Deepdale Farm on Norfolk coast reveals nature transformation

Deepdale Farm, at Burnham Deepdale, is in the third year of a five-year Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme which has seen most of its arable land converted into funded features for wildlife.

Around 60pc of the 650-acre farm is now put aside for nature, including flower-rich margins and plots, winter bird food mixes, ponds and hedgerows.

And the results were demonstrated to farmers who visited for a farm walk organised by Norfolk FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group).

They heard that Deepdale's transformation journey was sparked by storms in early 2020, which required emergency flood mitigation work after rainwater carved channels six feet deep into sloping fields and sent run-off onto a neighbouring property.

With the help of Norfolk Rivers Trust and the Norfolk Rivers Internal Drainage Board, preventative measures were installed including sowing cover crops to defend the soil from winter erosion, planting new trees and hedgerows, and creating new ponds, sediment traps and catchment ditches to slow the flow of water and capture run-off.

But the farm also took the opportunity to rest overworked soils by launching a government-funded stewardship scheme.

Anna Biesty is one of the partners in the family business, who oversees the farm management with her sister Fiona Borthwick.

She said the changes had made the soil more resilient to extreme weather, and more attractive to wildlife - with a recent invertebrate survey finding dozens of types of spiders, beetles, flies, bees, moths, butterflies and dragonflies, including 36 species had some kind of rarity classification.

"The land really needed a rest," she said. "One of the key things is that when it rains hard now our water runs clear down our tracks, which is a massive relief and shows that the topsoil is staying on the field.

"And it has definitely had an impact on biodiversity. You can see it - there are always birds everywhere, and we have a huge number of linnets.

"We have had the invertebrate survey and a further biodiversity survey, we have had bird ringers on the farm, we have had a breeding bird survey and a winter bird survey and all of them have been really positive.

"As well as the results, they all give us recommendations of what further improvements we can make on the farm - there is always a big 'to do' list."

While the land under the scheme is not generating the same income as a bumper crop harvest, she said it is "definitely covering its costs".

And it is having a "significant" indirect impact on the finances of the whole farm, as it is adding to the experience of people staying at the Deepdale campsite, added Jason Borthwick, who runs the tourism side of the business.

Henry Walker, a farm conservation adviser with Norfolk FWAG, said much of the land taken out of production was now flower-rich margins and plots, featuring a variety of plants such as bird's foot trefoil, sanfoin, red clover, and red fescue.

The remaining 40pc cropped area has been converted to organic, and the rotation includes a two-year multi-species ley, including legumes and clovers, to build fertility in the soil.

Mr Walker also pointed out other stewardship features including a long beetle bank, which divides a field to slow water flowing downhill, allowing it to seep into the ground.

And he said an area of permanent grassland, although not covered by the CS scheme, was a "fantastic example of what can be achieved through good management and benign neglect".

"It is species-rich grassland," he said. "It is fantastic having these dense grasses, because it will be chock-full of small mammals, and this will be a frequent hunting ground for barn owls and kestrels."

The farm hosts regular wildlife events including guided walks and conservation weekends, and is inviting public visitors as part of Open Farm Sunday on June 11.