Lead Organisation
Project Details
This project will transform 0.5 hectares of species-rich chalk grassland at Ranscombe Farm Reserve's entrance by installing permanent stock fencing, three metal kissing gates for public access, and a field gate for management. Together, these elements will create a securely enclosed grazing area that enables sustainable sheep grazing by the tenant farmer, replacing ineffective annual mowing and hand-raking while actively protecting nationally endangered species like the Man Orchid.
This targeted intervention powers a far bigger vision: a 40-hectare chalk grassland restoration network across the 267-hectare reserve, itself embedded within the North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve (NNR), a 24 km² landscape encompassing 20 landowners, 931 hectares of SSSI designation, and over 2,000 ancient and veteran trees. By securing this gateway site, we're catalysing restoration at scale and safeguarding one of Britain's most precious calcareous grassland ecosystems for generations to come.
Project Location
The project area lies within the North Kent Woods and Downs NNR, a nationally significant chalk landscape supporting rare species and ancient woodland.
Fit with the Big Chalk Programme
This project aligns with the Big Chalk Programme by delivering targeted habitat management for chalk grassland flora and fauna, including endangered species such as Man Orchid and locally rare plants like Clustered Bellflower. By restoring and managing species-rich grassland at a highly visible location, the project strengthens ecological connectivity and contributes to the Big Chalk Programme’s objectives of landscape-scale habitat restoration and public engagement.
It supports the Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategy by creating resilient habitats and demonstrating best practice in wildlife-friendly farming. The site’s location will allow it to be used as a case study and demonstration of good practice and integration into a commercial farming system, providing a key exemplar for why livestock management is necessary and nature-based solutions are so effective.
Wider social and environmental considerations
This project will unleash biodiversity across the site. Grazing will create a dynamic, variably structured sward that provides vital habitat for chalk grassland specialist butterflies and pollinators, while livestock naturally disperse seeds and stimulate germination, nurturing a flourishing community of nationally significant species including Man Orchid, Clustered Bellflower, Horseshoe Vetch, Yellow-wort, and Small Scabious.
Positioned at the reserve entrance, this site becomes a living demonstration of traditional chalk grassland management woven seamlessly into modern commercial farming, inspiring thousands of visitors and igniting broader conservational awareness. The shift from labour-intensive mowing and raking frees critical resources for accelerated restoration across the wider reserve. Meanwhile, livestock movement and green hay spreading will transform this site into an active seed source, propagating species-rich grassland throughout the landscape and driving restoration at scale. This is conservation that works harder, reaches further, and delivers compounding returns across the entire ecosystem.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.
Volunteers installing a new metal gate
New metal gate installed
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.