The farm reserves fairly large tracts of the estate as non-agricultural land to provide natural habitat for native flora and fauna.
This, together with the ‘pesticide-free’ status of the land, has resulted in the proliferation of wildlife.
Roe and fallow deer, brown hare, rabbits and all manner of smaller mammals are increasing in numbers in the wildlife areas.
The water vole has reappeared in numbers on the 1 mile stretch of the River Dun that runs through the estate. Skylarks routinely nest in the farm’s pastures. Nature’s equilibrium is being maintained by the return of birds of prey which had all but disappeared in this area a decade ago, namely red kites, sparrow hawks, barn owls and buzzards (a nesting pair having reared three chicks in the woods on the estate this year) all of which are regularly sighted.
Nesting swans, heron, ducks and water fowl live along the river and the ponds
There are 75 acres of ancient woodland and 65 acres of river copses, plantations, ponds and lakes.
