Conservation

Conservation of both the built heritage and environment.
Protecting the natural environment for future generations.

The estate has had a Countryside Stewardship Agreement for over 25 years. This government scheme is designed to facilitate the improvement to farms and the environment by providing funding for farmers who undertake certain works.

The main benefits of the scheme at Bromesberrow Place are detailed below:

Wildlife and nature: restoring habitats, providing food and nesting places for birds, insects and other animals creating areas for rare flowering plants and managing hedges.

Pollinators: providing pollen and nectar sources, providing nesting places, and making sure the right resources for wild pollinators are where they are most needed.

Water/flooding: making water cleaner, reducing the risk of flooding by encouraging changes to farming practice (such as crop management), improving farm infrastructure, and creating woodland.

Woodland: funding tree health, the creation of new woodland and supporting the management of existing woodland, and developing management plans.

Countryside Stewardship also helps to improve the historic environment, landscape character, genetic conservation, educational access, and reduce the effects of climate change.

The estate also has a current High Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England. It has a committed programme to maintain nature conservation and management of wildlife habitats.

Some of the estate’s activities have been:

  • Reintroduction of grazing on Chace End Hill in cooperation with Malvern Trust to reduce the invasive bracken and scrub.
  • A project to preserve the High Brown Fritillary Butterfly in one of the estate’s Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on Chace End Hill. The SSSI is a formal conservation designation, an area of particular interest to science due to rare species of fauna or flora.
  • In 1993, the agreement with the Countryside Agency saw the 18th century park replanted and an additional 100 acres of new parkland laid out with an additional 197 specimen trees.
  • Since 1991, we have planted 80,000 trees (mainly oak) and planted 6,000 metres of new hedgerow, which we continue to maintain.
  • We have dug out 3 ponds and a further 4 are planned.
  • We maintain six miles of public footpaths.
  • For the past 20 years, the estate has commissioned the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) to carry out an annual wildlife, flora and fauna biodiversity audit. This is to assess the effects of the variety of conservation works carried out on the range and diversity of flora and fauna. The breeding bird surveys show that from the total number of 41 birds recorded, an increase in the medium conservation concern and the number of birds of high conservation concern remained high with the return of Lapwing, Yellowhammers, House sparrow, Skylark, Starlings and Song thrush with a new recording of the Marsh tit.
  • We have carried out restoration work on the 18th Century walled garden.
  • Thatched roof restoration of 2 Regency Cottage Orné and a Tudor Cottage built in 1590.
  • Substantial maintenance programme for Bromesberrow Place over 30 years, restoration of the stable block and other listed buildings.