Bringing People Who Care Back into the Landscape at Tidgrove

Celebrating the history and natural heritage of Hannington Parish

We were delighted to welcome 60 local residents and friends to Tidgrove for an afternoon celebrating the history, archaeology, wildlife and changing landscape of Hannington Parish.

The event brought people together to discover how centuries of human activity have shaped this part of North Hampshire. It also provided an opportunity to explain how 38 years of renaturing and nature recovery are helping to restore biodiversity, improve soils, reconnect habitats and build greater resilience to climate change.

It was wonderful to bring people who care back into the landscape, to share its stories, experience its wildlife and consider how, together, we can all help nature recover and slow the flow of water across the land.

Archaeology and local history at Tidgrove

Raleigh Place began the afternoon with a fascinating talk about the history of Hannington Parish.

He shared local stories and presented some of the archaeological finds discovered at Tidgrove. These finds help us understand how people have lived, travelled, farmed and hunted across this landscape over many centuries.

Archaeology is an important part of landscape restoration. Understanding historic field systems, tracks, settlements and buildings allows us to plan future conservation work while respecting the physical evidence left by previous generations.

The history of Tidgrove includes the site of a medieval royal hunting lodge associated with Henry II. This reminds us that the landscape has always been managed and that each generation has made choices about how the land should be used.

Thirty eight years of renaturing at Tidgrove

Charles Sainsbury Plaice then explored Tidgrove’s more recent natural history and the work undertaken during 38 years of renaturing.

This long term programme of nature recovery has transformed areas of simplified agricultural land into a varied mosaic of species rich chalk downland, grassland, scrub, woodland, hedgerows, fallow nesting plots, ponds and lakes.

Renaturing is not simply about planting trees or leaving land unmanaged. It involves restoring natural processes, rebuilding soil health, providing water features, creating habitat connectivity and providing the different conditions required by plants, insects, birds and mammals.

Around 90 bird species have now been recorded at Tidgrove. This is equivalent to three quarters of the 120 species included in Gilbert White’s celebrated account of Selborne, although the two records cover different places, periods and recording methods and are therefore not directly comparable.

The comparison nevertheless demonstrates the variety of birdlife now using the estate and the value of restoring connected habitats across the countryside.

The Queen’s Green Canopy Platinum Wood

Charles also spoke about the Woodland Trust Queen’s Green Canopy Platinum Wood at Tidgrove.

The woodland forms part of a wider commitment to creating a future proofed landscape for North Hampshire. Carefully planned woodland can provide wildlife habitat, store carbon, shelter livestock, cool the ground, protect soils and contribute to a more resilient landscape.

Trees, hedgerows and healthy soils can also slow the movement of water. Their roots and surrounding vegetation help rainfall infiltrate the ground rather than immediately running across the surface and into rivers.

This is particularly important on chalk landscapes. Slowing water movement can give rainfall more time to enter the chalk and contribute to groundwater recharge. It can also help reduce soil erosion and rapid runoff during periods of heavy rain.

These benefits are becoming increasingly important as climate change brings hotter and drier summers, more intense rainfall events and greater pressure on water resources.

Supporting Hannington Church

Residents were able to purchase signed copies of The Queen’s Green Canopy book, kindly donated by Tidgrove Estate and its co author, Charles Sainsbury Plaice.

All proceeds from book sales on the day went to the Hannington Church fund. Funds raised through ticket sales also supported the church, which is poignant since Charles' Grandfather, Grandmother and mother are all buried and commemorated there.

Thank you to everyone who attended, purchased a book and contributed to this important part of village life.

Walking through a recovering landscape

Following the talks, Harold Makant from Oakbank Game and Conservation, our longstanding ecological agronomist, led a guided walk through the estate.

The walk gave visitors an opportunity to see some of Tidgrove’s habitat restoration, regenerative land management and biodiversity work at first hand. It continued through the estate to the site of Henry II’s medieval hunting lodge, where residents enjoyed a picnic before returning home on foot to Hannington.

Walking through the landscape helped connect the different themes of the afternoon. Local history, archaeology, farming, woodland creation, chalk grassland restoration, wildlife conservation, water management and climate resilience are not separate subjects. They are all parts of the same living landscape.

Nature recovery depends upon people

The recovery of nature cannot be achieved by individual landowners or conservation organisations working in isolation.

It requires land managers, farmers, researchers, ecologists, volunteers, local communities and neighbouring estates to share knowledge and work across boundaries.

Healthy hedgerows, woodland, ponds and species rich grassland provide wildlife corridors that allow birds, mammals, insects and plants to move through the wider countryside. These habitats also support pollinators, beneficial insects, soil organisms and natural pest control.

Nature recovery benefits people as well as wildlife. It can improve physical health, mental wellbeing, water quality, soil resilience, food production, tourism, education and our sense of connection with place.

Thank you to our speakers, everyone who helped organise the event and all those who joined us.

By bringing people who care back into the landscape, we can build a stronger relationship between local communities, natural history and the future of the countryside.