Lead Organisation
The National Trust
Project Description
This project will reignite nature recovery across the Cotswolds National Landscape by restoring 54 hectares of priority grassland habitat, establishing a 22-hectare wildflower seed donor site, and securing the equipment needed to enable conservation grazing on neglected and hard-to-reach sites. Together, these actions will revive extensive areas of species-rich limestone grassland and meadow—habitats that are increasingly rare and fragmented across the landscape.
At its heart, this is a long-term, landscape-scale commitment to recovery. By creating a dedicated seed donor site, the project puts future restoration at its core—providing a sustainable supply of locally appropriate seed to power new grassland creation well beyond the life of this work. This is not short-term intervention, but the foundations of lasting ecological renewal along the Cotswold escarpment.
Project Location
The project sits within a key ecological corridor of the Big Chalk Programme area in the Cotswolds (grid reference SO 84980 05139). It strengthens connectivity between fragmented limestone grasslands, supporting species movement across southern England’s interconnected chalk and limestone landscapes.
Fit with the Big Chalk Programme
This project drives forward the Big Chalk vision by restoring and reconnecting chalk and limestone grasslands at scale. By rebuilding ecological links across the Cotswolds, it strengthens biodiversity, enhances resilience to climate change, and reinforces the integrity of the wider chalk landscape network stretching across southern England.
Beyond habitat restoration, the project reconnects people with living landscapes. Revived grasslands rich in wildflowers and wildlife will become places to experience nature first hand—deepening understanding, building pride, and inspiring long-term stewardship of these precious habitats.
Wider Social and Environmental Considerations
Restoring these iconic escarpment grasslands delivers benefits far beyond biodiversity. These landscapes will become accessible, uplifting places that support wellbeing and bring communities closer to nature.
Crucially, the seed donor site ensures this work is built to last. By equipping future projects with the resources to continue restoring grasslands, this initiative creates a self-sustaining legacy—one that empowers ongoing action, supports local conservation efforts, and ensures these landscapes continue to flourish for generations to come.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.
Preparing the soil for seed sowing
All‑terrain vehicle towing a seed spreader
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.