Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area
In the north east of Hampshire lies a little known but very special area of villages, towns and countryside. From Basingstoke in the west to Farnborough and Aldershot in the east, and from the border with Berkshire in the north to the North Hampshire Downs in the south, it is a rich and varied landscape full of surprises. This is the Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area.
The Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area is a landscape of rivers, wetlands, woods and heaths that give rise to a wonderful and diverse wildlife; it is a living and working countryside where farming and forestry is still important; and it is a landscape with history. The numerous deer parks such as Dogmersfield, Bramshill and Hackwood arose during medieval times when kings granted "imparkment" licenses to favoured subjects in order that they might raise deer and enjoy the hunting rights normally reserved for royalty. Within the parks and royal hunting forest, Commoners Rights were granted to the people that lived there in order to pasture their cattle, feed pigs, gather fuel and grow crops. Woodlands were coppiced, with the crop being used for fencing, fuel, in wattle and daub and a range of woodcrafts. Yateley, Odiham and Hook Commons, examples of where these rights were practised, are now wildlife refuges supporting endangered habitats and species. Indeed the surviving, but much fragmented, heathland is considered so important that it is a candidate Special Protection Area for Birds under European law.
Like so much of southeast England, this very special and unique area is under threat from development resulting in habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. So what has the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust been doing about it?
In the north east of Hampshire lies a little known but very special area of villages, towns and countryside. From Basingstoke in the west to Farnborough and Aldershot in the east, and from the border with Berkshire in the north to the North Hampshire Downs in the south, it is a rich and varied landscape full of surprises. This is the Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area.The Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area is a landscape of rivers, wetlands, woods and heaths that give rise to a wonderful and diverse wildlife; it is a living and working countryside where farming and forestry is still important; and it is a landscape with history. The numerous deer parks such as Dogmersfield, Bramshill and Hackwood arose during medieval times when kings granted "imparkment" licenses to favoured subjects in order that they might raise deer and enjoy the hunting rights normally reserved for royalty. Within the parks and royal hunting forest, Commoners Rights were granted to the people that lived there in order to pasture their cattle, feed pigs, gather fuel and grow crops. Woodlands were coppiced, with the crop being used for fencing, fuel, in wattle and daub and a range of woodcrafts. Yateley, Odiham and Hook Commons, examples of where these rights were practised, are now wildlife refuges supporting endangered habitats and species. Indeed the surviving, but much fragmented, heathland is considered so important that it is a candidate Special Protection Area for Birds under European law.
Like so much of southeast England, this very special and unique area is under threat from development resulting in habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. So what has the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust been doing about it?
- With funding from the Environment Agency, the Trust has produced a strategy for the River Loddon catchment collating information on habitats, species, designated areas, agri-environment schemes and conservation projects. The strategy has a detailed programme of work to enhance the biodiversity of the catchment.
- Providing advice and support to landowners and local communities on habitat management and survey work
- The Trust has long been concerned with controlling harmful development. With partner organisations it has worked to revitalise heaths through reinstating grazing and to restore the quality and extent of flood plain and freshwater habitats. Some of this work is carried out on the Trust's own reserves at Mapledurwell Fen, Hook Common and Bartley Heath, Greywell Moors, North Warnborough Green and Ancell's Farm. The Trust has now set up a separate grazing project to work on this and a grazing agreement for large areas of MOD owned heath in the area.
With support from the Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council the Trust run the Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area project. Project Officer Amanda Bassett works to implement the Loddon Biodiversity Strategy, integrating it with the Hampshire County Council’s Forest of Eversley Strategy. Current work includes:
- Providing free advice to landowners and managers with a special focus on areas of land designated as SINCs.
- Working with farmers and landowners to help with applications for Environmental Stewardship.
- Giving talks to community groups, parish councils and schools to raise awareness of the Loddon and Eversley Heritage Area.
- Encouraging public participation in implementing the Strategies and supporting local community conservation groups.
- Carrying out species and habitat surveys including water vole surveys in the area and the Loddon and Eversley ponds project.
- The Loddon and Eversley Partnership, headed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, made a successful financial bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a project to establish a series of self guided wildlife and heritage trails. The project will produce a booklet of heritage and wildlife trails for the area in order to increase people’s ability to access and enjoy the area and learn more about the heritage and wildlife within it.
Download the Biodiversity Strategy for the Loddon catchment (1.2 MB pdf file)
Get in touch with us...
Visit the dedicated Loddon and Eversley website or contact the Loddon & Eversley team for more information
tel 01256 381 186 email feedback@hwt.org.uk
