Lead organisation
Project description
This project will connect, create, and enhance 121 hectares of chalk grasslands across 15 sites, enhancing 15 hectares of species-rich grassland strengthening habitat condition and ecological connectivity at the heart of Wiltshire’s chalk landscape.
Through targeted, capital-led interventions, we will:
- Establish 15.47 hectares of enhanced species-rich swards to support butterflies and invertebrates
- Create two scrapes and new butterfly banks to increase habitat heterogeneity and climate resilience
- Install 1,790 metres of fencing and construct a cattle corral, securing improved and sustainable grazing regimes
- Complete 39.04 hectares of scrub clearance, restoring high-quality open grassland
- Collaboration with 10 farmers to ensure sustainable habitat management
These works will reconfigure fragmented parcels into a functioning ecological network, anchoring long-term recovery across the Wansdyke landscape.
The interventions are informed by research from the Wiltshire Chalk Partnership and its Chalk Species Revival programme, addressing habitat fragmentation, structural diversity, and sustainable grazing for rare chalk specialists including Duke of Burgundy, Marsh Fritillary, Large Blue, and wart-biter bush cricket.
Volunteer-supported plug planting will extend key food plant availability for Marsh Fritillary, embedding community action within landscape-scale restoration.
Project location
Located within Wiltshire’s nationally significant chalk landscape, this project restores and reconnects fragmented grasslands into a resilient ecological system.
Fit with the Big Chalk Programme
This initiative exemplifies the Big Chalk vision: uniting farmers, conservationists, and communities to create thriving, resilient chalk landscapes.
By establishing new habitat structure, embedding sustainable grazing infrastructure, and targeting priority species recovery, the project secures long-term viability for nature across a fragmented arable landscape.
With 10 independent farmers collaborating across 15 locations, it demonstrates how coordinated, capital-backed action can transform isolated sites into a connected chalk network — building momentum for future joint working across Wiltshire.
Wider social and environmental considerations
This project will deliver significant biodiversity uplift while strengthening climate resilience through improved habitat heterogeneity.
By combining farmer collaboration, volunteer planting, and peer learning, it builds local stewardship and shared ownership of nature recovery. Improvements to nationally important reserves and farmland will enhance recreational and cultural value, supporting sustainable farming systems and long-term conservation outcomes.
Together, this work leaves a lasting legacy: healthier chalk grasslands, thriving rare species, and a united farming community driving nature recovery at scale.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.
Male Chalkhill Blue butterfly
Marsh fritillaries
Do you have a project that could strengthen the future of southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes?
The Big Chalk programme brings together a dynamic suite of partner-led projects, each unique in its focus, area, and partnerships but sharing a commitment to our collective vision.
If your project contributes to the Big Chalk mission, we invite you to register it as a Big Chalk Project. Registered projects gain access to networking, shared learning, and best practice—alongside the Big Chalk brand, boosting your profile and connecting you to a powerful, growing network of partners.
Together, these projects form a united effort to secure the future of southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes, making a lasting impact for nature and communities.