Wittenham Clumps Wildlife Project
Northmoor Trust starts work on a four-year grassland restoration project
The Wittenham Clumps, the well-known and loved Oxfordshire landmark, is set to be dramatically improved for wildlife through the launch of a new conservation project. The Northmoor Trust who own and manage this iconic landscape, has started work on a four-year project to restore a large area of traditional wildlife-rich meadows, once seen throughout Oxfordshire.
The new initiative will see 56 hectares of wildflower meadow restored and created around the Wittenham Clumps with benefits spreading into the surrounding farmland. The work will involve the sowing of once common wildflower species to increase the beauty and diversity of the landscape.
The project will benefit a number of species, bringing the land alive with hares bounding and the song of skylark filling the air. Native hardy breeds of cattle will graze the fields and traditional hay-cutting will be carried out.
Over the next few months, regular visitors to the Trust’s estate will see the practical work being carried out on Round Hill, Church Meadow and on our riverside meadow near Clifton Hampden.
Hay cuts will remove the existing vegetation before selected plots of land are cultivated to provide a fine tilth where the wildflower seeds can germinate.
Over 25 species of wildflower, including the beautiful Devil’s-bit Scabious, Oxeye Daisy and Lady’s Bedstraw, will be sown. Some species sown this autumn will be clearly visible next spring, whilst others will take a little longer to germinate and will be gracing the meadows within two years.
Chris Parker, Conservation and Public Engagement Manager has been busy starting work on the project: "One of the key species being sown is Yellow Rattle, an attractive annual that is semi-parasitic of grasses. By reducing the competitive vigour of some grasses by up to 50%, less competitive wildflowers are able to thrive. It really is the grassland manager’s best friend! We managed to harvest 45kg of yellow rattle seed this summer from Round Hill and this will be sown along with the other wildflower species."
The £126,000 project has been launched following a successful appeal for funding. The Landfill Tax Communities Fund has been responsible for grants of £49,998 from Biffaward, £41,414 from the Waste Recycling Group though the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment, and £5,000 from RWE npower. A public appeal launched in the surrounding towns and villages raised a further £11,500 and contributions were also received from Oxfordshire County Council and Restore UK.
