Thornham Estate
The unique character of the Thornham Estate is highlighted by the intricate mix of arable land, woodland, parkland, grazing land and unfarmed areas. The arable farmland is complex with varying soil types and irregular shaped fields interspersed with large blocks of woodland and grassland. All crops from the 1,300 hundred acres of arable land are stored and processed at the farm on the Estate. All grassland on the Estate is farmed using minimal amounts of fertiliser and most areas do not receive chemicals for weed control. The grazing animals are predominantly cattle, sheep and horses.
Over one-third of the Estate is dedicated to conservation, ranging from species-rich grassland and field margins to ancient woodland. As a result, there is a wealth of wildlife for all to see. Active management is key to biodiversity and use has been made of government grants like the Environmental Stewardship Scheme to help meet the cost of adapting farming methods to benefit wildlife
