Our Marvellous meadows need your support

We own some of the best meadows in Europe at Clattinger Farm and are undertaking one of the largest grassland restoration projects at Blakehill Farm. 

At Coombe Bissett Down, we have one of the largest populations of our rare county flower, the burnt orchid, along with other orchids.  These wonderfully species rich grasslands become more and more important each year as wildlife continues to decline outside of such protected sites.  It really is essential that we maintain them in a favourable condition. 

We need your help to raise £17,500 to manage these amazing wildlife rich meadows.

Our team of ‘precision grazers’ are at the centre of our conservation management plans. Our herds of Belted Galloway, Dexter and Aberdeen Angus cattle, alongside Herdwick Sheep maintain these rare and special nature reserves.  They are vital to our grassland conservation.

In order to be effective we need to move our livestock between nature reserves to make sure they are grazing meadows and grassland at the right time.  Moving livestock is a time consuming business and is increasingly regulated.  This why we now need to upgrade our vehicle so that it can comfortably tow a trailer full of cattle from one site to another and back to our farming hubs at Clattinger Farm, Blakehill Farm and Coombe Bissett Down.

 We need your help to buy a new vehicle capable of towing 3.5 tonnes

This sort of purchase is unfortunately not easily grant aided, hence why I am writing to you today.  It may seem strange to ask you to make a donation for a vehicle but it is essential to help manage our Conservation Herd and in turn essential for the management of our 680ha of grassland nature reserves, including some of the best chalk downland in England at Middleton Down and Coombe Bissett Down.

 So please give what you can. 

Thank you so much for supporting our county’s amazing meadows.

Yours sincerely

Jonathan Clarke
Conservation Herd Manager