Norfolk Wildlife Trust completes ambitious Claylands project

Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) launched its Claylands Wilder Connections project in October 2021, aiming to to enhance ecological connectivity within this ancient landscape.

Funded by Defra’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund, it brought together conservationists, communities and landowners to create new habitats and link up corridors for species such as great crested newt, turtle dove, hedgehog and barn owl.

Turtle doves were among the species targeted by the NWT Claylands Wilder Connections project (Image: Archant © 2012)

With the help of more than 100 volunteers and 25 landowners, the partnership has planted or restored 6km of hedgerows, restored more than 50 ponds, enhanced 20 hectares of grassland and planted more than 1,000 trees.

It has also overseen 50 events including training workshops, roadshows, conferences and guided walks.

NWT habitat connectivity officer Ben Newton said: "With a national target that 30pc of our land is well managed for wildlife by 2030, it is vital that we support landowners across the county to play their part.

"It’s been amazing to work with such passionate people throughout South Norfolk to restore this unique landscape for wildlife.

"There are so many simple ways to restore, or add, wildlife friendly features such as hedges, wildflower margins and ponds to the farmed landscape without compromising productivity.

"If every farm in Norfolk managed hedges and ponds to benefit wildlife, and their margins and woods were in good condition, that would be a huge step towards meeting our 30pc by 2030 goal."

Among the project participants were Rachael and Vic Long, of Fir Grove Farm in Wreningham, near Wymondham, who have been working to restore rare and valuable flower-rich grasslands – of which an estimated 97pc had been lost since the 1930s.

Flower-rich grasslands at Fir Grove Farm in Wreningham (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The 92-hectare farm has been owned by the Long family since 1889 and was intensively farmed until 1989, when it was put into grass under the set-aside scheme. 

Major grassland enhancement work began in 2010, aided by NWT and the Norfolk Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), when the farm was placed into a Countryside Stewardship scheme.

A meadow which was never previously known to have been agriculturally improved or cropped was re-seeded using seed-rich "green hay" harvested from roadside nature reserves.

This has been repeated each year since then, resulting in more than two hectares of species-rich wildflower grassland.

As part of Claylands Wilder Connections, NWT staff and volunteers helped the Longs to enhance a further two hectares of meadow.

And thanks to their previous efforts, green hay from the original "Garden Meadow" was full of wildflower species which were perfect for helping to enhance the new area of meadow.

Wildlife experts discussing the creation and management of flower-rich grasslands at Fir Grove Farm in Wreningham (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The farm also hosted a practical workshop on creating and managing flower-rich grasslands as part of the project.

Mr Long said: "Since our meadow enhancements began in 2010, we’ve noticed a real increase in the diversity and quantity of wildlife on the farm.

"The meadow really is special - in the early summer it’s a haze of different colours and smells, buzzing with insect life.

Vic Long and his sister Rachael in woodland at Fir Grove Farm in Wreningham (Image: Newsquest)

"We regularly see hunting barn owls over the meadow and great crested newts in our ponds.

"The old hedges around the site have been encouraged to thicken and grow, and have become ideal habitat for turtle doves, which we hear on a regular basis – this farmland bird has been in rapid decline since the 1970s, and it feels really special to play a part in their recovery."

The Long family aims to continue managing their grasslands to help connect the landscape for wildlife, and has plans to become a species-rich wildflower seed donor site to help create new meadows across Norfolk.