Cost
$ 265 /credit
Credits
Habitat restoration and land rewetting - Timsbury, England
Biodiversity Net Gain Units
Voluntary Biodiversity Credits
This project transform a former goat farm in Timsbury, England, into a diverse habitat bank. To do this, it restores and creates a range of habitats. Priority lowland meadows are established through techniques such as nutrient stripping and native seed sowing. Woodland enhancement is delivered through strategic thinning and native shrub planting. Land re-wetting helps restore natural hydrological processes that are crucial for Conger Brook and the wider River Avon catchment. Located within the West of England Nature Partnership’s nature recovery network, the farm is a key site for improving regional biodiversity and landscape quality.
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Project information
The Sleight Farm project
The project is located in Timsbury, within Bath and North East Somerset. It directly addresses the ecological legacy of its former use as a goat farm, which led to overgrazing and soil compaction. The approach focuses on habitat restoration and creation, with a strong emphasis on establishing priority lowland meadows through nutrient stripping and native seed sowing. Woodland enhancement is being delivered through strategic thinning and native shrub planting, while land re-wetting is restoring natural hydrological processes that support Conger Brook and the wider River Avon catchment.
Work began in 2023, when sheep were removed to allow hedgerows to thicken, fencing was taken down to improve connectivity, and grasslands were cut and removed to reduce soil nutrient levels and create conditions for wildflowers to return. In 2024, Longhorn cattle and Tamworth pigs were introduced, followed by Exmoor ponies in 2025. These proxies for native grazers help shape habitats through grazing, trampling seed into the soil, and suppressing scrub. Hydrology works, including leaky dams and reopened springs, have begun reconnecting water across the site to enable wetland restoration. Invasive species such as laurel and rhododendron have been removed, and new oaks planted alongside existing veteran trees.
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Intervention
Habitat Restoration and Creation
Location
England
Standard
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Sustainable Goals
Project performance
The Earthly rating
The Earthly rating is the industry-first holistic project assessment. Earthly researchers analyse 106 data points, aggregating information across the three vital pillars of carbon, biodiversity and people. Projects in Earthly's marketplace all exceed a minimum score of 5.5/10.
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Carbon
19
locations selected on-site for fixed-point photographic monitoring
Biodiversity
69.31%
of net increase in Biodiversity Net Gain is projected to be delivered through habitat restoration across the site
Social
10
local conservation organisations are connected with the project
Project impact
Local impact
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Positive for people
The land was previously managed as a goat farm and, under its former owner, became well known for award-winning goats’ cheese and community classes. However, this land use also contributed to overgrazing and soil compaction. The project is now addressing these impacts by transforming the site into a mosaic of restored and created habitats. As the project is still in its early stages, the current focus is on establishing these habitats, and once they are established, greater emphasis will be placed on social outcomes and deeper community engagement.
Even at this early stage, the team has begun engaging locally through regular updates in the parish council newsletter, which also highlight ways residents can support the project. For example, a recent newsletter explains that the site now supports a small population of threatened ground-nesting skylarks and asks dog owners using the public footpath to keep dogs on short leads during the nesting season to minimise disturbance. The project also hosted an “Ecology Day” in June 2025 for professional and volunteer ecologists, showcasing progress to date, celebrating those involved, and sharing monitoring data and future plans. Looking ahead, the project aims to engage younger audiences and build understanding of habitat restoration in England by hosting local schools once the necessary resources and facilities are in place. In addition, the project also delivers local economic benefits by prioritising the employement of local contractors for restoration activities such as tree and hedge planting, machinery and ditch maintenance, grass cutting, and fence repairs.
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Good for earth
The overall aim is to create a thriving, resilient landscape that supports biodiversity, safeguards natural resources, and strengthens ecosystem services such as improved water quality, healthier soils, and increased carbon storage. The project is creating and restoring a range of habitats, with a key focus on grassland restoration through the establishment of priority lowland meadow with a high-quality, species-rich plant community including yellow rattle, meadow vetchling, ribwort plantain, cowslip, and lady’s bedstraw.
Wet meadow restoration will reinstate springs and watercourses by breaking up drains and creating scrapes, improving water storage and supporting aquatic species. Mixed scrub will be created using local native species, alongside woodland enhancement and the planting of heritage oak trees. These interventions are expected to support the recovery of key species including barbastelle bat, hedgehog, dormouse, chalkhill blue butterfly, great crested newt, skylark, tawny owl, snipe, lapwing, woodcock, and kestrel, as well as diverse invertebrates linked to the regional ‘B-Lines’ insect pathway network connecting Bath and the Severn Estuary. Restoration on site will also strengthen ecological connectivity and contribute to the West of England Nature Recovery Network by improving grassland and woodland links.
Regular monitoring tracks habitat outcomes such as tree growth, scrub development, and wet meadow establishment. This is supported by annual monitoring surveys of birds, amphibians, and invertebrates led by an accredited ecologist; bird monitoring has already confirmed a small population of threatened ground-nesting skylarks, and management is designed to minimise disturbance during the breeding season.
Work began in 2023 with sheep removed, hedgerows allowed to thicken, fences taken down to improve wildlife movement, and grass cut-and-collected to reduce soil nutrients and create conditions for wildflowers. Longhorn cattle and Tamworth pigs were introduced in 2024, followed by Exmoor ponies in 2025, and grazing and disturbance is helping shape habitats in more natural ways. Hydrology works, including leaky dams and reopened springs, are reconnecting water across the site, while invasive laurel and rhododendron have been removed and new oaks planted alongside veteran trees; early signs are positive, including recovering hedgerows, emerging oak and beech saplings, and developing scrub.
How we assess for quality
The Earthly scoring process
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Project gallery
Project pictures
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