Winter work brings new wetlands and wildlife habitats to Ughill Farm

Over winter, major conservation work at Ughill Farm has focused on creating new wetland habitats, restoring moorland, and strengthening conditions for wildlife across the site, supporting wider efforts to improve landscapes for nature and water.

One of the most significant changes has been the creation of new wetlands by ‘daylighting’ – bringing previously buried watercourses to the surface – old land drains. Many of these drains were originally installed to move water quickly off the land, but by carefully removing sections, water is now able to return to the surface.

This has allowed a network of small streams, boggy areas and seasonal wetlands to begin forming, fed by natural springs and rainfall from the surrounding hillside. As well as creating valuable habitat for wildlife, these wetlands help to slow the flow of water through the landscape, holding it for longer and reducing pressure downstream. This approach sits at the heart of our Living Waters work, which focuses on restoring natural processes to improve the health of rivers and wetlands.

New ponds have also been created within the wetland area. Delivered by Wildscapes through a District Level Licensing scheme, the work includes three large ponds and three smaller scrapes. While great crested newts are unlikely to colonise the site, the ponds are expected to provide excellent habitat for common frogs, toads and other wildlife.

Elsewhere on the farm, existing mature trees have been enhanced through a process known as veteranisation. By introducing features such as cavities and deadwood, these trees can support higher numbers of insects, as well as birds and bats that depend on them.

Work has also begun to restore Furnace Hill SSSI, where dense grasses have been cut back to give heather, bilberry and other moorland plants space to recover. This is an important first step in improving the habitat for ground-nesting birds.

Alongside this, replacement planting is underway in the young woodland to ensure trees lost during last summer’s drought are successfully re-established.

Together, these changes mark an important step forward in creating a more resilient, wildlife-rich landscape, and demonstrate how working with natural processes can benefit both wildlife and water.

Members can see the full Ughill feature from Tom the farm manager in the spring edition of Kingfisher!

Header image shows a young cuckoo being fed by a pipit on Ughill farm. © P Monk, one of our volunteer patrol rangers.