Rare species, some not recorded locally for more than 15 years, are returning to west Norfolk following a decade-long partnership between Natural England and local farmer, Olly Birkbeck.
Massingham Heath, on the Little Massingham Estate, was once intensively-farmed arable land, heavily reliant on fertilisers and pesticides. With support from Natural England, the site has been transformed into a thriving mosaic of grassland, wildflowers and scrub that now supports a rich variety of wildlife. And the results have been striking.
More insects, birds and mammals recorded
John Ebbage, nature recovery manager at Natural England, says: “The wildlife response has been remarkable, with the return of species including skylarks, goshawk, hobby, woodlark and stonechat. The dingy skipper butterfly, absent from the area for 15 years, has returned, as have wasp spiders, oil beetles and the beautiful pyramidal orchid.”
They’re managing the grassland carefully through conservation grazing using Konik ponies, Bagot goats and Tamworth pigs. “This helps control invasive species, prevents aggressive plants from dominating,” Ebbage explains, “and allows habitats to develop naturally. We have also encouraged the growth of scrub and trees to support a wider range of wildlife.”
Agri-environment schemes
The restoration was delivered through Natural England’s agri-environment schemes and led by Ed Cross, a tenant farmer on the Sandringham Estate. Working with botanists, he hand collected seeds from ancient Norfolk grasslands and carefully matched them to different areas of the site.
This approach has helped re-establish plant species that had disappeared from the landscape, including rock rose, wild thyme and field mouse-ear.
Olly Birkbeck, the owner of Massingham Estate, says he began working with Natural England around ten years ago. The idea was “to rethink how parts of the estate could be managed. Their support helped us move away from conventional cropping and towards large-scale habitat creation that has restored the landscape closer to its original character.”
Birkbeck describes how appropriate plants were sourced in order to ensure success: “A bespoke wildflower seed mix, gathered from nearby sites, was used to create species-rich grassland suited to local conditions. Massingham Heath has now become a biodiverse landscape where nature can thrive.”
| (R) Hobby image by Shantanu Kuveskar. via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nature connection
Massingham Heath is also part of the proposed west Norfolk nature network, mentioned in the Norfolk Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This is a landscape recovery project that aims to connect existing habitats, create new wildlife-rich areas, and support nature-friendly farming across a much larger landscape. By improving connectivity between habitats, the project will help species move more freely between them, which will strengthen the resilience of wildlife populations.
The success of Massingham Heath demonstrates how long-term partnerships between landowners, farmers, and Natural England can deliver large-scale nature recovery. Built on trusted relationships and sustained investment through agri-environment schemes, the project provides a model for restoring nature across England’s farmed landscapes.
More about the project
- The Little Massingham Estate is also part of the west Norfolk nature network land recovery project.
- Other uncommon bird species to visit in spring 2026 were whinchats, whitethroats – lesser and greater – wheatears, yellow wagtail, quail, and ring ouzels.
- The original vision for the heath was to reinstate it to its original boundaries, taken from Faden’s map of Norfolk and first edition Ordnance Survey maps.
- An innovative and accessible approach to capturing landscape change has been delivered through a series of artist residencies, inviting members of the Society of Wildlife Artists to record transformation across the seasons. For more information, see Massingham Heath Project/Society of Wildlife Artists.
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