Mapperton Estate to feature in TV documentary TONIGHT
It will show how Mapperton Wildlands is handing hundreds of acres back to nature
A major rewilding project at the Mapperton estate in West Dorset is being featured in a TV documentary tonight.
Mapperton Wildlands is handing hundreds of acres back to nature. But can rewilding secure its future?
To the Manor Farm, part of the We Are England series, will be shown on Friday evening (21 October) at 7.30pm on BBC One.
Centred around Mapperton House, just outside Beaminster, home to Luke and Julie Montagu, Viscount and Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, the 1,900 acre estate poses its own set of challenges.
Waning agricultural revenues, a repair bill that regularly runs to six figures, and a global pandemic have meant the couple have had to constantly look for new ways to generate income.
These days not only is the house open to visitors, but weddings and yoga retreats take place on site, and Luke and Julie even run a successful YouTube channel, sharing the ups and downs of running the estate.
Now they’re embarking on a journey that will see them hand hundreds of acres of the estate back to nature, all in an effort to ‘rewild’ the land, create space for wildlife and store carbon.
But transforming the rural estate into a wilderness is no small task. And with a host of animals being released onto the estate to shape the landscape in a natural way, there’s a lot to get done.
Luke Montagu said: “We are really pleased that Mapperton Wildlands are featuring in this documentary and hope it will raise awareness and bring more visitors to see the changes that are underway.
“Rewilding isn’t just about helping to fix our ecology and climate crises – it’s about giving people more opportunities to connect with our magnificent countryside, with all the wonderful wellbeing benefits this brings.”