An introduction to the Countryside Restoration Trust

The Countryside Restoration Trust is a farming and conservation charity which aims to protect and restore Britain's countryside through wildlife-friendly and commercially viable land management.
 
Through education, demonstration and community involvement, the Trust is committed to promoting the importance of a living and working countryside.

In this time of crisis within agriculture, the work of the Trust is vital to help revitalise the countryside and restore its wildlife.

Over 12 years of success

The Countryside Restoration Trust was established in 1993 by the current Chairman, Robin Page, the late Sir Laurens van der Post and the artist and conservationist, Gordon Beningfield.

Launched in response to growing fears about intensive and industrialised farming, the Trust initially aimed to purchase land which had been intensively farmed in order to restore it to a living countryside, rather than a lifeless food factory. The Trust promotes a working countryside using sensitive and sympathetic farming practices that encourage and protect wildlife to produce quality food. As the Trust has grown its aims have broadened to encompass purchasing farmland and woodland where traditional farming methods, wildlife habitat and biodiversity are under threat.

The Trust at work

The Trust began its work at Lark Rise Farm, near Cambridge. Through sensitive farming methods including over-wintering stubble, spring drilling, grass margins, beetle banks, wildlife strips, under-sowing, sensible set-aside management  - wildlife has returned in abundance to Lark Rise including barn owls, otters, brown hares, bee orchids and skylarks. Much of this work has been undertaken by volunteers and we are always keen to encourage people to come along and get involved.

The Countryside Restoration Trust now has over 5,000 friends and manages over one thousand acres of land with properties in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Sussex, Surrey and Yorkshire. Widely applauded for its animal husbandry, conservation initiatives and environmentally sensitive food production, the work of the Trust is a living and working example that sustainable farming is a real possibility.

Managing the Trust

A board of Trustees made up of tireless volunteers manages the Trust. Robin Page, well known author and countryman is Chairman of the Trust with Chris Knights, Norfolk farmer and internationally-renowned wildlife photographer, as his Vice-Chairman. Current Patrons include: David Shepherd, the artist and one of the best known conservationists in the UK; David Bellamy, a key figure in raising the profile of environmental issues throughout the world; Jonathan Porritt, environmentalist and latterly a government advisor on sustainable development; and Brian Jackman, a writer, journalist and conservationist based in Dorset.

The work of the Trust depends on your generosity - please help us continue our work.

Visit our website at www.livingcountryside.org.uk