Lark Rise Farm

400+ acres
Mosaic arable farm

The 400 acres that makes up Lark Rise Farm all began with the purchase of one small field thanks to donations following an article in The Telegraph in 1993 by CRT founder Robin Page. It has grown considerably over the years and has been given a Redlist Revival Award for 'Highest Density of Grey Partridge’. In addition, we have many other Redlist species of conservation concern including song thrush, yellowhammer, linnet and – as the farm's name would suggest – an abundance of skylarks.

In the summer months, the fields are awash with colour. High numbers of butterfly species feed on the wealth of wildflowers and it is hard to believe how close we are to the city of Cambridge and the busy M11 motorway.

Together with volunteers and wildlife monitors, tenant farmer Tim Scott has used a wide variety of sensitive farming methods to transform the fields from an intensively farmed wildlife desert into a productive farm that teems with wildlife. Tim Scott also works with Syngenta, trialling innovative sprays to produce high crop yields without affecting the flora and fauna.

Keep your eyes open for breeding birds that are considered rare, such as barn owls, farmland flowers including bee orchids, brown hares – they’re everywhere – and signs of water voles in the brook.

All these species are here as a result of wildlife-friendly farming methods such as smaller field sizes, crop rotation, leaving over-wintering stubble, beetle banks, wildlife strips, waterway maintenance and the planting of over 4.5 miles of new hedgerows, with the aid of numerous volunteers.

Mammals – Lark Rise

Noteworthy mammal species spotted at Lark Rise

Otter

Water vole

Typical mammal species spotted at Lark Rise

Brown hare

Pipistrelle bat

Short-tailed field vole

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Latest

Life saving kit for community

A defibrillator and the actions of people nearby can make a life-saving difference during a sudden cardiac arrest. CRT supporter Nigel knows this all too well when his son collapsed last year and his life was saved.
Tools empower people

Volunteers play a vitally important role by helping us to improve habitats to support a greater variety and abundance of wildlife on our farms. But we need to equip our inspiring volunteer teams to be able to go out into the fields and woods and make a difference.
Willows are a cut above

Not only beautiful, but willows are also immensely useful both to wildlife and people. Conservation Officer Vince Lea tells how the trees benefit Lark Rise Farm and the landscape and community around it. Read on to find out how willow is a productive use of floodplains and supports a complex ecosystem.
Winter feeding makes the difference

Farmland bird remain among the most threatened species in this country and their decline is nothing short of cataclysmic. Intensive agriculture has contributed to habitat loss, but at Lark Rise in Cambridgeshire our nature-friendly approach to farming and supplementary feeding over winter have helped ensure we buck many national statistics for farmland birds.

Conservationists team up to bring back water voles

Water voles may soon be plopping into waterways across the East of England once again as funding from Natural England enables ground-breaking conservation work to roll out into more counties.
Ground-breaking project expands

The future is looking hopeful for native wildlife from water voles to kingfishers because Waterlife Recovery Trust’s pioneering work is expanding and inspiring new collaborative projects.
More than 500 birds ringed in 2022

Bird ringing trainer Simon Lane and volunteer wildlife surveyor Rik McCoy report on the data gathered on Bere Marsh Farm in Dorset last summer.
Regional ELMS co-ordinators should be provided by Defra

One of the biggest issues for farmers engaging with the Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) is Defra providing the right initial and ongoing support so farmers can understand and utilise them fully, says the Countryside Regeneration Trust.
The Undertaker and his guests

Sexton Beetles or Burying Beetles are euphemistically known as the Undertakers of the insect world. They have an extraordinary ability to locate and bury small vertebrate carcasses for the purposes of feeding and breeding.
Seeds sown in pilot wildflower meadow at Bere Marsh Farm

Countryside Regeneration Trust volunteers work hard to help sow a future wildflower meadow at Dorset's Bere Marsh Farm.
There be Hummingbirds!

There be Hummingbirds! Well, more precisely Hummingbird Hawk-moths (Macroglossum stellatarum).
Bere Marsh Farm – Angela’s legacy

A new short film in the Countryside Regeneration Trust’s documentary series that captures the ongoing journey to develop Bere Marsh Farm in Dorset has just been released.
Regenerative farming helps drought-affected wildlife

The current drought conditions are having a devastating effect on the country’s wildlife, but it deepens the case for the positive impact of regenerative farming and working with natural solutions, says the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT).
Slow-worms – the gardener’s best friend

The UK has 6 native reptile species including the curious slow-worm (Anguis fragilis). Although serpent-like in appearance, slow-worms are in fact limbless lizards and an amazing example of de-evolution.

School trips on the farm
Volunteer with the CRT

Would you like to help wildlife and do your bit to create a landscape bursting with life? To enjoy quiet time connecting with nature to benefit your wellbeing, or to get stuck into exciting conservation projects with a friendly team? To learn new skills or develop existing ones? Whatever motivates you to consider volunteering, we’d love to have you in our team.
What We Do

The Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT) is a champion of biodiversity, pioneering a living, working countryside through the regeneration of farming landscapes and woodlands for a brighter and cohesive future for all.
Slow-worms – the gardener’s best friend

The UK has 6 native reptile species including the curious slow-worm (Anguis fragilis). Although serpent-like in appearance, slow-worms are in fact limbless lizards and an amazing example of de-evolution.
Who we are & how we work
Conservation Volunteer

This is your chance to get 'down and dirty' to help CRT improve the habitats and environment on our farms, with a wide range of conservation projects and initiatives.
Robin Page

Co-Founder
David Mills MBE

Trustee
Wildlife & Farms

To achieve our vision of a living, working countryside we have purchased 18 sites across the UK, each with their own unique ecosystem and biodiversity.
Bere Marsh Farm

Mixed farmland, Dorset