Norfolk farm transformed into species-rich patch for nature

At Massingham Heath on the Little Massingham Estate in West Norfolk, nearly 1,200 acres of species-rich grassland have been created.

The project was delivered through Natural England’s agri-environment schemes and led by Ed Cross, a tenant farmer on the Sandringham Estate.

Massingham Estate wild poppies (Image: Tim Baldwin)

John Ebbage, Nature Recovery Manager at Natural England, said: “The wildlife response has been remarkable, with the return of species including Skylarks, Goshawk, Hobby, Woodlark and Stonechat.

“The Dingy Skipper butterfly, absent from the area for 15 years, has returned, as have Wasp Spiders, Oil Beetles and the beautiful Pyramidal Orchid.”

The land, once intensively farmed and reliant on fertilisers, is now managed through conservation grazing using Konik ponies, Bagot goats and Tamworth pigs.

Massingham Estate Pyramidal Orchid (Image: Tim Baldwin)

This method helps control invasive species and promotes natural habitat development.

Olly Birkbeck, owner of the Massingham Estate, said: “Massingham Heath has now become a biodiverse landscape where nature can thrive.”

The restored heathland is part of the proposed West Norfolk Nature Network.