnings on 130-acre gravel pit, turns it into wildlife haven

The natural landscape Edmondson created also became the setting for Log House Holidays. (Photos: LHH) Anthony Edmondson spent his life’s earnings buying a 130-acre abandoned gravel pit in the Cotswolds, south central England, in the 1980s. He planted 50,000 trees, sowed wildflowers and added reeds to the water which over the years, has transformed the former industrial site into a landscape supporting birds and other wildlife.Edmondson’s decision was influenced by his time in Canada. Isabel Choat writes in The Guardian that Edmondson had worked in the silver mines of the Yukon and spent his time off staying in remote areas. When he returned to England and bought the former gravel pit, he wanted to recreate that feeling of wilderness closer to home.His work eventually helped the estate gain designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Today, the property, known as Log House Holidays, has eight holiday cabins, each with access to the lake. The site combines accommodation and outdoor activities with the wildlife habitat Edmondson created.How barren land changedThe property lies near Pool Keynes, on the western edge of the Cotswolds Water Park. Edmondson’s 50,000 trees, wildfl...