Hook FarmBNG offset site

Site description

Hook Farm extends approximately 9.2 ha, located just outside the village of Preston, 9.8km northwest of Sandwich and c.9.6km to the east of Canterbury.

On its western side it is directly adjacent to Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve, an internationally-important mixture of reed beds, fens, ditches, wet grassland and open water which is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, and Special Area for Conservation. The reserve has the largest reed bed in the south east of England, which supports a range of specialised birds and insects. Bittern, marsh harrier, kingfisher, great crested grebe, coot, moorhen, reed bunting, bearded reedling can all be seen here, as well as water voles and a population of recently introduced beavers.

There is also a bat roost immediately to the west of Hook Farm, and 10 bat species have been recorded within 1 km of the site.

On the eastern side of the site is Chislet Marshes, Sarre Penn and Preston Marshes Local WIldlife Site. The site has been designated because it comprises a significant area of grazing marsh, supporting a complex of grassland and ditches, together with areas of marsh, reedbed, hedgerows, scrub and woodland. Together these habitats support a good range of species including aquatic plants, birds, water voles, and the shining ram’s-horn snail.

Therefore, Hook Farm is perfectly positioned to enhance connectivity between these two important areas for nature and provide a corridor for wildlife to move across the landscape.

Currently, the site is managed as cereal cropland. We propose to transition it into neutral grassland with areas of dense scrub and ponds scattered around the site. Species-rich native hedgerows will also be created. Over time as the habitats develops they will likely be naturally colonised by plants and animals that inhabit the biodiverse neighbouring sites, and eventually become an indistinguishable part of this important landscape.

Habitat Transitions