Fordham Hall Estate - a grazing case study
The Woodland Trust introduced grazing for the first time at Fordham Hall Estate in Essex in June 2007.
The estate was acquired by the Trust in 2002 on a 99-year lease. Our overall vision for the estate is the establishment of native woodland interspersed with grassland. Woodland creation will take place over a number of years and it is hoped that approximately 122 hectares (301 acres) will be planted with trees. The fields along the River Colne and valley slope were identified as suitable for conversion from arable to grassland. These fields cannot be planted due to the presence of archaeological remains.
In spring 2007 grazing was introduced on the two lower fields situated adjacent to the River Colne. These fields were let to a local farmer Robert Chamley on a summer grazing let. The fields were grazed by a traditional sheep breed comprising Jacob and Black Welsh Mountain. Such native hill breeds are ideally suited to the vegetation on the two lower fields at Fordham Hall Estate.
The six fields located to the north of the two lower fields and situated along the valley slope were planted with a mixture of general purpose and conservation grass mixes towards the end of 2007. In the spring of 2008 Robert took on the remaining six fields on a summer mowing and grazing let and we saw the introduction of hay cutting on this area. During 2009 we hope to put in the fencing, water troughs and handling facilities to enable the long term vision of extensive grazing across the whole of this grassland area to be fully achieved.
Robert's family have been farming in the Fordham area since the early 1930s. Robert himself has been farming all his life. He runs both cattle (for example, Longhorn and British White) and sheep (for example, Jacob).