Our Sites
Legacy Grazing help manage sites in Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire and Suffolk. Below are short profiles of each site and the wildlife that we are helping to conserve.
Bellhouse
Bellhouse is a former landfill site near Stanway in Colchester that has been restored for people and wildlife.
Bures Mount & Pastures
The site comprises a motte upon which a Norman castle once stood surrounded by two small fields. Our goats are helping reduce scrub whose roots can damage the integrity of the motte, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Through a combination of hay-making and cattle grazing with our Red Polls, we hope to restore the adjacent grasslands to benefit wildlife.
Cheshunt Marsh
Cheshunt Marsh, is part of the wider Turnford and Cheshunt Pits SSSI in Lee Valley Regional Park.
Cudmore Grove Country Park
An area of coastal grazing marsh with an interesting flora of uncommon grassland herbs such as Sea Clover. It is noted for its wintering waders and wildfowl including Brent Geese. It is part of a SSSI and SPA.
Danbury Park
Part of the historic Danbury Park, the area grazed represents a small but well-preserved example of wood-pasture habitat. The acid grassland has many uncommon plants such as harebell and upright chickweed, and there are numerous giant veteran oak trees.
Dartford Fresh Marshes
Dartford Fresh Marshes is a relatively small relict area of coastal grazing marsh that forms a southern extremity to a larger 195 ha area of Thameside marshland called Dartford Marshes. Both grazing marshes are bounded to the west by the tidal River Darent, but are physically separated from each other by the A206 (University Way) which was constructed around ten years ago.
Hadleigh Park
Overlooking the Thames Estuary, near Southend on Sea, Hadleigh Country Park is a key area for wildlife in south Essex.
High Woods Country Park
The Country Park contains significant areas of conservation grassland, which are managed for both biodiversity and landscape, through cutting for hay and grazing. A number of uncommon meadow plants are present including ragged-robin, pepper saxifrage and quaking grass.
Hylands Park
Hylands Park in Chelmsford is a hugely popular historic parkland with over 230 hectares of grassland, ancient woodland, ponds, lakes and formal gardens. As part of higher-tier Countryside Stewardship scheme, Legacy Grazing is working with the City Council to restore 13 hectares of the park to species-rich grassland and parkland along the River Wid.
Martin’s Farm Country Park
A former landfill site in St Osyth, that has been restored as a country park and includes meadow and pasture areas established for wildlife.
Mill Meadows
Mill Meadows, Billericay, is a 36 hectare Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and one of the finest ancient meadow systems in Essex. Centuries of grazing have created the ideal conditions for a wonderful diversity of wild flowers, fungi, insects and invertebrates, many of which are rare. It contains an area of 7 hectares declared as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its unimproved neutral grassland. The remaining areas is designated as a Local Wildlife Site.
Wat Tyler Country Park
The Park covers an area of 50 hectares and contains a variety of habitats and a rich diversity of wildlife which includes a number of locally and nationally rare invertebrates. Parts of the site are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Local Wildlife Site (LoWS).
Weald Country Park
Weald Country Park is a well-used park on the edge of Brentwood. At over 200 hectares in size, it supports important areas of wood-pasture and acid grassland habitat and is designated as a Local Wildlife Site (LoWS) due to the presence of numerous veteran trees and a number of notable plants and insects.
Upper Hollesley
Upper Hollesley is an area of lowland heath, forest and farmland. It is a SSSI and within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).