Our work on the estate at Kingston Lacy

Tree planting

The National Trust aims to plant 20 million trees by 2030. In 2021, we completed a major tree-planting project at Kingston Lacy, one that aims to restore rare habitats, boost biodiversity and mitigate the effects of intensive farming. More than 5,000 trees were planted in three distinct areas. 

The first of the three planting areas, The Down, was previously farmland but had been left to grow wild for a year or so. The scrub that developed was enhanced with four plots (totalling 4.8 acres/1.95 hectares) of native broadleaf, creating a habitat that mixes woodland, scrub and open grassland. This will be used as part of Kingston Lacy’s naturalistic grazing programme by Red Ruby Devon cattle and Portland sheep.

Boosting diversity

Near White Mill, a narrow, three-acre/1.21-hectare strip of land was planted with 800 trees. The area is part of a flood plain, so classic woodland species for wet and boggy areas, such as willow, alder and birch, were used to boost the diversity of the current grassland. This planting was designed to help reduce surface water and arable pollution run-off, while also creating a biodiverse and carbon-secure woodland.

At Bear Wood, 1,300 trees were planted across a 7.3-acre/2.98-hectare site, extending an ancient semi-natural woodland. Traditional species (hazel, oak, wild cherry, lime) were used to enhance woodland cover, while grazing animals and the development of a wood pasture system will increase biodiversity. In addition, a new five-mile permissive path provides benefits to the local community.

The Queen's Wood

In autumn 2023, in collaboration with local conservation charity Trees for Dorset, we created The Queen's Wood at Shapwick. We planted 96 oaks, one for each year of the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II. This woodland will be extended with other native species to create a diverse woodland for all to enjoy. 

Hedgerow management

Species-rich hedgerows are critical for wildlife, and we look after more than 60 miles of hedgerow on the Kingston Lacy estate. Hedgerows provide food for insects, birds and small mammals, as well as shelter and protection from predators. 'Good' hedges are tall and broad, with herb-rich bottoms and wide margins on either side

Over-management of hedgerows is the biggest problem for the species that live in this habitat. Annual cutting using a mechanical flail creates a species-poor hedgerow of little value to wildlife; it takes out species that could grow into hedgerow trees, which provide a more structured habitat. It can take off new growth, removing most of the flowers and berries as well as eggs from moths.

So we cut hedges every three years, allowing the plants to produce more flowers and berries, which are vital food for butterflies, bees, birds and moths.

We also leave old dead wood from trees in the hedgerows, which provides valuable habitats for large numbers of invertebrates, as well as creating micro habitats within the decaying wood.

And we are filling gaps and establishing new hedgrows: in spring 2023 more than 500 metres of hedging was planted on the estate, with the whips protected by biodegradable cardboard tubing.

Habitat restoration to support dormice

Our work on hedgrows is supporting one of the UK’s most threatened woodland species, the hazel dormouse. Hedgerows provide vital habitat for dormouse, which has seen an estimated decline of 70% of the population since 2000.  

Traditional hedgelaying – cutting and bending stems to create a living fence – keeps hedges dense, healthy and rich in life. This enables dormice to forage through an area, safe from predators. More than 1,000 metres of hedgerow around Badbury Rings and Bishops Court Farm have been restored using this ancient skill, with extra planting to create continuous cover for wildlife. 

We have also installed 75 nest boxes in woodland, providing safe places for dormice to breed and making it easier to monitor them. 

 

Nature-friendly farming to restore biodiversity

When Bishops Court Farm in Shapwick came back into the management of the Kingston Lacy estate, we recognised it as a wonderful opportunity to provide a haven for wildlife and increase biodiversity. Our conservation work on this 850-acre site will include the restoration of chalk grassland, planting more trees and scrub and re-creating traditional water meadows.

The land will still produce food and, through grazing with heritage livestock such as our herd of Red Ruby Devons, will regenerate the chalk grasslands, rich in wildflowers and butterflies, that were once common throughout Dorset.

In 2023 the land entered a Countryside Stewardship scheme. Fields have been seeded with chalk grassland seed collected from Salisbury Plain to help establish yellow rattle, scabious, salad burnet and wild thyme.

We've planted more than 100 hectares to create wood pasture: trees and shrubs include beech, field maple, dogwood and buckthorn. The areas will initially be fenced off to keep the young trees from being nibbled by deer, and a perimeter fence and installation of new water pipes and troughs will help us graze the area in the next few years. Look out for our Red Ruby Devon cattle in the landscape.

The public will also benefit from better access to the land through an improved footpath network. This restoration of a healthier, more beautiful, natural environment will kickstart initiatives to link up habitats across the estate and beyond. Keep an eye out for updates as this wide-ranging project develops.

River Stour: wetland restoration

Historic dredging practices on the River Stour have created a steep-sided channel, with very little diversity of habitat. A river with different flows and depths provides different habitats, which are important for a biodiverse mix of fish and insects.

We’re working in partnership with Wessex Water, the Environment Agency, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Stour catchment project. The project aims to enhance biodiversity, working with farmers, landowners and communities to improve habitat and water quality, as well as reducing flooding risks.

Floodplain restoration at Shapwick

Traditional floodplains are important for many different reasons. In the past, floodplain meadows were complex, highly fertile areas that were farmed in the summer, cut for flower-rich fodder and grazed by livestock, but left in the winter when high water levels flooded the land, increasing fertility by depositing natural river sediment. 

During the 20th century, this use of floodplains changed, with many coming under intensive agricultural use. Rivers were managed to keep water off the land, through the use of ditches and embankments that aimed to move water out to sea rapidly. The Floodplain Meadows Partnership estimates that at least 42% of former flood plains are no longer connected to their rivers, so no longer able to store floodwaters.   

This also meant a change in the wildlife-rich habitat. Meadows lost common sedge, hawkbits and ladies bedstraw. That led to a decline in invertebrates, which then affected birds such as cuckoos and swifts. Marshy, boggy areas became arid and dry, no longer the carbon sinks they once were.  

Restoring these floodplains will take time. In 2026 we took a first step, with funding from the Countryside Stewardship scheme; enhancing the floodplain between Shapwick and Spetisbury to ‘hold’ water in the ground for longer, improving local drought resilience. Drainage ditches, fed by natural springs, were infilled so water will move across the floodplain and make its way into the River Stour at a slower pace. Existing depressions in the fields, which form natural ponds in winter, were deepened to create wetland scrapes and planted with native wet grassland and plants.  

The work will hopefully create a wide mosaic of habitat: water, hedgerow, grassland, trees and scrub that offers food and shelter for many different species. It is an initial step, one of a wider suite of potential projects that aim to restore natural floodplains along the length of the river Stour. Once this project is complete, we and our partners will continue to monitor this site, to improve our understanding of how best to manage water flows throughout the year. 

Supporting tenant farmers

The Kingston Lacy estate has 12 tenanted farms. One of these is Allen Valley Farm, where father and son team David and Richard McKie maintain the last dairy farm on the estate. Their 450 cows produce 2m litres of milk a year, which is pasteurised and goes out to eight vending machines locally.

In 2022 the Trust completed a major investment in new winter housing for the cows. Though the cows graze outside during the summer, the farm’s 400 acres are low lying, bordering the River Allen; the land is too wet for the cows to stay outside all year round.

The Trust also grant funded 1,800 trees and hedge plants to improve the hedgerows on the farm. 

Habitat for birds

Our habitat conservation work means we have a growing number of birds on the estate, with many endangered species breeding here. We are working with the RSPB to monitor birds at Badbury Rings and Bishops Court Farm; over time, this provides data that shows whether our work is successful, and helps us plan our conservation strategy.

In the six years to 2023, at Badbury Rings we've seen whitethroat territories grow by 162%, blackcaps by 144%, corn buntings by 80% and skylarks by 66%. At Bishops Court Farm, skylark territories have doubled in the three years to 2023, with stonechat territories up by 35%, sedge warblers up by 36% and chiffchaffs up by 28%.

Birds like quiet, undisturbed landscapes, and are easily frightened by walkers and dogs. We are increasing the density of scrub to provide them with safer places to nest, while deep, thick hedgerows provide food as well as habitat. We are working to ensure other users of our sites understand the impact of their activities on the wildlife around them.