Stour Valley and Stone Street

The Stour Valley to Stone Street Group encompass a large hinterland of downland country from the Stour Valley eastwards. The area supports some of the first species-rich grassland creation projects dating back to the early 1990's and, with a continual yearly succession of new grasslands, now sustains large interconnected networks of flower-rich grasslands intertwined with a lattice of woodland, shaws and hedgerows.

To date, around 400ha of wildflower grasslands have been created from arable land and a further 450ha of grass-dominated grasslands are being restored for wildflower diversity. 120ha of native provenance wildflower seeding has contributed to this restoration work. Floodplain grazing marsh reversion schemes also occupy the Stour Valley providing corridors between the eastern and western sides of the valley.

Notable species in the project area include duke of burgundy, black veined moth, small blue, kentish milkwort, man orchid and adder.