Cambridgeshire estate records over 5,000 species of wildlife, after 50 years of care

Within a landscape that combines a working farm, historic estate and popular visitor attraction, wildlife surveys have recorded 5,242 species since records began across the estate's parkland, farmland, woodland and wetlands, from rare barbastelle bats and great crested newts to tiny insects, fungi and wildflowers.

The achievement comes as the National Trust marks 50 years of caring for Wimpole. During that time, habitat restoration, nature-friendly farming and long-term conservation have helped create a landscape that supports a remarkable diversity of wildlife while demonstrating how food production, public access and nature can thrive alongside one another.

The milestone is particularly significant given the increasing pressures facing nature in the region with East Anglia experiencing a succession of droughts in recent years. During these challenging conditions, the overall number of species recorded at Wimpole has continued to grow.

Among Wimpole’s most remarkable residents are rare barbastelle bats, which live in the estate’s protected woods. In spring, great crested newts breed in South Park’s ponds, while the estate’s veteran trees harbour the endangered rusty red click beetle. A tiny pygmy ant, recorded at only one other UK site, has also been discovered here.

Over the past five decades, work to restore, create and connect habitats across the estate has helped transform the landscape for wildlife. Since 2021 alone, Wimpole has planted 125,000 trees and created 35 hectares of woodland and 52 hectares of wood pasture, with a further 77 hectares of tree planting currently in detailed design. Combined with nature-friendly farming and the careful management of existing habitats such as chalk grassland and wetland, these projects have created a rich network of habitats that supports an abundance of wildlife, providing places to feed, breed and find refuge during challenging conditions.

The estate's organic farming operation plays an important role in supporting this diversity, providing space for wildlife alongside productive farmland. Corn buntings, a species that has declined sharply nationwide due to agricultural intensification, continue to breed in Wimpole’s fields. In total, Wimpole is home to ten species of bumblebee and notable butterflies including marbled white, silver-washed fritillary and white-letter hairstreak. Three newly recorded dragonfly species are among the more recent additions to the estate’s records, while rare beetles, flies and even an uncommon mayfly add to its ecological importance.

The site is also one of the best National Trust properties nationally for aphids and plant hoppers, small but important species which form a crucial foundation of the food chain, while Wimpole also boasts 330 species of wildflower.

David Hassall, General Manager for the National Trust at Wimpole, said “Recording more than 5,000 species is remarkable in any landscape, but particularly here in Cambridgeshire, where wildlife is facing the combined pressures of habitat loss and increasingly hot, dry conditions.

"But it isn't just about reaching a number. What makes Wimpole special is the abundance of wildlife people can experience here. In some areas of the estate during the summer, visitors can see thousands of butterflies over the course of a short walk.

“That richness of life is all the more encouraging because Wimpole is a working estate, producing food and welcoming visitors as well as caring for wildlife. It reflects five decades of careful stewardship and shows that nature can flourish alongside farming, public access and heritage conservation.

"By managing the estate with nature in mind, we can provide wildlife with the food, shelter and range of habitats it needs, from soil invertebrates right through to top predators such as barn owls and marsh harriers."

The work being done at Wimpole is also contributing to a much bigger picture. For more than a year, Wimpole’s rangers have been collaborating with scientists from the world-leading Wellcome Sanger Institute as part of UK BIOSCAN, an ambitious project using DNA barcoding to study one million flying insects from across the UK.

Lyndall Pereira da Conceicoa, BIOSCAN Science Lead at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said “Insects are easy to overlook, but they're the hidden engine of every ecosystem. DNA barcoding doesn't just help us count them, it's uncovering entirely new species and even whole groups that have gone undetected and undescribed until now. Sites like Wimpole are valuable places to sample from as their insect communities add real depth to the national picture we're building and help us understand how land management shapes insect life across the UK.”

By taking part, Wimpole’s rangers join a growing community of scientists, conservationists and citizen scientists working together to build a clearer picture of the natural world and how it is changing. That knowledge is becoming increasingly important as rising temperatures and biodiversity loss put growing pressure on species and habitats.

Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Conservation at the National Trust, comments "Recording more than 5,000 species at Wimpole is a remarkable milestone, but its real significance lies in what it tells us about nature's capacity to recover. Across the UK, wildlife is under immense pressure from habitat loss and fragmentation as well as climate change, making the need to restore nature more urgent than ever.

"Places like Wimpole demonstrate the value of taking a long-term approach to nature recovery. By creating and restoring habitats across whole landscapes, we can provide more space for wildlife and help reverse decades of decline. This is the kind of sustained action that will be needed if we are to meet our national ambitions for nature's recovery.

"Just as importantly, projects such as UK BIOSCAN help us build a clearer picture of how wildlife is changing. This innovative approach helps us build better evidence to make better decisions, helping shape our conservation action not only at Wimpole, but across the country."

Wimpole’s Wonderful Wildlife: Top 5 Special Species

Barbastelle bat: One of Britain’s rarest bats, the barbastelle is so sensitive to disturbance that its presence has helped earn Wimpole’s woods international protection status. With its distinctive pug-like face and stealthy woodland hunting style, this elusive species is a true flagship for ancient trees and dark night skies.

Great crested newt: The UK’s largest native newt, great crested newts return each spring to breed in Wimpole’s ponds, performing elaborate underwater courtship displays. Protected by law and a key indicator of healthy wetlands, their presence signals clean water and well-managed surrounding habitat.

Corn bunting: Known as the “jangling keys” bird for its distinctive song, the corn bunting has vanished from much of the English countryside due to intensive agriculture. At Wimpole, pesticide-free fields and wildlife-friendly margins provide the seeds and insects it needs to keep breeding — a rare good-news story for farmland birds and demonstrating how nature can thrive alongside productive farming.

Rusty red click beetle: Once thought close to extinction in Britain, this striking beetle depends on the decaying wood of ancient veteran trees. Its discovery at Wimpole highlights the importance of retaining old, hollowing trees, proving that sometimes conservation means letting nature grow old gracefully.

Venus’s-looking-glass: This delicate, violet-blue arable flower was once a familiar sight in cornfields but is now a rarity in modern agriculture. Flourishing in Wimpole’s organic fields, its star-shaped blooms are a reminder of how traditional, chemical-free farming can bring back the wildflowers of the past.

As climate change places increasing pressure on wildlife and landscapes, the National Trust believes nature recovery must be at the heart of the UK's response. The charity is calling on Government to make climate resilience a national mission, led at Cabinet level, invest in nature as essential infrastructure, and provide greater support for fire and rescue services. Members of the public can back the call by signing the Trust's petition at: nationaltrust.org.uk/wildfire-petition