North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Annual Review 2018 - 2019 INTRODUCTION About the North Chair’s welcome Wessex Downs Welcome to the Annual Review 2018-2019 for the North Wessex The North Wessex Downs Area of Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Outstanding Natural Beauty is the Beauty. This report highlights our third largest of Britain’s 46 AONBs work over the year to conserve and received its status as a protected and enhance the natural beauty of landscape in 1972. the North Wessex Downs – for the The AONB lies at the apex of the chalk band which benefit of those living, working or stretches across England from Lincolnshire to Kent. It covers 668 square miles (1,730 square kms), visiting the area as well as for the taking in 173 parishes including the market towns of benefit of the nation. Hungerford and Marlborough, and reaching into four counties – Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire The year was one of major change for us. Having and Wiltshire. completed a structure review of the AONB The rolling chalk hills with their thin, well-drained soils, team earlier in the year, we then undertook a provide the ideal conditions for chalk grassland with recruitment programme which led to three new chalk-loving flowers, insects and rare butterflies. They staff joining between October and February. also give rise to internationally-rare chalk streams that Ann Shepley became our new Communications support some of the UK’s most threatened and fragile Officer in autumn 2018, and in February 2019 plants and animals as well as sustaining the beautiful Ewa Prokop began her role as Senior Project valleys of this landscape. Development & Fundraising Officer while Jacky Akam joined as our Project Officer. Despite our small team being somewhat depleted by staff vacancies for much of the year we have managed to undertake the five-yearly review of our management plan, contribute to the delivery of a major arts project at Basildon Park, and progress our planned work programme. We have much to be proud of. The AONB Partnership continues to face uncertainties resulting from the Brexit process and the immense challenges presented by the pressure for development within the AONB. Our ability to mitigate the pressures on the landscape and the environment relies on a much wider group, not only our funding partners, DEFRA and the nine local authorities, but also other members of the governing Council of Partners and Management Working Group as well numerous like-minded groups and individuals. Council of Partners We are hugely Conserving and enhancing the natural beauty grateful for your of the North Wessex Downs is the statutory continued support – responsibility of nine local authorities in thank you! Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. They come together with community, farming, conservation, tourism and heritage Ted Hiscocks representatives to make up a governing Council Chairman, North of Partners. Wessex Downs AONB The governing Council of Partners meets three Council of Partners times a year and the smaller Management Working Group four times a year. 2 North Wessex Downs AONB - Annual Review 2018-2019 MAKING CONNECTIONS Life Cycles & Landscapes: Wayfaring Basildon Park, July 2018 Wayfaring - a major new of people coming landscape art commission inspired together and of by the chalk landscape and the paths crossing in ancient route of the Icknield Way that one place for which runs through the North a single night. Wessex Downs on its way from Dorset to Norfolk – lay at the As well as heart of this project developed Basildon Park in the North Wessex Downs, Wayfaring took in partnership by Activate (an • 3 educational factsheets outdoor art production company), place in three other locations in 2018: the Dutch island of produced - on veteran trees, the National Association for parkland and chalk landscapes AONBs and And Now: (artists), Terschelling as part of the Oerol Festival, and two other AONBs – - to inform and guide schools’ with a £367,000 grant from Arts and artists’ engagement in Council England. the Norfolk Coast (Wells next the Sea) and Dorset (Maiden Castle). the project Presented as a journey of • 13 school visits made to exploration, the artists created The North Wessex Downs event ran for a week in July in explain the project and structures made from materials enthuse pupils and staff available from the landscape that partnership with the National • 1 short film created of the audiences could move through, Trust, the Newbury Corn Exchange Icknield Way landscape in the investigate and contribute to. and 101 Outdoor Arts Creation North Wessex Downs They invited audiences to “step Space. We contributed in into the unknown”, to think about practical ways such as helping • 400 primary school children movement and migration: how we the artists find a suitable location, attended art workshops arrive at, understand, inhabit, and promoting the project and lending at Basildon Park involving leave a space. practical support in preparing the storytelling, art, nature, walks, installation itself as well landscape and exploration. On the final evenings, fire, music as getting directly involved and performance transformed the in the educational activities. installations in rousing celebrations Thanks to all for an extremely, thought provoking, interesting event. © And Now, Photo - Nick Read www.northwessexdowns.org.uk 3 MAKING CONNECTIONS members who, between them, farm and manage 10,000 Farmer Clusters hectares where the catchments of the rivers Dun and the Shal Following a successful information event for farmers drain towards the Kennet in March 2017, we developed our Farmer Cluster in Hungerford. The group’s primary focus is on improving Development Project which aims to establish at water quality in the Dun and least three new farmer-led groups across the North Shal but members are also keen Wessex Downs, extending the success already to work together on a range of other environmental goals. achieved by Marlborough Downs Space for Nature In March 2019, the group and the Pewsey Downs Farmer Group. held its first event, hosted by David Lemon of Manor Farm In March 2018, we engaged Tim aims of forging closer links with in Wilton and George Hosier Clarke, an experienced local farm the area’s farming community. of Wexcombe Farm, looking at manager, advisor and Catchment The Southern Streams Farmer sediment run-off and trapping in Sensitive Farming Officer, to Group was established on 20th the upper catchment. lead this work for us and help November 2018 and has 20 us achieve one of our corporate We have also been exploring the potential for another farmer- led group along the Ridgeway National Trail running west from Bury Down in Oxfordshire. This links to an Oxford University PhD research project on techniques for managing the trail itself for biodiversity. A meeting in late 2018 showed considerable interest and development work is continuing. Erosion and sediment under discussion at Wexcombe Farm Future of Landscape and Farming in Focus …very at North Wessex Downs Annual Forum interesting and inspiring... Brexit and its possible effects on farming, landscapes and wildlife ...an excellent was the theme for our Annual Forum which took place at event... Rushall Farm near Bradfield in Berkshire in October 2018. Around 100 farmers, landowners, when it says it wants to shift public Denton-Thompson OBE, councillors, conservationists, farming support to paying for immediate past president of the residents and supporters attended “public money for public goods”. Landscape Institute; Peter Lemon, the event, hosted by the John Key speakers included Andy Guy local landowner and farmer; and Simonds Trust with support of LEAF (Linking Environment Chris Musgrave, local farmer and from our sponsors Doves Farm, And Farming), the farming and conservationist. Larkmead Farm Vets, Openfield environmental charity, who After a lunch of locally-sourced and SoilBioLab. addressed some of the big produce delegates took the With so many unknowns for questions facing sustainable land opportunity to take part in a farmers and the wider rural management, food production number of site visits looking community, the Forum was an and profitable farming. at woodland management, opportunity to discuss what Also speaking were Phil Jarvis catchment sensitive farming, the future might mean for the from the Game and Wildlife organic shared-enterprise landscape and wildlife, and just Conservation Trust; Merrick farming and local history. what the Government means 4 North Wessex Downs AONB - Annual Review 2018-2019 MAKING CONNECTIONS The Great West Way The landscape looked Over 40 miles of the Great West Way run through beautiful with a fine dusting of snow, I bet in the the stunning landscape of the North Wessex Downs! summer with a carpet of pretty flowers on the downland and the The Great West Way is a new to support our local tourism butterflies fluttering around it is touring route, approximately industry. a sight to be seen too. 125 miles in length, which joins We had some input to the project up many iconic destinations and Great West in its development stage prior Way Blogger attractions along a corridor west to 2019 and have now joined of London through to Bristol. This the scheme as an Ambassador. project, led by Visit Wiltshire, is Benefits include the development one of a number made possible by of visitor itineraries for the North the Government’s £40m Discover Wessex Downs, focussing on the In March 2019 we took part in England Fund and is focused on great outdoors and history, which an “influencers” visit organised creating a world-class tourism are promoted through the Great by the Great West Way team in experience, winning new business West Way website and their travel which we took bloggers on a walk and market share for Britain and trade brochure. Furthermore, the to the Alton Barnes White Horse growing the visitor economy along North Wessex Downs is featured and the AONB was subsequently and around the route.