Castle Howard: How stately home is creating a thriving space for nature in the heart of Yorkshire

It involves a 440-acre area of the estate known as Bog Hall which will be transformed from difficult-to-farm, low-yielding agricultural land into a thriving space for nature, where beavers will be reintroduced.

The area, which is greater than the area inside the York city walls, is a designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation within the Howardian Hills National Landscape, and has been carefully selected for its immense potential to enhance biodiversity.

A Castle Howard spokesman said: “Working with Environment Bank ecologists, our goal is to almost triple the biodiversity over the next 30 years.

“The Bog Hall Habitat Bank will reinvigorate the estate's natural character and restore historic ecological features, while creating space to support flourishing wildlife and thriving plant life.

“Through locally sourced seeds and native livestock that mimic historic grazing patterns, we’ll establish extensive grasslands and enhance natural regeneration across the area." The plan includes expanding hedgerows, managing woodland, and introducing plants that attract rare birds like turtle doves.

Organisers are planning a release of beavers and are working closely with the Beaver Trust to create a reintroduction programme that allows the ecosystem engineers to shape the landscape.

The estate chose land that was particularly difficult to farm because of its wetness – a feature that makes it extremely valuable from an ecological perspective – so no prime farmland for food production is being used.

The project has the potential to enhance the agricultural productivity of other farmland on the estate and the wider area by creating habitats where pollinators can thrive.

The Bog Hall Habitat Bank sits adjacent to a public bridleway and the estate is thrilled that people will be able to enjoy views of the site as it transforms over the years. But the estate team says it is also important to give nature a space to recover and the site will be suitably protected so wildlife can live undisrupted.

Fencing is being installed for beaver rewilding to begin from 2025. Fields are being prepared for new habitats and significant changes to the landscape will be clearly visible within the first two years.

Safari tracks and walking trails are being planned so people may be able to visit the site without impacting the developing habitats.