Lowland grassland field with hedgerows and copses

Estate Management Support

Project Data

Location

Dorset, UK

Client Type

Private Landowner

Field & Canopy has been working with a private estate owner in North Dorset since 2016. During that time, we have been involved in providing a range of Estate Management services including Woodland Management Plans, felling licence applications, tree/hedge planting, ecological surveys & assessments, management of Scheduled Ancient Monuments, community/volunteer engagement, selective felling & coppicing, invasive species management, grant applications and much more...

Methods

Step 01

Building Trust

Projects like this aren't awarded for 'words on paper', they come about through mutual trust, respect, friendship and shared values. We demonstrated our shared vision for a radically new way of managing land and how to restore the connection with local people.

STEP 02

Implementation

Over the course of 8 years we worked collaboratively to create more resilience within the Estate, looking at the long-term impacts of decisions and what those will mean for the current and future residents.

STEP 03

Support

Ongoing support is provided as and when required. The Estate has undergone huge changes, placing it as one of the leading examples of sustainable custodianship in the UK.

Outcomes

When an Estate has been held in family stewardship since the middle ages, it is difficult to measure immediate outcomes, as changes may take generations to become apparent. However, woodlands have been brought back into management, many kilometres of hedgerows have been planted or restored, a new village shop provides a direct link between Estate & local producers/growers and the consumer.

You can learn more about Chettle's journey by following them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chettlevillage/