Nature on the estate

Come and walk through our ancient woodlands and see what you can find. A wide variety of trees include Ash, Oak, Sycamore, Sweet Chestnut, Hazel, Wych Elm, Holly and Field Maple. These in turn provide a habitat for Snowdrops, Wood Anemone, Bluebell, Wood Sorrel, Ramsons and Yellow Archangel to name but a few of the flowers you'll see in season. Our woodland dingles are bisected by a network of fast flowing streams providing a wetland habitat too which encourages lichens and moss.

We have several species of legally protected bat including the Brown Long-eared, Lesser Horseshoe, Noctule and Soprano Pipistrelle.

We manage the woods to provide a haven for the local wildlife. When the woodland rangers are at work they will display warning notices, so please take care.Our team work as organically as possible and use old methods of maintaining the countryside such as hedge laying and Bracken-bashing in late springtime. 

The veteran trees support wood-decay invertebrate fauna of national significance which includes several species of false darkling beetle and a rare mistletoe weevil which lives on the fruit trees in our orchards.

We encourage populations of rare and declining species of birds including cuckoo, lesser spotted woodpecker, pied flycatcher and fieldfares. The countryside team have erected a bird hide in the Wildflower Meadow for nature-loving visitors to take a quiet seat in to see what they can spot. The woodlands are also full of nestboxes, providing safe homes. Children also enjoy recording their sightings on the fun ‘bird-spotting’ blackboard we have located in the courtyard.

Whilst walking in the woods you may be lucky enough to spot a deer, we have many residing on the estate including Roe, Muntjac and the more commonly seen Fallow. When you go on a wander you can quite often see their tracks in the soil and the evidential patches of bark missing on trees where the deer have been feeding. We have many types of mammals residing on the estate including foxes, rabbits and badgers.

A creature you are less likely to see on your visit is a Dormouse. Our rangers are trained and licensed to handle these elusive creatures

Grass Snakes and Slow Worms are also present in the wood land; however you’d be very lucky to spot either.

The water here on the estate provides a safe home for many amphibians such as newts and frogs. Every spring the welcome sight of frogspawn appears in the moat and Common Newts can be seen darting around the water.

Our resident ducks on the moat provide great entertainment for children, especially in spring and summer when they have their young ducklings in tow.

Like our visitors, we care about nature here at Brockhampton Estate and aim to do everything we possibly can to make wildlife thrive here. Thanks to your generous support we can keep this special place safe for nature, forever.