Farmland near Great Gaddesden in Hertfordshire is set to become a 70-acre orchard and wildlife area, in a project designed to give native species more room to thrive.
The land at Pipers Hill has been farmed by the same family for around 80 years. Work is due to begin later this year, with landowners Naturum planning to improve existing grassland using specialist wildflower and herb seed mixes.
The 30-year restoration will also reinstate a traditional orchard believed to have disappeared from the site more than a century ago. The farming family will remain as long-term land managers, while local children will be able to visit the area.
Linking habitats around the River Gade
The site sits beside Highpark Wood, an ancient woodland, and the Great Gaddesden Water Meadows. Together, these areas form part of a wildlife corridor alongside the River Gade, a rare chalk stream.
Brown hares, hedgehogs, great crested newts, common toads and Small Heath butterflies are among the species expected to benefit. The project is also intended to reduce pressure on the river, which has been affected by modern farming practices.
The work forms part of Hertfordshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which identified the area as a priority for woodland, scrub and grassland recovery.
Why it matters for Britain
The scheme will restore 70 acres of farmland while strengthening connected habitats around a rare chalk stream. Keeping the farming family involved and opening the site to local children also gives the project a practical community role.
