Ambitious new plans for a National Trust estate in Wiltshire have been revealed.
The National Trust and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust have come together for the first time in a new partnership to transform farmland at Great Chalfield Manor in Wiltshire into a thriving hub for regenerative farming.
The Great Chalfield Manor estate has been in the care of the National Trust since 1943 when it was gifted to the charity, and around 20,000 people visit the medieval manor and garden each year.
But the National Trust has now acquired a further 82 acres of land surrounding the estate and says its collaboration with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will mark a new chapter for the historic estate.
Working alongside the Great Western Community Forest, the trusts will plant 11,000 trees on the site to build woodland blocks, agroforestry and wood pasture for climate resilience.
The site will also become a learning hub where farmers and landholders can learn how to develop a range of nature-based solutions.
The manor and garden will continue to be open to National Trust visitors.
“We are excited to be working with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Great Western Community Forest to find a new future for Great Chalfield," said Ian Wilson, National Trust director of operations in Wiltshire.
“By working in partnership with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, we will be able to create more space for nature, address the climate crisis and demonstrate how through a partnership such as this we can deliver for people and for nature.
“Great Chalfield will become a place where nature can continue to thrive, where tree planting will help address the challenges of climate change and where people will be able to come to see first-hand how our land can be managed for nature and food production.”
This new partnership is particularly meaningful as the farm and estate are currently cared for by Robert Floyd, whose father, Charles, was one of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's founders.
Robert and his wife Patsy are preparing to retire from farming, which is why the National Trust has acquired the farmland to extend the estate.
“My late father used to say ‘it all starts with the plants’, so this is a wonderful opportunity now to create positive interaction between nature and our farming communities," said Robert.
Work to plant trees on the site will begin immediately, and will be followed by soil testing to assess the land.
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