Winterwatch at Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate

The BBC was back at the Sherborne Park Estate for Winterwatch in late January.

When did Winterwatch visit?

Dozens of wildlife cameramen, miles of cabling, a small village of producers and not to mention Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, Martin Hughes-Games, and Gillian Burke, were back in Sherborne for Winterwatch.

Having been home to BBC Two's Springwatch and Autumnwatch this year, the BBC team were getting to know our winter wildlife too.

From the roost of 80 red kites, the places where bats hide in winter and the fields where farm birds are fed by local farmers, they have seen some of the best that Sherborne can offer.

Winterwatch was broadcast on BBC Two between 29 January and 1 February. 

What goes on at Sherborne?

Bird print in snow

Identifying animal tracks 

Have you ever been out on a walk and spotted paw prints in soft mud or snow? With our handy guide you'll soon be able to tell your deer prints from your rabbit tracks, and find out which animals live nearby.

Common pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus),one of the 12 species of bat at Sherborne Park Estate

What do bats get up to during the winter?  

Winter can be a challenging time for bats and they have to take some extreme measures to conserve energy.

A pair of Wigeon in flight

Wintering waterbirds 

Winter is the time to spot something unusual with wigeon and teal visiting for the winter. Swans and egrets create a splash of white among the ducks on the two rivers which flow through Sherborne.

Nature moments
Flock of birds roosting in a wintery hedge Play Video
Video

Saving farmland birds on Sherborne Park Estate

At Sherborne Park Estate in Gloucestershire, we aren't just sowing seeds for our own crops. Peter, one of our farmers, shows us how he's helping numbers of farmland birds to soar.

Bird print in snow

Identifying animal tracks 

Have you ever been out on a walk and spotted paw prints in soft mud or snow? With our handy guide you'll soon be able to tell your deer prints from your rabbit tracks, and find out which animals live nearby.

Ranger Anna teaching children to follow tracks Play Video
Video

What can we learn from nature around us?

From hidden tracks to fallen feathers, the forest is filled with the signs of wildlife. Join ranger Anna and the children of Sherborne school in this video as they find out what nature can teach us.

What wildlife can we see at Sherborne this winter? Play Video
Video

Take a winter walk around Sherborne

Join our Countryside Manager, Simon, on a snowy wildlife walk around Sherborne.

Great crested grebes

Nature & wildlife 

As the UK's biggest land owner, we look after a lot of nature and wildlife. We strive to maintain our land as an environment that supports a rich diversity of life.

Gillian Burke, Michaela Strachan and Chris Packham

On BBC TV 

Find out more about Springwatch, see extra clips and photos on the BBC website.

Explore the Cotswolds

A walker by the gate in the woodlands at Newark Park

Walking with wildlife in the Cotswolds 

if you want to explore nature and see wonderful views then you could try one of our favourite Cotswold walks?

The watermeadows in winter

How you can support wildlife at Sherborne 

Getting close to wildlife can be done by anybody - not just the BBC camera teams. But it takes a lot of work to ensure the nature spectacles survive for the future. You can can help too.

Afternoon tea at Lodge Park

Nature talk and tea 

Want to learn more about nature and wildlife? Find out about our 'Nature talk and tea' series.

Walking

Go on a walking holiday 

Nothing beats a walking holiday in the great outdoors. That inward sense of achievement after completing a walk, discovering new landscapes and conquering high peaks. Book a stay at one of our cottages across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and set out on a rambling adventure.

Donate

We need help to support the vital habitats in our care and to ensure wildlife can thrive long into the future. Please donate today to protect the irreplaceable

Give now

Volunteer

Each year thousands of volunteers join us in caring for all the special places you love

Start volunteering

Become a member

Join us and help reconnect a generation of children with nature

Join now