THIS spring, as I walked around the field behind our home on the Dorset/Somerset border, I was excited-very excited. I have toads in places where they have never been before and barn owls in my nesting box.
As a retired gamekeeper, I have mixed views about the current trend for 'rewilding' Instead, I think it's far better to 'farm Nature', by putting in place the many requirements that flora and fauna need to thrive. After 40 years of looking after land and manipulating habitats essentially to increase numbers of wild game birds-I am well aware of the immense benefits that this management brings to wildlife. However, there are gaps in this approach and a lack of continuity that breaks the lifecycle of many creatures, as well as crops that only fulfil part of their needs for a short period. In so many cases, Nature is in conflict with other land uses, such as agriculture, as he who pays the piper calls the tune.
My last two keepering jobs were Holkham in north Norfolk and Langholm in south-west Scotland both massive and marvellous privately owned estates that are rich in wildlife, but not without their issues. Therefore, when we moved to the West Country six years ago, my wife, Paula, knew I would go stir crazy if I had no land to play with. Fortunately, we bought a lovely property, in a small hamlet near Sherborne, with a 32-acre paddock.
The field had been grazed by a local farmer ever since the previous owners' daughters gave up their ponies. It's surrounded by intensive dairy and sheep farms, which are sadly bereft of a lot of wildlife, as so many hedges have been grazed out. What's more, the livestock needs a lot of grass, which creates a bland monoculture that's regularly doused in slurry and cut numerous times for silage-if it's not grass, it's maize-none of which is great for the birds, bees or wildflowers.
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin August 03, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin August 03, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
