THE finger of fortune has pointed the way to an imaginative new nature reserve at an historic village beauty spot.

For Chorley Borough Council has just won £28,000 of National Lottery cash to help fund the project in Coppull.

The wonderful windfall means the council can now go ahead with the scheme at the former Hic Bibi clayworkings site off Coppull Moor Lane, which was badly damaged by developers in 1990.

In total the reserve will cost just over £45,000 with the other funding coming from the council, Lancashire County Council, Coppull Parish Council and English Nature.

Coun Steve Holgate, chairman of Chorley's environmental issues sub-committee, said: "Recently we acquired the area and because the Hic Bibi site provides the relatively rare combination of a range of botanical and wildlife interest in a mainly agricultural landscape we felt the need to protect it and ensure that it is preserved for future generations to enjoy.

"Several years ago this site was the subject of tipping and as a result there was great concern to local people in Coppull.

"Now what we are proposing is to ensure the long term continuation of this area as a wildlife haven and I am sure that will be appreciated by all those living in the vicinity."

The site was said to be the most northerly breeding ground of the harvest mouse and understood to be an important Civil War location.

Oliver Cromwell is reputed to have stopped and drunk from one of the local streams - Hic Bibi is Latin for "Here I Drink" - following the Battle of Preston before continuing the chase of fleeing Royalists.

The site will be carefully excavated to provide additional ponds for rare protected species such as the great crested newt.

Habitat management will also take place to encourage wildlife like the harvest field mouse and grass snake .

Shrubs and trees will also be planted and new paths made for the public and school visits.

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