Site Last Updated
2 January 2008

Neil and Jenny’s Introduction

Lynsted and Kingsdown Society Farm Walk.
Kingsdown Farm, Hole Street Kingsdown.

Neil and Jenny are pleased to welcome you to Kingsdown Farm. We thought it would be helpful to have a short explanation of the on-going programme for wildlife encouragement and protection on our farm. Beginning in 2001, with funding from the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, Neil began planting 1500 metres of hedgerows, both new hedges and gapping up existing ones. He also planted around 400 trees in various corners, and one small spinney (Josh's Wood}. As well as tree planting, 1200 metres of 2 metre wide grass field margins and over 6000 metres of 6 metre wide grass field margins were established.

The margins are sown with a seed mixture, which includes tussocky grasses such as Timothy, Cocksfoot and Fescues. It also contains wild flowers such as Cowslips, Selfheal, Wild Marjoram, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Common Knapweed, Kidney Vetch, Red Campion and Woodsage.

These margins are designed as wildlife corridors linking woods and hedges, and to provide food for insects, small mammals, bats and the bird population. The latter includes a colony of Tree Sparrows at Park Farm.

The following year it was possible to include the old cherry orchard at Park Farm in the scheme and some arable options, including 7 acres of wild bird seed mix, conservation headlands, overwintered stubble and 10 acres of rotational fallow.

The Countryside Stewardship scheme is funded by DEFRA and acceptance is merit based. In order to qualify, the land has to potentially provide habitat for endangered (BAP) species, and protection of threatened habitats - in our case, the local bat colony, the Tree Sparrows and the old orchard.

We hope you will enjoy your visit.

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