A Day in Hampshire: National CPRE Team Tours Projects and Explores Countryside Challenges and Opportunities

The sun shone as the National CPRE Trustees and senior management team visited Hampshire on Wednesday 18^th September 2024 to learn more about the local branches efforts to promote, protect and enhance the countryside.

The afternoon was spent touring projects and sites to demonstrate the planning challenges facing Winchesters’ southern border with the South Downs National Park.

First the team visited the Hampshire Hedge project, a nature recovery corridor of hedgerows to connect the South Downs & New Forest National Parks. Vice Chair of CPRE Hampshire, Boyd McCleary showed the new planting sites and a 400m stretch of newly laid hedge, which has been made possible thanks to CPRE’s Hedgerow Heroes Fund.

Josie Palmer, HCC County Farm manager explained the benefits of working with CPRE Hampshire to restore Hampshire’s hedgerows effectively; “From an HCC County Farms perspective, working with CPRE Hampshire and its volunteers has upskilled and inspired the farm tenants to do more on their farms to plant and restore hedgerows. It has also given them the confidence to invite the community onto their farms to share in their work and farm journeys more regularly.”

Richard Stiles one of the tenant farmers described the multiplier effect the hedgerow project had had on his farm “Since working with CPRE Hampshire in 2022 I have gone on to plant a further 1.5km in winter 23-24, reinstating boundary hedges and putting in hedges along footpaths and tracks. I will be aiming to plant another 1km this winter. I hope younger generations are seeing and following CPRE’s work. Seeing the hedges grow is a great feeling!’

Later, the team moved onto St Catherine’s Park & Ride site in Winchester where they were met by Winchester based ecologist Rachel Remnant. Rachel took the group on a short walk to visit Cowslip Meadow, a site where she collaborated with CPRE Hampshire to run the Magnificent Meadows project. This new initiative involved local volunteers and training them to use traditional hay making skills to manage the unique chalk grassland meadows found across Bar End.

The next stop was a short walk down to the River Itchen, one of Hampshire’s internationally protected chalk rivers. Chris Lickley, South Downs National Park Ranger explained about the importance of the chalk rivers, streams and some of the pressures they faced.

The final stop was Junction 9 of the M3 where Kelly Porter, Major Project Officer at the National Park described the challenges the National Park Authority had faced when working with National Highways on a major road infrastructure project.

Returning back to the Potters Heron hotel in Ampfield, the group were joined by CPRE Partners from Hastoe Housing, New Forest National Park, Southampton University, Test Valley District Council, the South Downs National Park and the Campaign for National Parks. They enjoyed a dinner and discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the Hampshire countryside.