Caring for the land at Hop Pickers

Despite these changes, the land remains quietly rich in wildlife.

Across the meadow areas, our low-mow approach has allowed a tapestry of grasses and wildflowers to develop, including yarrow, ragwort, ribwort plantain, sweet vernal grass, red fescue, false oat grass and creeping thistle.

Anthills scattered throughout the meadow create small variations in soil and temperature, allowing plants such as wild thyme to thrive while providing feeding grounds for birds such as green woodpeckers.

Beside the old ponds, a single multi-stemmed veteran willow stands as a quiet relic of the past. Trees like this provide invaluable habitat, offering shelter, nesting cavities and feeding opportunities for insects, birds and mammals.

As horticulture declined, hop farming shaped the landscape for a time – before modern agriculture removed many of the hedgerows and traditional orchards altogether. Read more about the History of Hop Pickers here

Today, only fragments of that history remain.

In August we commissioned a Biodiversity Enhancement Assessment (BEA) to better understand the ecological value of the site and identify ways we could improve habitats in the future.

Although there are relatively few formal wildlife records in the immediate area - likely due to limited survey effort rather than an absence of wildlife - records within a 1km radius show the surrounding landscape is ecologically significant.

Species recorded nearby include birds of conservation concern such as cuckoo and kingfisher, alongside mammals including badger, brown hare, otter and several bat species.

During the survey itself, butterflies including speckled wood, meadow brown and large white were seen across the site, while birds such as goldfinch, chaffinch, song thrush and house sparrow were also recorded.

All of this confirms what we see day-to-day: the land is already alive - and full of potential.

Our aim is not dramatic change, but thoughtful stewardship.

Over the winter months we have begun implementing some of the recommendations from the biodiversity assessment, including:

• Installing a leaky dam where water enters the top pond to slow water flow and improve water quality

• Continuing selective woodland thinning to allow light to reach the woodland floor

• Creating dead hedges and wood piles to provide habitat for insects, birds and small mammals such as hedgehogs

• Installing a solitary bee post, offering nesting habitat for important pollinators

These small interventions help create greater structural diversity across the landscape — something that is key to supporting a wide range of wildlife.

Alongside improving habitats, we are also taking steps to reduce our environmental impact.

As electric vehicles become more common on British roads, we have noticed an increasing number of guests asking whether we have EV charging available on site. To support this growing shift towards lower-emission travel, we are installing our first electric vehicle charger for guests.

A modest charging fee will help us manage access responsibly while ensuring the countryside experience remains at the heart of what we offer.