Behind the Scenes at Wilder Doddington

Discover how nature is recovering in Wilder parts of the estate.

Join a senior member of the Wilder team for a gentle 2-2½ hour walk, to see the beginnings of the Wilder Doddington project. Following a briefing in the covered wagon shed you will leave the public rights of way and walk into the private part of the estate.

The Team are embarking on a 100 year journey to bring nature back to Doddington. After several decades of intensive farming of our cropped land they are taking the brakes off and allowing nature to recover.

During late 2022 the team started letting cattle roam more freely and graze fields that used to be cropped, and you will see the impact they are having. You may spot the newly arrived Mangalitza pigs brought in for their enthusiasm for rootling the ground. The team will walk through some of the existing oases of nature, that is being encouraged to spread. Depending on the weather and what has been seen in the previous days the team may take a spade to look for earthworms, or a net for pond life, look for harvest mouse nests or a peek into a dung pat for beetles! Whilst the walk can’t guarantee wildlife we hope there will be Yellowhammer, Buzzard, Goldfinches, hare, maybe even deer and grass snakes.