Farming in Protected Landscapes grants can be used to support a wide variety of conservation projects within the Isle of Wight National Landscape. Last year Farmers, Landowners and Parish councils applied for grants to work on a variety of projects :
- Wild flower planting, trees and hedgerow works to enhance a recreation ground
- Hedgerow and tree planting to restore and create new field boundaries
- Repairs and protection of a Bronze Age Barrow
- Installation of owl boxes
- Propagation of Black Poplar and Juniper
- Regenerative Farming infrastructure kit
- Machinery trailer and Finger hay making head for nature reserve site management
- Fencing, Nofence collars, sheep handling kit to enable grazing of SSSI heathland
Featured projects:
New Technology for Grazing Cows at Headon Warren
Warren Farm in partnership with the landowner – The National Trust – have begun a major restoration project on Headon Warren.
For the first time cows will be grazing Headon Warren thanks to no fence collar technology and a Farming in Protected Landscapes grant.
Soil Health at the Garlic Farm
Soil health improvements benefit farmers and nature. The recently funded Farming in Protected Landscapes project on chalk downland Mersley Down will allow Highland cattle and goats fresh grazing but will also contribute to the restoration of chalk grassland for the benefit of blue butterflies.
The Garlic Farm at Mersley Down have installed a water system and multi-paddock mobile fencing for mob-grazed livestock.
Wroxall Parish Volunteers
Parish volunteers and local school children plant 2000 wildflower plugs in Wroxall, funded by a Farming in Projected Landscapes grant.
Black Poplar Propagation
Cuttings from this magnificent Black Poplar located in Hampshire were taken by Ventnor Botanic Garden staff to propagate new trees for the Island. This is a particularly rare female Poplar and trees raised from the cuttings will be planted alongside newly propagated Island plants. The aim is to establish new trees in riverside locations which will cross pollinate – work funded by a Farming in Protected Landscapes grant.
Owl Boxes at Briddlesford Copse
Isle of Wight National Landscape supported the People’s Trust for Endangered Species in their FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes) project to replace and install new Barn Owl boxes at Briddlesford woods.
Facts and Figures for 2024/25
Grant recipients have been busy over the last year planting, laying, building, restoring and trialling new projects for the benefit of nature, heritage and farming practices. Training and advice has been undertaken, farming equipment purchased and hundreds of metres of hedging and fences created:
- Hedgerow creation – 655 metres
- Hedgerow restoration – 759 metres
- Fencing – 4290 metres
- Water pipes – 975 metres
- Ditch restoration – 313 metres
- Trees planted – 2647
- Bird boxes – 15
- Gates – 7
- No fence collars – 42
Farming in Protected Landscapes 2024 Grant Recipients
| Business name | Town | Grant Awarded | Total Project cost | Project Start date | Project End date | Project |
| Wroxall Parish Council | Wroxall | £4,381 | £3,702 | 27/08/24 | 28/02/25 | Wild flower planting, trees and hedgerow works to enhance recreation ground. |
| Gotten Leaze 1 | Calbourne | £20,409 | 01/01/22 | 31/02/25 | Hedgerow and tree planting to restore and create new field boundaries. | |
| Warren Farm 1 | Alum Bay | £3,749 | £3,608 | 08/04/24 | 28/02/25 | Repairs and protection of a Bronze Age Barrow including rabbit -proof fencing, a gate, interpretive sign. |
| Peoples Trust for Endangered species (PTES) 1 | Briddlesford | £22,086 | £21,104 | 13/12/23 | 31/03/25 | Barn Owl boxes, tree planting, improved access gate and an interpretive panel. |
| Big Field | Wroxall | £7,559 | £7,250 | 08/04/24 | 24/02/25 | Tree planting, pond restoration, ditching and fencing. |
| IWNL Black Poplar propagation | Ventnor | £6,776 | £6,776 | 23/08/24 | 28/02/25 | Propagation of Male and female genetically tested Black Poplar |
| IWNL Juniper propagation | Ventnor | £6,192 | £6,192 | 23/08/24 | 28/02/25 | Propagation of Island Male and Hampshire female Juniper. |
| Modern Home Farm 1 | Brading | £7,250 | £7,250 | 01/05/24 | 31/03/25 | Regenerative Farming infrastructure kit (fencing, troughs, bale unwinder etc). |
| Apes Down | Newport | £7,690 | £7,690 | 10/12/24 | 15/03/25 | Hedge laying to complete previous boundary restoration works. |
| Back of the Wight | Shorwell | £10,000 | £5,040 | 21/07/23 | 31/03/25 | Cluster meetings, soil testing and a cover cropping trial. |
| Alverstone Mill | Alverstone | £22,671 | £22,671 | 19/08/24 | 31/03/25 | Restoration of an SSSI fen includes fencing, ditching and tree clearance. |
| Garlic Farm 1 | Newchurch | £8,345 | £8,345 | 28/02/25 | 31/03/25 | Water supply kit and fencing to enable grazing of a SINC grassland. |
| Garlic Farm 2 | Newchurch | £5,270 | £5,075 | 08/07/24 | 32/03/25 | Consultancy support and Carbon project to help the business’s sustainability |
| Modern Home Farm 2 | Brading | £2,916 | £2,876 | 01/08/24 | 31/03/25 | Consultancy support and Bale unwinder kit for regenerative farming |
| South Thorness Farm | Thorness | £1,497 | £1,497 | 12/08/25 | 31/03/25 | Consultancy report – Elder production feasibility study. |
| Gift To Nature | Shide | £72,500 | £72,500 | 11/11/24 | 31/03/25 | Bomford Flailbot TF4 including 1.3m Grass Head, 1.2m swinging Hammer and Finger hay making head for nature reserve site management. |
| Black Barrow | Brighstone | 4,900 | £4,900 | 28/10/24 | 31/03/25 | Restoration of a Schedule Monument by the removal of trees |
| ParkDean | Thorness | 17,757 | £1,709 | 11/11/24 | 31/03/25 | Hedge and tree planting project to enhance the landscape. |
| Sheepwash Farm | Godshill | £5,345 | £5,307 | 15/10/24 | 28/02/25 | Hedgerow planting. |
| National Trust | Brook | £19,112 | £19,112 | 12/11/24 | 15/03/25 | Machinery Trailer & Forestry equipment |
| Warren Farm 2 | Alum Bay | £9,825 | £9,164 | 16/10/24 | 31/03/25 | Fencing, Nofence collars, sheep handling kit to enable grazing of SSSI heathland. |
| Warren Farm 3 | Alum Bay | £12,361 | £12,153 | 12/11/24 | 15/03/25 | Equipment to operate a micro dairy. |
| PTES 2 | Briddlesford | £7,588 | £7,110 | 11/02/25 | 31/03/25 | NoFence collars for wood pasture mgt. |
| Gotten Leaze 2 | Calbourne | £2,611 | £2,611 | 22/01/25 | 31/03/25 | Water pump. water pipe and tank – livestock water supply. |
| Godshill Park Farm | Godshill | £14,299 | £14,299 | 03/02/25 | 31/03/25 | Hedge laying, hedge planting and parkland tree planting. |
| IW Wood Colliers | Carisbrooke | £25,347 | £25,347 | 03/02/25 | 31/03/25 | Purchase of Exeter Retort for charcoal and biochar production. |
2025 Grants Now Available
The grant scheme is running again in 2025 and applications are now open. Go to the Farming in Landscapes grant page for more information – Farming in Protected Landscapes – Isle of Wight National Landscape