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Birches Farm, on the outskirts of Kington, offers a rare window to a landscape now long forgotten. Centuries of protection from the plough and modern fertilisers has preserved a stunning array of wild flowers across this beautiful patch work of fields, hedgerows and historic farm buildings. With over 98% of grassland meadows in the UK having been lost, Birches Farm is now recognised as a nationally significant site by Defra and Natural England, and has been designated England’s newest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Through the generous donations of our supporters and charitable trusts, we have now managed to secure the farm’s long-term future under our ownership and management. But this is only the start...

We are now seeking funding to enable us to open the farm gates to local communities and Herefordshire’s residents and visitors. From making the old farmstead barns safe for use and setting up interpretation and educational programmes to creating the basics of car parking, loos and paths around the farm - there’s much to do!

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust aim to restore Birches Farm to be an exemplar of the traditional farm management that created and sustained its glorious meadows. Working alongside our graziers, we will showcase heritage breed cattle and sheep, with traditional methods of pasture management and haymaking – farming methods that support a diverse range of wildlife.

We wish to reveal the farm’s hidden charms through interpreting over 70 years of farm diaries that illustrate how the farm was managed and how it escaped modern agriculture resulting in the fantastic meadows, preserved unmodified for a century.

We want the site to both inspire and educate. As well as building strong partnerships with local schools, we will run training courses in rural crafts such as hedge-laying and scything. There will be programmes of guided walks and talks while the farm will provide a venue for community and fundraising events. Bioblitz and WildPlay camping sessions will become an annual feature of the summer months, building memories that will last a lifetime.

Ensuring all buildings are weather tight and H&S compliant is fundamental to the delivery of our vision. The first 5 years of our work at Birches will upgrade the derelict shells to enable reserve management and public engagement.

Birches Farm represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure a piece of the Marches that time forgot. As custodians of the Herefordian landscape, we need vital support to restore the site in a manner that will enable wildlife to flourish, and people to learn the importance of understanding our roots. 

HWT are grateful for the generous support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, which has enabled a feasibility study into the restoration of Birches Farm, and plan for the sustainable management of the site, and works required to receive public visitors and training events.  The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation are key to the success of Birch Farm, in providing a loan to HWT to secure the purchase of the farm.  We would also like to thank a number of Charitable Trusts and the many kind donations from the general public and our membership, without which we would not be able to pay back the loan to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

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