Conservation

Our approach has moved away from that of commercial agriculture to what can better be described as ‘farming nature.’ Across the estate we are constantly striving to conserve and enhance our biodiversity by providing a sustainably managed environment that helps nature to survive and thrive. For the last decade we have been part of the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Scheme and prior to that we were part of the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme.

A couple of highlights of what are we doing?

We have created an interconnected network of wild bird seed and pollen and nectar mixes, that enhance woodlands and hedges, whilst supporting an extensive rotation of winter wheat, spring barley and overwinter stubbles.
We manage the woods on a carefully selected thinning rotation. Preserving ancient trees and deadwood, whilst allowing light to reach the woodland floor to promote natural regeneration and new growth.
Sheep and cattle graze the calcareous grasslands on a managed rotation that specifically benefits the wide varieties of wildflowers and orchids present.
Overwinter supplementary feeding is critical to providing the wild birds with a much needed extra food source to help them through the hardest times of the year.

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Taking part in the Game & Wildlife Trust’s Grey Partridge Count Scheme and Big Farmland Bird Count every year allows us to contribute to national wildlife conservation databases