A GROUP of history enthusiasts has received a grant of almost £25,000 to recreate the mediaeval landscape of a Worcestershire village.

Wichenford Local History Group will spend the money on pollen analysis to shed light on the earlier flora of the region.

They will also have help from Birmingham University's Anglo-Saxon expert in the surveying and recording of the ancient trees in the area.

The money has come from the Local Heritage Initiative, which is administered by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Mervyn Mitchard, the secretary of Wichenford Local History Group, said: "We already know that at least one of the roads through

the parish dates from Roman times and may even be pre-Roman. It's a very exciting project."