GrazeBeds | Bedfordshire's Grazing Scheme

Welcome to BCNP Wildlife Trust’s Cut and Chew Project, which aims to ensure the long-term survival of Bedfordshire’s and Cambridgeshire's wildflower grasslands, by promoting good management, restoration and appreciation of them.

These wildflower grasslands have the highest biodiversity, with a variety of grass species and many wildflowers as well as lots of different insects, small mammals and breeding birds.  Sadly though, they are one of Britain's most threatened habitats because of the constant threat from, for example, ploughing, fertiliser and herbicide application, inappropriate or no management.  If a grassland is not managed, it can become overtaken by scrub (scrub = woody plants such as hawthorn and blackthorn) and eventually it will revert into woodland.  Therefore, an annual management regime is vital to maintaining and developing wildflower grasslands.  Grasslands are normally managed as either pastures or hay meadows.  

Here are just a few examples of what is available to you on this website:

• Register any available grazing land or stock in need of extra grazing, for free, and make a match in your area.
• Register any hay for sale or your animal’s hay requirements, for free, and make a match in your area.
• Register, for free, your grassland as a potential site for making hay.
• Peruse the information page and, for example, improve your plant identification skills.
• Find a local contractor to come erect fencing in your grassland or get in touch with a local shearer.
• Find out about the different grassland habitats in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
• Be offered a free site visit from a Wildlife Sites Officer if you have an semi-improved or un-improved (species rich) grassland
• and much more

For more information and general enquiries please contact Laura Downton: Email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel. 01234 364213 if you are based in Bedfordshire or Sarah Rodger: Email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel. 01954 713500 if you are based in Cambridgeshire.

1. Successful match made between hay meadows and animal owners

Chris and Carole who manage a small (1.47 ha), wildflower grassland County Wildlife Site (CWS) in Totternhoe, Bedfordshire were struggling to find someone to come and cut their meadow for hay.  During summer 2009, they asked the Wildlife Trust for help and we were able to find a local horse owner who needed hay for her horses over the winter.   The meadow was cut in August 2009 and as predicted the hay produced from this meadow provided excellent fodder for her horses.  Plans are already in place to produce hay again this year. 

If you are in a similar position with your grassland, we might be able to help you as well.  Please do not hesitate to contact us. 

2. Local Grant scheme success

The Wildlife Trust was successful in securing funding support for work on three County Wildlife Sites (CWS), thanks to Cambridgeshire’s Biodiversity Partnership Projects Fund.

The aftermath grazing project aims to reinstate aftermath grazing onto 3 CWS (Crimpledean Paddock, the Dene Grassland & Great Eversden Meadow) which although managed sympathetically by their private landowners are still not reaching their full potential due to the lack of aftermath grazing.

By improving infrastructure and removing injurious weeds it is hoped that sites can be effectively grazed. This in turn will improve the quality of grassland and improve the value of meadow produce ensuring long term future management of sites.

Guidelines and the application form are on the Cambridgeshire partnership website