Up to 500,000 cattle, pig and sheep carcasses were buried at the Great Orton site during the mass slaughter of animals that took place during the epidemic.

At its height, about 8,000 animals a day were buried, making it the UK's largest single mass burial site.

The 200 acre site - which has already been named Watchtree, its original name as a farm prior to becoming a wartime airfield - will now be transformed into a nature reserve.

Watchtree is already home to a variety of bird, insects and wildflower species, and the community realises that it has to look to the future

Grant Webberley, Defra

Up to 50,000 trees will be planted at Watchtree and it is hoped the area will become a haven for wildlife, including squirrels, hares, bats, newts and birds.

The plans will be unveiled by officials from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) this week.

A special open day about the site will be held at Great Orton village hall on Wednesday where visitors will be able to talk to engineering, environmental, ecological and historical experts about the project.

Defra Regional Works Officer Grant Webberley said: "We were determined that the future of Watchtree would be decided in consultation with the local community, and it was from meetings with them that the concept of a nature reserve emerged.

"The feeling among them, and especially local farmers, was that the site should remain a memorial to the hundreds of thousands of animals buried there during foot and mouth.

"Watchtree is already home to a variety of bird, insects and wildflower species, and the community realises that it has to look to the future.

"The nature reserve will eventually act as home to key species of the Solway Plain, especially those which are threatened or rare, including red squirrels, and birds such as the song thrush and grey partridge."