About the reserve

Since being purchased in March 2023, we have been taking a rewilding approach to managing this site. It is located on the edge of Old Whittington, a suburb of Chesterfield in Derbyshire.  After carrying out baseline surveys to understand what is already present, we will be able to determine how best to kickstart natural processes to facilitate nature’s recovery.

The site's habitats consist primarily of former arable fields with narrow grassy field margins and native hedgerows with trees. A small area of rough grassland was present in the south of the site, and a pond, surrounded by mature trees and scrub, was located in the northeast corner.

The general vision for areas of new woodland is that these will occur through natural regeneration. This process will comprise species already present within the site itself, and existing adjacent woodland and hedgerow habitats, including oak, hawthorn, blackthorn, and holly, which will contribute to the site's future ecosystem.