Project

Hinton Ampner: Reimagining a Hampshire Estate

Open meadows with a tree-lined horizon and blue sky at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire — The project will create a larger and more diverse estate to explore | © National Trust

To build a sustainable future for Hinton Ampner we are working to restore nature and connect more people to our countryside. Through planting tens of thousands of trees, re-awakening lost habitats and welcoming wildlife, we are creating a space for people and nature to thrive.

The main aims of the project are:

Nature recovery and conservation: creating diverse new habitats so wildlife can thrive
Regenerative farming: more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices
Better access to nature: larger, more varied green space with improved access
Involving people: volunteer opportunities, community projects and visitor engagement
Responding to climate change: increased carbon capture and resistance to extreme weather

The work so far

Back in 2021, we began converting 27 hectares of farmland into wood pasture and grassland. We also appointed our farming partner to help us care for our farmland and by introducing a herd of rare breed Sussex cattle. The outcomes are apparent in a greater variety of wildflowers and larger areas of grassland for our cattle.

In 2024, our focus fell upon woodland creation and tree planting. We have welcomed numerous community groups and families to join us in planting 0ver 50,000 new trees including oak, field maple, crab apple and holly.

The local community have been key to delivering woodland creation at such a massive scale, we welcomed 77 groups with 25% of all groups comprising young people, including schools, scouts, colleges & universities.

One of our woodland creation sites, Godwins Park, is adjacent to the local village and nursery. The new woodland will create a welcoming, blossom-rich space for people to come and enjoy.

If you wish to get involved in future tree planting days, please email us: hintoncountryside@nationaltrust.org.uk We intend to run future tree planting days from Autumn 2026.

Herbal ley in flower on farmland at Hinton Ampner National Trust — Herbal ley in flower on farmland at Hinton Ampner | © Lee Hulin

May 2026

Latest update

New beginnings

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Preserving Ralph Dutton’s vision

Ralph Stawell Dutton, the 8th Lord Sherborne, was an author, historian and collector, as well as a great supporter of the National Trust. He inherited Hinton Ampner in 1935 and left the entire estate to the Trust on his death in 1985.

Dutton was responsible for expanding the estate and using landscaping and planting to enhance the stunning views from the house over the South Downs National Park.

As the 'Reimagining' project continues, there will be a steady change to the landscape. But 300 new trees planted in the parkland will continue Dutton’s tradition of creating small copses to soften boundaries and give structure and symmetry to these magnificent views.

Hinton Ampner has a vision of creating something really quite special for people and wildlife in the South Downs National Park.

A quote by Nick HeasmanSouth Downs National Park Authority

Main aims of the 'Reimagining' project

The project has five main aims, each complementing and supporting the others. Click through to find out more about some of these key areas.

Regenerative farming: By restricting the use of chemicals and following regenerative farming practices, we’ll improve soil quality and reduce the impact on the wider environment. Our farming partner will focus on sustainable, nature-friendly food production rather than commercial targets.Find out more
Better access to nature for everyone: We’ll use some of this land to expand the area of green space where visitors can roam, and create a richer and more varied landscape. A new circular trail with accessible and latch-free gates and improved & extended paths will make nature accessible to everyone.
Involving the community and visitors: We continue to engage with local communities and volunteers to help plant trees and look after our saplings.
Responding to climate change: Planting trees and regenerative farming practises will increase carbon capture and improve resilience against the impacts of climate change, including droughts and flood events.

Hinton Ampner in the years to come

These artist's impressions of the skies over Hinton give an idea of the types and variety of species you might expect to see here now and as the nature conservation and sustainability aspects of the project take effect.

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Artwork with birds, bats and insects flying over farmland and countryside — The landscape and wildlife of Hinton Ampner before the Reimagining project | © National Trust / Jeroen Helmer

Hinton Ampner 2023

A view of the Hinton Ampner landscape at the start of the project, and the range of wildlife in the skies above. As work continues, new and recovering habitats will help to boost both the variety of species and their numbers.

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Art work with birds and wildlife flying over Hinton Ampner, Hampshire — An artist's impression of wildlife thriving at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire, 50 years after the start of the conservation project | © National Trust / Jeroen Helmer

Hinton Ampner 2083

Fifty years on, nature conservation and sustainable farming will be working in harmony, leading to a rich diversity of species in both the parkland and on arable land. Native cattle will graze the estate, integrating livestock into the landscape.

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Timeline of work so far

May 2026

New beginnings

Our farming team welcomed Lucy as the new Herdswomen for the Sussex cattle. Lucy was quickly introduced to first calf born this year, a healthy heifer. Cattle are great conservation grazers; they wrap their tongue around a clump of grass, puling it as they eat. This leaves a variety of heights and thatch, providing habitat for a range of wildlife.

One such species is the Small Heath butterfly, whose larval food plant are fine grasses such as bents, fescues and meadowgrasses. This butterfly has been in rapid decline since 1976. Surveys show that the Small Heath is present across the Garden, Farm and wider estate, with more habitats being used in 2025 than previous years.

The image captures a calm pastoral moment: a mother cow and calf standing together in a grassy field, framed by a wooded background under a bright, partly cloudy sky. The animals are positioned centrally, making them the clear focal point of the scene. — First calf of the 2026 season at Hinton Ampner | © Lucy Partridge

Frequently asked questions

We are keeping 110 hectares of farmland on the estate at Hinton Ampner to grow crops and will be using sustainable practices to improve the soil and make the land more productive in the coming years, decades and beyond.

We will also be rearing native-breed Sussex cattle at Hinton by grazing them on other land around the estate, such as grassland and wood pasture. As well as providing food for the cattle, this will help to create and maintain species-rich wildlife habitats.

Over two-thirds of the UK’s surface area is currently being used for agriculture, and according to the UK Government’s Food Security Report 2021 there is no current food security issue linked with lack of productive farmland.

Instead, the report states that the biggest medium- to long-term risks to the UK’s domestic food production come from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, reduced water quality and the decline in biodiversity. The steps we are taking at Hinton Ampner will address all of these issues.
At Hinton Ampner, we'll continue to farm livestock and grow arable crops, but less intensively and using sustainable farming practices.

Unproductive field corners have been left to enable trees to self-seed, whilst other fields are being manually planted with saplings. This will lead to significant increases in biodiversity, healthier soils and reduced carbon outputs.

We will also be planting trees and hedges to create new and extended areas of woodland and hedgerow, while focused grazing will help to manage grasslands, another important wildlife habitat.

This is just part of a long-term strategy to improve the estate for people and nature. It has been carefully planned and will be closely managed for years to come.
No. At Hinton Ampner, we'll continue to farm livestock and grow arable crops, but less intensively and using sustainable farming pra ctices. This will lead to significant increases in biodiversity, healthier soils and reduced carbon outputs.

Planting trees and hedgerows may eventually lead to parts of the estate looking ‘wilder’ than they have done for many years but some areas will still be managed with strategic grazing and fencing.

This is just part of a long-term strategy to improve the estate for people and nature. It has been carefully planned and will be closely managed for years to come.

The National Trust is the largest conservation charity in Europe with huge experience of managing the countryside for landscape, wildlife, and public enjoyment. We see room for many different levels of ‘wildness’ and domestication on our land and will always seek to apply these different treatments in a locally appropriate and considered way for the benefit of biodiversity and people.
Much of what are considered by ‘weeds’ by some farmers, are part of our native flora and have significant benefits for wildlife.

One expert study found that the abundance and diversity of pollinating insects visiting these native ‘weed’ species averaged twice that of the plant species recommended for pollinator-targeted agri-environmental schemes. Where these native species labelled ‘weeds’ grow as part of a naturally regenerating community of plants, they indirectly support farming by supporting pollinators.

Only one major 'weed', ragwort, is in any way toxic to livestock and only if eaten in great quantity, which is rare. Harmful situations can sometimes occur when it is included (in high quantities) in hay, or when animals have very little else to eat due to over-grazing. Ragwort germination and growth happen in competition-free gaps in the vegetation; the kind that are produced by cultivation or by heavy grazing from domestic stock like sheep or horses. But in well-managed dense grassland, the amount of ragwort is controlled naturally by competition and reduction of suitable germination sites.

For more information on ragwort and the common myths surrounding it see: https://www.ragwortfacts.com.
One of the key aims of the project at Hinton Ampner is to increase access to green spaces for visitors and the local community.

Around 75 more acres will become available to the public, with a total of 10 km of new paths through the estate. Visitors will be able to roam over a larger and more varied landscape, while a new trail with accessible gates and improved paths will make nature accessible to everyone.

In some cases, we may need to use fencing to separate walkers and dog owners from grazing livestock or breeding wildlife, such as ground-nesting birds, just as any livestock farmer or nature reserve warden would.
Sheep tend to graze very close to the ground, cropping the grass blades short and to the same length. They also prefer the flowering heads and buds of many plants. This can lead to a lack of variation in grass lengths and plant species, which would otherwise provide habitats for many valuable insects and other invertebrates that are the basis of the wildlife food chain.

Cattle are less selective grazers and are likely to graze an area of vegetation to a medium height. They also remove long, coarse grass and use their tongues to pull up tufts of vegetation. When cattle are grazed in responsible numbers, such as at Hinton, this leaves tussocky grasses with a variety of micro-habitats.
By increasing the range and size of habitats at Hinton, and restricting the chemicals that go into the land, we’ll give all kinds of plants and wildlife a greater chance of thriving here.

‘Unimproved’ grassland, and wild field borders on the estate farmland, will support a wider variety of plants and insects.

This in turn will provide food for an array of birds, reptiles and mammals, while extended and joined up woodland and hedgerows will support larger, more sustainable populations.

The overall mosaic of habitats on the estate will provide appropriate breeding, commuting and over-wintering habitats.

As the land becomes healthier, and the landscape more diverse, the growth in the range and number of plant, insect and animals species should start to gather pace.

Waterfall in spilling onto a grey pebble beach with the sea and cliffs surrounding

Nature conservation

From ancient trees to bees and butterflies, our places are full of life. We're working hard to safeguard nature for years to come.

Our work for nature

Our partners

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is responsible for keeping the South Downs a special place. The SDNPA is also the planning authority for the National Park.

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