Restoring former arable farmland in the South Downs National Park
Halnaker Hill Farm is a 134-hectare nature-restoration project converting land previously used for intensive arable farming into a mosaic of chalk grassland, wildflower meadows, native woodland, hedgerows, scrub and ponds. Work began in 2024 and includes the planting of more than 20,000 trees, the establishment of approximately 7 km of hedgerows and the creation of new wildlife habitats. The land is secured under a long-term conservation agreement with the South Downs National Park Authority.[1][2]
Current position
The 2026 butterfly survey recorded 5,290 individuals across 28 species, including 85 Small Blue and seven Dingy Skipper butterflies. Both species were first documented at the farm during 2026 and had already been reported in July. No comparable earlier count was supplied to quantify a population increase.
Ecologists monitoring Halnaker Hill Farm near Chichester have recorded 5,290 butterflies from 28 species during the 2026 survey season, following ongoing nature restoration across 330 acres (approximately 134 hectares) of former intensive farmland. The totals include 85 Small Blue and seven Dingy Skipper butterflies, both species documented at the site for the first time during 2026, alongside 547 Small Heath butterflies. The privately managed project, under a long-term conservation agreement with the South Downs National Park Authority, is establishing grassland, hedgerows, woodland and pond habitats. These are newly published full-season survey findings; the two butterfly species had already been reported at the farm in July.