Lead organisation
Chilterns National Landscapes and North Wessex Downs National Landscapes
Partner organisations
Andy Byfield Botany
Future Nature Bucks, Berks, Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT)
Parish Councils
State schools
Project description
The Goring Gap is where the Thames cuts through two Chalk National Landscapes, and where a landscape disrupted by railway electrification is being mended, piece by piece.
Mend the Gap is a joint programme led by the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs National Landscapes, working with local communities, landowners, conservation organisations, catchment partnerships, parish councils and schools to restore and reconnect this important chalk landscape.
The programme began by building a detailed picture of the landscape, working with the Wildlife Trust, local records centre and Andy Byfield Botany to understand what was there and where recovery could have the greatest impact. Since then, targeted projects have been bringing habitats back to life, from wildflower scrapes, hedgerows and tree planting to new areas of wood pasture. Alongside this, catchment partners are working to re-naturalise chalk rivers and strengthen approaches to water and habitat recovery across the wider catchment.
Nature recovery goes hand in hand with community action. Parish councils and schools are helping shape projects that matter locally, from community growing and citizen science to water quality testing. More than 150 landowners and 10,000 people have been engaged to date, creating a growing network of people with a stake in the future of this landscape.
The project was disrupted by Covid but gathered real momentum from 2023. Delivery will continue through to 2028, building a lasting legacy carried forward by the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs National Landscapes and the communities who live here.
Project location
Mend the Gap sits within the Goring Gap, where the Thames passes through the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs National Landscapes at the heart of the Big Chalk programme area.
This is a landscape of connected chalk grasslands, arable fields, woodland, rivers and marginal habitats. By strengthening these connections and supporting the recovery of calcareous species and habitats, the project is helping create a richer, more resilient landscape, and a community equipped to care for it.
Contribution to Big Chalk
Mend the Gap puts the Big Chalk vision into action: knitting together grassland, arable land, woodland, rivers and marginal habitats to create a connected, wildlife-rich chalk landscape.
New and restored wildflower grasslands, scrub, naturally regenerating woodland and marginal habitats are being mapped and managed as part of a wider landscape mosaic, linking existing areas of habitat and creating opportunities to extend and strengthen them.
But connectivity is about people too. By bringing landowners, communities, schools and local organisations into the work, Mend the Gap is building the knowledge, relationships and local ownership needed to keep nature recovery moving long after the project ends.
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.