Bog Hall Habitat Bank

We specifically chose land that was low-yielding and particularly difficult to farm because of its wetness – a feature that makes it extremely valuable from an ecological perspective – so we’re not taking any prime farmland out of food production. 

The project has the potential to enhance the agricultural productivity of farmland on the Castle Howard Estate and the wider area by creating habitats where pollinators can really thrive. This can really benefit local farmers too. 

Bog Hall Habitat Bank sits adjacent to a public bridleway, so we’re thrilled that people from the local community will be able to enjoy views of the site as it transforms over the years.  

But it is also important to give nature a space to recover and sites like these must be suitably protected as they establish so wildlife can live undisrupted. Safari tracks and walking trails through the Habitat Bank are being carefully planned so local people may even be able to visit the site without impacting the developing habitats. 

At Bog Hall Habitat Bank, we'll be establishing grassland with seeds specially selected from local wildflower meadows and using native livestock to mimic the grazing behaviour of wild animals that would have roamed the landscape historically.  

We also aim to enhance the existing habitats to help them thrive, allowing natural regeneration to occur as much as possible. This includes managing the woodland and allowing the hedgerows to expand outwards – creating spaces where wildlife can grow in abundance. 

We have specially chosen to seed local plant species in the hopes of attracting rare native birds back to the area, including species that have been almost lost entirely, such as turtle doves. 

Having created a strategic management plan in collaboration with the Castle Howard Estate, we aim to not only introduce sustainable grazing livestock, but also rewild iconic species like beavers – working closely with the Beaver Trust to carefully design a release programme.

Fields are already being prepared for new habitats and significant changes to the landscape will be clearly visible within the first two years. Fencing is being installed for beaver rewilding to begin from 2025. 

Over the next 10 years, our newly created ponds and diverse scrubland will establish, and we anticipate that within 15 years the 440-acre landscape across the Bog Hall Habitat Bank will have been entirely transformed through natural regeneration, habitat creation, and rewilding. 

The Bog Hall Habitat Bank project has been fully funded in advance to ensure it meets its biodiversity goals. This means we have the funding to carry out restoration and rewilding for the project’s full lifetime.