Visiting Winchelsea

The National Trust’s Winchelsea Landscape Revival Project information

• Why has the National Trust chosen to change its land management at Winchelsea to focus on wildlife and biodiversity?

  The United Kingdom is facing a biodiversity crisis. In a world that has already passed the safe limit for humanity in terms of nature depletion, the UK stands out as a country of significant concern. Researchers at the Natural History Museum in 2021 placed the UK in the bottom 10% of global countries in terms of biodiversity loss; we are the lowest in the G7 group of nations (see: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/biodiversity-indicators/what-is-the-biodiversity-intactness-index.html).

  The NT’s land policy priorities focus on the fact that our founders created the National Trust to care for places of historic interest and natural beauty, and as regards land, for the preservation of their ‘natural aspect features and animal and plant life’, for the benefit of the nation. Climate change and the loss of habitat and species represent the biggest risks to the future of the places in our care. As the UK’s largest conservation organisation and a private landowner, it is incumbent upon the Trust to make a significant contribution to tackling the nature and climate crises. We want National Trust land to be a model for how to offer the best for both nature and people.

  The UK’s low position reflects historic transformations to the landscape following the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and present-day intensive farming and building. Today, over two-thirds of the UK’s surface area is being used for agriculture, while another 8% has been built on – leaving little room for more natural habitat and processes. Anyone who watched David Attenborough’s recent series on UK wildlife will already know this.

  Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w73kDZvBgv4&ab_channel=SaveOurWildIsles

• Shouldn’t farmland be focussed on food production?

  As mentioned above, over two-thirds of the UK’s surface area is being used for agriculture, most of which is commercially driven for the purpose of producing plentiful, cheap food. There is no current food-security issue linked with lack of productive farmland according to the UK Government’s Food Security Report 2021.

  Instead, the report states that the biggest medium to long-term risk to the UK’s domestic food production comes from climate change and other environmental pressures like soil degradation, water quality and decline in biodiversity. Furthermore, the UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year.  Over ⅓ of all food produced globally goes to waste.

  The National Trust is the largest private landowner in the United Kingdom.  Most National Trust land, about 200,000 hectares (490,000 acres), consists of tenant or in-hand farms that continue to contribute to food production. But the Trust is not primarily a food-production organisation. Its purpose is to look after places of historic interest or natural beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation. But this can, and often does, go hand in hand with lower-intensity farming as can be seen in this video:

  Why is our food system one of the biggest causes of nature loss? - YouTube

• I hear that you are just ‘doing nothing and letting it all go’. Is that correct?

  No, that is incorrect. At Winchelsea, we will continue the traditional practice of livestock grazing throughout the Trust’s estate, however this will be done at much lower stocking densities. Cessation of arable cropping, lower stocking densities and fewer chemical inputs will lead to significant increases in biodiversity, healthier soils, and reduced carbon outputs, as well as better protect and understand Winchelsea’s significant archaeology.

  We are still developing the long-term Management Plan for our land at Winchelsea. However, we have produced a very detailed Feasibility Study using independent experts, which, after looking at all the impacts, has identified a preferred option which has been shared publicly. This involves continued grazing of open pasture and parkland, especially near the town, with some more naturalised grazing regimes and restored wetland features further away from the town to the west, in the floodplain.

• I haven’t seen much grazing or cutting yet.

  Until we have developed the full Site Management Plan, we are gradually introducing an interim management regime that involves a combination of grazing and cutting where it is most needed. This is taking a while to implement fully, which is why the spring and early summer of 2023 has seen limited activity on site. However, this brief delay has given the soils and biodiversity some early recovery already. You’ll now see livestock (e.g., Sussex cattle) are appearing on site, and grassland cutting contracts have now begun.

• Is this some sort of new-fangled ‘re-wilding’ project?

  Much of what we are doing at Winchelsea is actually more traditional and in keeping with Winchelsea’s historic setting than the modern forms of farming that now dominate our lowland countryside. A significant portion of the land will remain as grazing pasture and coastal grazing marsh, but we’re using low numbers of ancient, hardy breeds of grazing animals for a more diverse grassland. Some of the areas, further away from the town, will look ‘wilder’ than they have for many years (and more alive with wildlife) but will still be managed with light grazing, fencing and maintenance of the main drainage channels (by the IDB). Across the whole of the landholding, we hope that older generations of locals and visitors will soon recognise some of the missing wildlife they knew as children beginning to return.

  Nature conservation, conservation grazing and addressing some of the damaging effects of modern farming is nothing new in the UK. We’ve been doing it for many decades, and the National Trust is the largest conservation charity in Europe with huge experience of managing the countryside for landscape, wildlife, and public enjoyment. We see room for many different levels of ‘wildness’ and domestication on our land and will always seek to apply these different treatments in a locally appropriate and considered way for the benefit of biodiversity and people.

• What about all the ‘weeds’?

  Much of what are regarded by many farmers as ‘weeds’ are part of our native flora and have significant benefits for wildlife. Some are listed in the Weeds Act 1959 as ‘injurious’, not because they cause injury to animals or people, but rather for the original meaning of the word: because they were deemed harmful to the interest of agriculture. In fact, only one of the five species, ragwort, is in any way toxic to livestock and only if eaten in great quantity, which is rare. Situations of harm can sometimes occur when it is included (in high quantity) in hay, or when animals have very little else to eat due to over-grazing.

  On the other hand, these native ‘weeds’ are extremely valuable for our wildlife. One reputable study found that the abundance and diversity of pollinators visiting these native ‘weed’ species averaged twice that of the plant species recommended for pollinator-targeted agri-environmental schemes (see: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14132 ). Where these native species we call ‘weeds’ grow as part of a naturally regenerating community of plants, we and the insects that feed on them are happy to see them, and they indirectly support farming by supporting pollinators.

  Ragwort germination and growth happen in competition-free gaps in the vegetation; the kind that are produced by cultivation or by heavy grazing from domestic stock like sheep or horses. Conversely, in well-managed dense grassland, the amount of ragwort is controlled naturally by competition and reduction of suitable germination sites (i.e., disturbed gaps).

  However, with respect to neighbouring farms and other landholdings, we wish to be good neighbours. Therefore, part of our plan involves controlling native plants that are seen as problematic in conventional farming situations, like ragwort, within 50m of our boundary. This is well beyond the normal maximum dispersal distance for ragwort seeds as shown by research (e.g., https://doi.org/10.2307/1939891). Natural England, who are the regulating authority for the relevant legislation, are aware of our overall plans and are supportive.

  For more information on ragwort and the common myths surrounding it see: https://www.ragwortfacts.com

• There are signs indicating that you intend to restrict public access to your land. Is this true?

  Part of the Trust’s purpose is to provide access to the natural beauty of our landholdings, and Winchelsea is no exception. We want people to be able to enjoy it. We have no desire to restrict access except where there is a risk to livestock, as would be the case on any farmland, or to breeding wildlife such as ground-nesting birds. As any farmer or nature reserve warden will tell you, the biggest issue for both livestock and ground-nesting birds is dogs off leads. If people keep dogs on leads during the spring-summer bird breeding season, or around livestock, then access can be less restricted.

  It is our intention to supplement the public rights of way that run through our land with some additional, permissive paths. In that way, we are actually increasing access to the land for responsible users. However, we may need to fence walkers off from grazing livestock and sometimes direct people to the designated public footpaths at certain times, just as any livestock farmer or nature reserve warden would. It is clear that the ridge path joining the two County Council’s public rights of way is popular, and we are happy to support its continued use as a permissive path.

• Why are you mostly using cattle rather than sheep?

  Sheep tend to graze very close to the ground leading to uniform short sward where stocking densities are high, which can reduce the structural diversity that many valuable invertebrates and other species prefer. Sheep also preferentially take flowering heads and buds of a range of herbaceous plants, which can be problematic to the long-term management of species-rich swards.

  Cattle are less selective grazers than sheep and are likely to graze a vegetation stand or community to a fairly average height. They are ideal for removing long, coarse grass growth. The tongue is used to pull tufts of vegetation into the mouth, which at low/medium intensity leaves a tussocky sward with a variety of micro-habitats. They do not selectively eat flower heads of herbs, unlike sheep. This can be beneficial in a botanically diverse meadow.

  The ultimate goal at Winchelsea is to have a variety of ancient, hardy grazing animals (possibly including some sheep) at low stocking density to maximise soil health and biodiversity, and in areas near the town these will be contained using electric fencing.

• What do you expect the wildlife benefits to be?

  Natural England’s predictive tools tell us that our plans will lead to a very significant, measurable increase in biodiversity, which is why it is being financially supported by the Trust and our funding partner National Highways.

  Less intensive, less ‘improved’ grassland that is sympathetically grazed has a higher overall plant species diversity and provides a wider range of food, egg-laying and over-wintering opportunities for invertebrates. It also has a more diverse sward structure (tall and short) including areas of open ground, all of which is important for a diverse invertebrate community and increases the chances of rarer species being present and supported.

  Less intensive grazing leads to taller, tussocky swards that provide microclimates for invertebrate shelter, protection, feeding and hibernation. Patches of scrub also provide this, along with basking sites. Abundant flowering in spring and summer provides pollen and nectar. Seed heads can form, which along with hollow stems can provide overwintering and hibernation sites for invertebrates. A more developed thatch layer on the ground also provides nesting and hibernation sites, and sites for detritus feeders. Limited patches of bare ground created by heavier species of animal (e.g., cattle rather than sheep) provide hunting, basking and nesting sites for certain species of invertebrate.

  Reduced fertilizer and pesticide use greatly benefits invertebrates, both on land and especially in waterbodies.

  A more abundant and diverse assemblage of plants and invertebrates will lead to a more diverse and abundant array of bird species.

  All of our more common reptile and amphibian species thrive in a structurally diverse mosaic of grassland, scrub and water habitats.

  Most mammals use a wide range of habitats and will benefit from the overall mosaic of woodland, hedges, trees, scrub, open grassland and waterbodies for breeding, feeding, commuting, and over-wintering.

• Have there been any significant changes in wildlife yet?

  Yes! For example, the Trust has been systematically monitoring butterflies on the site since 2017. This year, in 2023, we recorded a very large increase in butterfly numbers compared to any of the previous year’s results. And this is in a year that has been relatively poor for butterflies throughout the region!

• How can I make sense of the conflicting views on these changes?

  Inevitably, any change can raise some concerns and produce a variety of often conflicting opinions. We are also aware that a lot of misunderstanding and/or misinformation may be out there. The National Trust works on an evidence-based approach, taking time and using the best available expertise and evidence to support our decision-making. As a very well-known, large conservation charity we are more publicly accountable than most other private landowners. We are more than happy to share the evidence and our reasoning with others, and to hear and consider any balanced, well-evidenced arguments to the contrary.

  A lot of professional work and expertise has gone into the Feasibility Stage of this project, which is summarised in our Feasibility Report. You are more than welcome to request a copy by emailing Winchelsea@nationaltrust.org.uk. We are confident that the tried-and-tested forms of management we are proposing will bring great benefits to the Winchelsea local environment. In fact, we are putting our efforts to the test, as we are carrying out extensive monitoring of habitats and species in the years to come, which will be reported.