Mapperton Wildlands rewilding project

A total of 450 acres of pasture, arable and woodlands at the Mapperton Estate near Beaminster are being 'rewilded' in a project called Mapperton Wildlands.

The estate is also planning to build a visitor centre and wants to develop a social programme to support the health and wellbeing of local residents.

People are now being invited to experience the flourishing wildlife by joining guided walking tours and through stays in glamping accommodation and converted farm buildings.

The landscape surrounds historic Mapperton House, the family home of the Earl of Sandwich, and has been shaped over hundreds of years by traditional management for food, fuel and timber. However the intensification of farming and forestry in the 20th century resulted in soil degradation and the loss of traditional habitats, including wood pasture, scrub, deciduous woodland and flower-rich grassland.

Now Mapperton is changing its approach to land management by employing a combination of rewilding, traditional conservation and regenerative agriculture to deliver significant ecological benefits over the coming years.

It has already started its 'rewilding journey' at Coltleigh, a 200-acre farm in the east of the estate. In 2023, another 250 acres in the west and south of the estate will be added to the project, including land at Wytherston with its marshy woodlands and wildflower meadows.

A herd of 25 White Park cattle, an ancient British breed, has already been introduced at Coltleigh. This summer they will be joined by Exmoor ponies and in 2023 by Iron Age pigs, a cross between a Tamworth and a wild boar. In the autumn a pair of beavers will be released into an enclosure. These animals are intended to replicate the type and intensity of grazing that would have existed before the invention of agriculture.

Internal fencing and gates will be removed in the rewilded area, and cattle will be managed using virtual fence technology to target grazing in species-rich grassland areas. Broadleaf tree species will also be planted in targeted areas and new ponds will created to support ecological diversity.

Luke Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, said: “Mapperton Wildlands will enable visitors and the local community to enjoy our glorious countryside and connect with nature while helping to restore the biodiversity of our degraded farmland.

"Our vision is to create an open countryside with no fences or field boundaries, where large herbivores such as White Park cattle and Exmoor ponies can wander freely, and where visitors can experience the thrill of exploring an ancient landscape teeming with wildlife."

He added: "Mapperton Wildlands will continue to produce food. We intend to supply local customers with highly prized White Park beef, as well as delicious venison from our expanding deer population. We will also promote sustainable farming principles, known as regenerative agriculture, across the rest of the estate.”

Dr Tom Brereton, Head of Ecology at Mapperton, said: “I am delighted to be working with Mapperton Estate because of its commitment to rewilding and conservation, underpinned by sound scientific evidence.

“There is a huge potential to enhance the ecological and societal value of Mapperton through rewilding. However we need to strike a balance, as we don't want to lose the special features that are already present, some of which have been here for centuries.

“Mapperton is already extremely rich in wildlife and is internationally important for grassland fungi and insects, including rare craneflies, snail-killing flies, soldier flies and robber flies. That is why we have been working hard to produce baseline surveys which help guide the future management and the target areas for rewilding.”

The next Mapperton Wildlands tour, led by Dr Tom Brereton, is on the morning of Sunday, April 3.

To book a tour visit mappertonwildlands.com