Chalk & Hawks Project Sites Page

Sites

Kingston Lacy Estate, Wimborne
National Trust

Having replaced the ruined family seat at Corfe Castle, Kingston Lacy House was the Bankes family home for over 300 years.

The house and garden are set in a wooded park grazed by a fine herd of North Devon cattle. The surrounding working estate (some 8000a in all) comprises of a rich diversity of habitat types being a mix of arable and livestock farming. The botanically rich Iron Age hill-fort of Badbury Rings dominates the estate's farmland. The southern edge of the estate borders the river Stour, one of the finest chalk streams in southern England.
The combination of mixed farming, proximity to the river Stour and the wooded parkland all contribute to the rich diversity of wildlife which can be found on and around the estate.

The KL management team promote their nature conservation activities on the estate and the Chalk & Hawks Project are pleased to help them do this.

Events at Kingston Lacy 2006 - Chalk & Hawks Project

During 2006 we will be running an extensive programme of guided walks and day tours around the Kingston Lacy Estate.
Guided walks around the woodland trail focuss on watching nesting birds, both raptors and woodland species, with hidden cameras. Cameras are located on natural nest sites as well as those inside nest boxes.
Other events include: "The life of an oak tree" and "Drangonflies and Damselflies at White Mill".
Day tours concentrate on watching birds of prey across wider parts of the estate. There will be opportunities to see live image sof nesting raptors and hopefully the chance to see some chicks being ringed as part of ongoing monitoring.

Bookham Farm, Buckland Newton
West Dorset

Bookham Farm has been in the Foot family for five generations. Historically, the farm has been managed for stock (sheep, beef and dairy). Presently management of the total 650 acres is mixed with 160 cows producing grass fed beef and some 200 acres of arable crops.

Large parts of the farm are in Environmental Stewardship schemes offering opportunities to see plenty of wildlife such as: badgers, hares, kestrels, buzzards, yellow hammers, bullfinch and orchids on herb-rich chalk downland.

Bookham Farm wildlife hide As a farm accommodation provider (www.bookhamcourt.co.uk) Andy Foot, the present owner of Bookham Farm, is keen to help vistors to Dorset watch and experience the wide variety of wildlife on his farm. Andy has built a wildlife hide on his farm where people can watch badgers and a variety of birds visiting the feeding station.

The viewing doesn't stop there as hidden cameras placed below ground in an arificial badger sett and inside nest boxes give close-up views of these creature's secret worlds.

The Chalk & Hawks Project are running several wildlife watching events at Bookham Farm during 2006. These include: badger watching (both short events and whole day tours), bird ringing demonstrations and a nocturnal wildlife watching BBQ. Pleae visit the links for more information.