Dorset County Council has bought hundreds of acres of heathland around the Hardy Monument with the intention of restoring it.

The authority and its partners bought the 117-hectare beauty spot near Portesham for £355,000 from the Forestry Commission as part of its ‘assets dispersal’ programme.

The purchase followed almost a year of negotiations initiated by the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership.

Dorset County Council bought the land at Blackdown jointly with partners West Dorset District Council, Natural England and the Patsy Wood Trust.

The county council will now be responsible for restoring the heathland landscape, with the work being managed by the Dorset Countryside Service and its partners.

A county council spokesman said: “Work at the site will involve improving public access, creating learning opportunities and promoting recreation such as walking, picnics and enjoying its views and tranquillity – a source of inspiration for art and poetry.

“The South Dorset Ridgeway National Trail, formerly the South West Coast Path inland trail, runs through the site.

“Blackdown is accessible by public rights of way paths from the towns of Weymouth and Dorchester.”

The spokesman added that various bids are being prepared for external funding to help improve and restore the site for the public.

The county council successfully bid for a grant from charity The Patsy Wood Trust, which was set up in honour of British environmentalist Patsy Wood, who died in 2007.

The Patsy Wood Trust made the biggest single contribution of £160,000 towards the acquisition of the site.

Dorset County Council’s cabinet member for environment, Robert Gould, said: “It is fantastic that this partnership has secured the Blackdown woodlands for the public.

“The site has huge potential as a place for recreation and education as well as conserving its important wildlife and historic features.

“The grant from the Patsy Wood Trust towards the purchase of the site is a fitting tribute to Patsy’s life as a forester.”

The asking price of £355,000 for the area of heathland was met with contributions from Dorset County Council, which provided £67,500 capital plus £70,000 as a project loan, which will be repaid through timber sales.

Natural England contributed £47,500, West Dorset District Council donated £10,000 and Patsy Wood Trust gave the lion’s share of £160,000.

A county council spokesman pointed out that the purchased area of land did not include the Hardy monument, which was still owned and maintained by the National Trust or the car park surrounding it, which is also privately owned.

The day-to-day management of the site will be the responsibility of the Dorset Countryside Service, managed through a steering group comprising Dorset AONB, Natural England, the National Trust, Dorset County Council, Dorset Countryside, English Heritage and West Dorset District Council.

Andrew Duke, who owns the car park and around 25 acres of land around Hardy Monument, said he was ‘stunned’ to learn about the land sale.

He said: “The last I heard about this was last September when Natural England said it couldn’t acquire the land.

“Clearly now, that’s changed.

“I’m quite surprised that someone has now bought this land but I’m only the landlord - no-one tells me anything.”