Barham Downs and East Kent

The Barham Downs wildflower grassland plain comprises a core of over 100ha of contiguous native provenance sown wildflower grasslands with an ever extending network of species rich meadows, developing year by year in the neighbouring valleys, currently amounting to 350ha. Around 230ha of these have been sown with native provenance wildflower seed mixes. Green hay spreading projects are undertaken to supplement the yearly program of wildflower seeding.

Small blue has colonised the area in large numbers along with any other invertebrates such as brown banded carder bee, ruderal bumblebee, six belted clearwing and hornet robberfly. The project is a flagship example of how creating new wildflower grassland at scale can drive species recovery across a broad range of taxa.

In the wider countryside a well-connected network of wild bird seed and nectar plots, cultivated margins and regenerative agricultural practices make for a thriving community of farmland wildlife. Yellowhammer, corn bunting, barn owl, linnet and grey partridge have good populations and the chalky soils sustain important arable plant communities which include night flowering catchfly, fine leaved and dense flowered fumitory, stinking chamomile, shepherds needle and prickly poppy.