Weald to Waves at Wiston

Wiston Estate is a founding partner of the Weald to Waves initiative and with our work with the Steyning Downland Scheme we have already seen the proven success at habitat restoration in this area.

Weald to Waves is a network of farmers, land managers, councils, researchers, wildlife charities, schools, gardeners and community groups. Together we are establishing a nature recovery corridor from the High Weald to the Sussex coast and revived seas, encompassing over 20,000 hectares of contiguous habitat. Nature recovery requires a collective effort. The shared ambition of the partnership’s founding stakeholders, to support nature recovery through improving habitat quality and connectivity, resulted in a corridor stretching 100 miles, from the Ashdown Forest in the High Weald, following the Arun, Adur and Ouse rivers to the sea at Climping, Shoreham and Newhaven.

In its first stages, this area below will become part of the Weald to Waves corridor. The new meadowlands we are looking to create will also help to reduce severe flooding on Mouse Lane which has become a frequent occurrence in recent years. In order to renature these new habitats and to encourage the return of ground nesting birds, such as nightingales and nightjars, we will be fencing and grazing the fields at Charlton Court with conservation livestock. We will also be planting 1km of hedging alongside these fence-lines to link up corridors for nature.

FAQ’s

Why is the land not being used to produce food? Wiston Estate covers a diverse area of land and 1680 acres are still used for producing wheat, oats and barley. A further 1400 acres are used for grazing livestock. The fields being restored into meadowlands have recently been growing energy crops, as the estate is currently at maximum grain storage capacity for arable crops. So there will be no less food grown as a result of the renaturing. Our strategy is to continue to farm the parts of the estate which are the best for food and wine, while using other areas to protect and improve the natural biodiversity and ecosystems.

How will this project improve the flooding on Mouse Lane? By converting this particular plot from agriculture to regenerated pastureland, the water run off from the slopes of the south downs will be slowed down. The improved soil structure and plant life will naturally hold and absorb a much larger quantity of water than the farmed land. Several wetland ponds are planned for this new zone, which will also hold greater quantities of water – as well as being excellent habitats for a very diverse number of species.

Why does the new area need to be fenced off? We need to fence off the protected zone in order to allow conservation grazing. This is vital for the flora and fauna to take root and establish here and the most natural way to manage it in the long term. As part of this we hope that ground nesting birds such as nightingales, nightjars and skylarks will come back to the area.

Will the fencing not prevent wild animals from roaming freely? The Weald to Waves corridor will be a highway for insects, birds, reptiles and small mammals – which will not be prevented from movement by these fences.