80-Year-Old Farmland in Hertfordshire to Become Wildlife Habitat

A 70-acre plot of arable farmland in Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, is set to be transformed back into a thriving wildlife habitat through a comprehensive 30-year restoration project. The site, known as Pipers Hill and located near Hemel Hempstead, has been cultivated by the same farming family for approximately eight decades.

Naturum, the landowners behind the initiative, announced that work is scheduled to begin later this year. The project aims to reinstate a traditional orchard that previously occupied the land but disappeared over a century ago, while also enhancing existing grasslands with specialized wildflower and herb seed mixes.

The area is strategically located within the Chilterns National Character Area and forms part of a wildlife corridor connecting to Highpark Wood, an ancient woodland site. It also borders the Great Gaddesden Water Meadows, which contain the River Gade—a rare chalk stream that supports otters and water voles.

Species expected to benefit from the rewilding efforts include brown hares, hedgehogs, great crested newts, common toads, and the Small Heath butterfly. According to a company spokesperson, decades of intensive farming have degraded habitats for these native creatures, and the project seeks to provide them with the space to return.

Giles Perry, co-founder of Naturum, emphasized the significance of the collaboration with the long-standing farming family. “This land has been farmed by the same family for the best part of 80 years, and it means a great deal to us to be working alongside them as we start to bring nature back to it,” Perry said.

The restoration is a key component of the Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which designated the location as a priority zone for woodland, scrub, and grassland recovery. Officials hope the project will help alleviate environmental stress on the River Gade, which, like many chalk streams across the country, has been impacted by modern agricultural practices.

Under the plan, the original farming family will continue to serve as long-term land managers, and the site will remain accessible for educational visits by local children.