Year 2: Approved Projects
The following projects were approved in year 2 of the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (March 2022 - 2023).
| Project name and reference | Project description | FiPL grant awarded | Offer/Expiry date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackaton Orchard (DNP-FPL-102) | This project includes installing fencing to create a secure grazing area for livestock away from nearby water courses and the addition of water troughs to provide an alternative water source for livestock. Fruit and nut trees have also been planted to diversify the existing habitat and increase biodiversity. | £4,907.38 | 14/03/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Blackhall Farm I (DNP-FPL-103) | A project aiming to restore 305 metres of historic farm boundaries through a combination of earth bank restoration, hedge laying and fencing. This will ensure greater connectivity by linking up with existing hedgerows to the South and East and to the adjoining Northern woodland. | £3,782.00 | 26/01/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Beetor Farm (DNP-FPL-122) | To develop a farm diversification business by supporting the purchase of a seed harvester to harvest and sell wildflower seeds locally, which will have a positive impact for wildlife across Dartmoor. This will provide an additional income for a family-run farm business. | £2,273.00 | 03/07/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Pudsham Meadows (DNP-FPL-124) | Pudsham hay meadows have been independently described as some of the best meadows in SW England. The Dartmoor Preservation Association aim to improve the management of these historic species rich hay meadows using a power scythe, alongside native tree planting, all of which will be completed by volunteers through a series of public educational visits. | £2,777,20 | 03/10/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Bala Brook Retreat Centre (DNP-FPL-129) | This project aims to preserve a number of Bronze Age hut circles at Bala Brook by removing dense bracken and brambles as part of a series of volunteer days. In addition to this, improvements will be made to public access which will allow more visitors to take part in regular year-round educational and volunteering events. | £10,459.05 | 27/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Narracombe Farm I (DNP-FPL-131) | Biochar is a fine grade charcoal that can be used to lock up carbon, reduce the acidity of soil, can be used as a supplement to animal feed and also has a wide variety of horticultural uses. This project aims to create a structurally diverse woodland that will enhance habitat, and will be used to support a sustainable local charcoal and biochar production business - 'Narracombe Charcoal'. | £22,805.80 | 07/06/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Sanduck Cross Farm (DNP-FPL-132) | To create a wildlife corridor which will join up and improve connectivity to existing boundary hedgerows. This will provide new habitat, food and shelter for wildlife and livestock, and will add to the natural beauty of the Dartmoor landscape | £6,270.00 | 25/05/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Greyhound Farm (DNP-FPL-134) | This project aims to carry out a series of public sheep dog demonstrations ('Two Men and Their Dog'), which will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about Dartmoor as a living and working landscape. The project also aims to educate and encourage dog owners to exercise their dogs in a responsible manner on Dartmoor. | £10,635.00 | 27/04/2022 - 31/03/2025 |
| Soussons Farm Access (DNP-FPL-135) | To improve the well-used and popular public bridleway that runs from Soussons Farm to Challacombe Farm, by creating a raised causeway to surface the existing ford with large granite slabs sourced from a nearby farm. These slabs will act as stepping stones, allowing the public to continue crossing this wet area in heavy rain. | £2,115.00 | 25/05/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Bowden Farm II (DNP-FPL-137) | To provide basic toilet facilities and a small handwashing area within the curtilage of the farm yard, providing suitable facilities for public farm visits. This improved infrastructure will support and encourage more organised public access to the farm for school visits and events, such as Open Farm Sunday. | £11,352.00 | 28/04/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Blackslade Manor (DNP-FPL-139a) | The aim of this project is to deliver landscape improvements in order to encourage biodiversity as well as enhance and restore some of the ancient features on the land, such as dry-stone walls. | £24,964.28 | 25/05/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Great Houndtor Farm (DNP-FPL-140) | This project will use mobile water troughs and electric fencing to aid the applicant's regenerative planned grazing, with the aim of boosting both the soil carbon and the biodiversity on the farm. A sheep handling facility was also supported, to aid in the reduction of farm medicines used, which will in-turn improve insect life across the farm. | £3,336.00 | 25/05/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Teign Marsh (DNP-FPL-141b) | To make improvements to a landholding that has historically been used for grazing, and is not particularly diverse in terms of species. This included meadow and wetland restoration, traditional orchard creation, creating a series of copses through tree planting, re-instating a Devon stone-faced bank and hedgerow boundary improvements. | £11,650.35 | 25/05/2022 - 31/03/2025 |
| Drywell Farm (DNP-FPL-142) | To repair a historic drain and create a new drainage gutter, which will help to reduce flood risk and reduce surface water during heavy rainfall along the Two Moors Way. This project also included repairs to a deteriorated drystone wall along a nearby popular bridleway route. | £5,625.00 | 01/07/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Lizwell Farm (DNP-FPL-145) | A project aiming to reduce tillage and improve soil health by overseeding to improve the existing worn and damaged pasture. New herbal leys will be reseeded without ploughing up the ground, using a grassland overseeder, which will allow the farm to improve soil structure, health and diversity. | £6,075 | 06/07/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Inglenook (DNP-FPL-148) | To create an appropriate dog walking field in South Brent, providing a secure dog walking site for hire, whereby the public can safely exercise and train dogs off the lead. | £6,200 | 05/07/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Butterbrook House (DNP-FPL-201a) | The overall aim of this project is to install a gravity-driven water pump system which will supply multiple cattle drinking troughs, thus improving conservation grazing across the landholding. The system of water troughs will enable the cattle to be carefully moved around the area, to get the appropriate level of grazing. And this will all by done at zero carbon footprint and efficient use of water. | £36,290.97 | 22/09/2022 - 31/03/2025 |
| Blachford Farm (DNP-FPL-202) |
To stabilise and enhance a former heritage watermill building, which is unlisted. Reinstating the mill pond attenuation will help to reduce run-off from nearby water courses, reduce soil erosion by reinstating the mill pond attenuation, and better manage water flow. The building is immediately next to an established and popular Public Right of Way, and therefore an educational interpretation board was installed on the route overlooking the building. | £20,600.00 | 19/10/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Eggworthy Farm (DNP-FPL-203) |
To repair the stone wall between Routrundle and Walkhampton Common. This wall has been identified as being amongst the oldest in the area, as it has an unusual overlapping top row of stones that prevent animals climbing it. As this is such an iconic piece of wall and so easily visible from the much visited Princetown railway track, the applicant's intention is to repair and strengthen it, so that it can continue to show visitors how the landscape was farmed in earlier times. | £15,349.00 | 20/09/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| Delamore Home Farm (DNP-FPL-205a) | This project included restoring an area of wet grassland and rush pasture, and establishing two fields as herbal leys. This will enable the farm to become more resilient, productive and reduce input costs. The leys will also increase soil carbon and improve soil structure. | £67,726.80 | 30/09/2022 - 31/03/2025 |
| Dartmoor Commoners Council - Strategic Fire Plan: Phase 1 (DNP-FPL-207a | This project is a scoping-out phase for the creation of a Dartmoor-wide fire plan, which aims to create a strategic plan for combatting wildfires over the whole of Dartmoor. In order to do this, all existing common fire plans need to be collated, digitised and mapped. Followed by establishing gaps in information and identifying appropriate on the ground practical works. | £5.608.42 | 13/10/2022 - 31/03/2025 |
| Quarry Farm (DNP-FPL-208) | This project aims to create a traditional orchard by cutting back existing willow trees that had started to encroach on the landholding, and planting a variety of native species fruit trees to benefit the landscape. | £4,933.22 | 21/09/2022 - 31/03/2022 |
| Forest of Dartmoor (DNP-FPL-210a) | The purchase of specialist vegetation management and fire fighting equipment. This equipment will improve accessibility to difficult sites on the uplands of Dartmoor, making managing the commons far more safe and reliable. This project takes a collaborative approach, and will benefit many sites across Dartmoor. | £122,207.83 | 12/12/2022 - 31/03/2024 |
| West Blackdown (DNP-FPL-221) | A project aiming to reinstate the 820m ditch and bank that runs along the edge of West Blackdown common below Gibbet Hill. The ditch used to channel water run-off from the common during heavy rainfall. This project has reduced erosion impact and improved flood resilience, by containing excess water and redirecting it away from the local community. | £4,966.10 | 20/12/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Trenchford Valley I (DNP-FPL-214a) | A collaboration between three adjoining land managers, who aim to establish an appropriate conservation grazing system across their landholdings with their cattle and Dartmoor ponies. 400m of damaged drystone wall boundary was restored, in addition to providing tools and equipment to improved the quality of their public educational access visits. This has allowed the land managers to continue teaching traditional heritage skills, such as hazel coppicing. | £23,421.98 | 01/01/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Blackhall Farm II (DNP-FPL-218) | This project aims to restore and enhance 140m of historic field boundaries, in addition to protecting 0.55ha of priority woodland habitat by installing 150m of protective stockproof fencing. | £2,813.80 | 01/01/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| East Shallowford Farm - Farm2City (DNP-FPL-211) | East Shallowford Farm is a Dartmoor-based charity that offers children and young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to connect with nature and rural life through immersive educational visits. | £37,387.67 | 12/01/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Teign Valley Venison (DNP-FPL-226) | This project supported a Dartmoor-based deer management and venison supply business, Affinity Deer Management, with the purchase of improved deer management equipment. This will allow the applicant to expand their business further, keeping up with increasing demand for sustainably and ethically sourced venison. Dartmoor woodland is hugely important habitat, but is suffering from lack of natural regeneration and depletion of understorey through excessive deer browsing. Improving the capability of deer managers will significantly improve their ability to control deer. | £2,906.00 | 19/01/2023 - 31/03/2023 |
| Challacombe Farm II (DNP-FPL-144) | This project aimed to improve Challacombe Farm’s biodiversity and range of habitats, better conserve their historic features and increase public understanding and enjoyment of the farm. This included planting and protecting native trees (Oak, Rowan, Hawthorn and Sycamore) to provide improved habitat for birds and shelter for livestock. A naturally wet area was enhanced by digging scrapes to provide better habitat for marsh fritillary, bog hoverfly and other rhos pasture species. Access improvements were also made by installing fingerpost signage along a popular walking route through the farm, and replacing stiles with more accessible gateways. | £4,963.70 | 25/01/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Lowertown Farm (DNP-FPL-220a) | A project aiming to promote improved hedgerow management across a landholding. This included restoring a 680m network of traditional hedgerows and banks through a combination of earthing up, tree shearing, hedge laying and re-fencing. | £9,429.07 | 02/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Forder Farm (DNP-FPL-216) | Improving connectivity across the landholding by planting 30m of native woodland on one side of the valley, and another strip of native woodland on the opposite side of the valley. The project also included enriching grassland an replanting a traditional orchard with native species of apple and pear, which will encourage biodiversity across the valley. | £7,695.22 | 07/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
Central Dartmoor Farm Cluster (DNP-FPL-212b) | This project has 5 strands of work that together will help the 10 farms in the Central Dartmoor Farm Cluster Group (as of October 2022), which will enable the Group to have better understanding of their existing and potential Natural Capital, and undertake improvements where appropriate. These strands include:
This project will help the Group to evolve further and become more established, allowing members to investigate how they can go beyond their existing agri-environment schemes to deliver positive changes on a landscape scale. | £15,266.57 | 08/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Great Sloncombe Farm I (DNP-FPL-213b) | Great Sloncombe Farm is a traditional Dartmoor farmstead consisting of meadows, pasture and woodland, all linked up with a network of ancient hedges. This project aimed to conserve the original character and habitats of the farm whilst also improving the land for cattle grazing. This included the installation of a Papa Pump water system, alongside cattle drinking troughs. Implementing a paddock or mob-grazing system will not only improve soil health and stop cattle drinking from water courses, but will also help the farm become more drought resilient in the future. | £77,729.70 | 01/01/2023 - 31/03/2025 |
| Upper Dunstone Farm (DNP-FPL-209b) | At the time of applying, the fields at Upper Dunstone Farm served as horse paddocks. The aim of this project was to extend habitat and improve biodiversity on the site. This included planting and protecting 2ha of additional native trees to extend the neighbouring SSSI woodland site. In addition to this, a traditional orchard was planted, an existing meadow was restored, and 400m of native hedgerow was improved. | £37,833.11 | 10/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Sky Yonder (DNP-FPL-215) | The creation of two traditional heritage orchards, planting and protecting a total of 155 local, native fruit trees. This will have significant benefits to biodiversity on the land. | £6,710.96 | 10/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Holne Moor - Tree Planting (DNP-FPL-219) | Across Dartmoor one of the key moorland breeding birds is the Whinchat - a migrant bird that arrives from Africa each summer. These birds are closely associated with isolated trees when breeding. However, Whinchat numbers have declined nationally by over 50% between 1995-2008, and continue to decline rapidly on Dartmoor. Due to the lack of natural regeneration and the continued grazing pressure on our commons, it is unlikely trees will naturally develop on the edge of the high moor without intervention. This project involved planting 100 trees on Holne Moor at very low densities over 30+ha. All trees were protected with Cactus tree guards, with Hawthorn and Rowan making up the majority of the species. | £4,855.20 | 16/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Smith Hill Newtake (DNP-FPL-227) | A project aiming to create a series of wetland scrapes for water habitat to support Curlew re-introduction within Smith Hill Newtake. The proposed works target areas within the Central Newtakes, which once held good numbers of breeding pairs of this iconic Dartmoor species. This particular location was once a stronghold on Dartmoor for Curlew. The last record of a Curlew nest in the Central Newtakes was at this location in 2005. This work will result in new Curlew feeding and bathing habitat as part of a project to recover and conserve Curlews as an iconic Dartmoor species. | £2,316.00 | 16/02/2023 - 31/03/2023 |
| Roborough Common (DNP-FPL-228) | The project aims to improve the quality, extent and connectivity of approximately 9.5 hectares of breeding habitat for threatened fritillary butterflies, through targeted scrub removal. The High Brown Fritillary and Pearl-bordered Fritillary are two of the UK’s rarest and most rapidly declining butterflies. This project aims to restore one of two core breeding areas on the Common, by reducing the extent of scrub to an appropriate level across the core breeding area, and providing better connectivity between breeding patches. Read more... | £4,428.00 | 27/02/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Great Moor (DNP-FPL-101) | This project aims to support habitat enhancement for wildlife across an upland landholding, through the establishment of a conservation grazing system and improved habitat management. The applicant also engaged the local community through a series of volunteer days around land management, learning about wildlife, in addition to a yearly bioblitz event aiming to share knowledge about farming within a protected landscape. | £14,940.05 | 09/03/2022 - 31/03/2023 |
| Greyhound and Merripit Paths (DNP-FPL-232) | This project is focused on improving the experience of visitors using the paths leading north out of Postbridge. These are the ‘gateway’ paths onto the north moor from the large car parks at Postbridge and Bellever Forest, and are used by Ten Tors participants and people doing the popular ‘waterfall walk’. | £13,870 | 03/03/2023 - 31/03/2024 |
| Kirkside Farm (DNP-FPL-127) | This project has multiple elements to it, including replanting a historic traditional orchard, planting and protecting native tree species throughout the landholding to increase wooded areas and improve connectivity, and provide a reliable water supply and troughs to adopt the conservation grazing of cattle and Dartmoor ponies. A grassland survey was also carried out to provide baseline biodiversity information and inform future management. | £27,735.17 | 20/04/2023 - 31/03/2024 |