Transforming field farm: A strategic approach to countryside stewardship
Background
Field Farm in North Leicestershire is a 1000 hectare mixed holding. The farm includes a large 140 head suckler herd with followers, sheep utilising permanent pasture, and productive arable land growing wheat, spring barley and beans, along with some clover lays.
Part of the farm lies within the floodplain adjacent to the River Welland, with ancient broadleaved woodlands and a local meadow Site of Special Scientific Importance.
The farmland is also home to a Castle Hill Motte and Bailey Scheduled Monument, which adds an additional layer of historic environment responsibility.
The farm is situated within a Medium Priority Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) area for water quality, where issues such as phosphates, sediment and pesticides are key concerns.
Objectives
ADAS aimed to help Field Farm understand:
- The current potential through the Countryside Stewardship scheme to assess environmental and operational issues
- Soil erosion, infrastructure needs, and runoff risk in relation to water quality improvements
- How to strengthen protection of historic features
- How to identify potential for improvements in farm infrastructure
- How to align recommended interventions with local planning constraints and wider strategic requirements
Actions taken
ADAS undertook a comprehensive whole farm assessment, mapping risks such as unmade hardcore yard areas and earth tracks, which increased the risk of sediment and nutrient run off. This created a challenge relating to the seperation of clean and dirty waer from the cattle yards. The risk review also accounted for connections with the River Welland floodplain and sensitive historic features.
Using this analysis, ADAS developed a bespoke Countryside Stewardship strategy that balanced environmental protection, business needs and compliance considerations. Recommendations included evaluating opportunities for capital grants, assessing potential for CS revenue options, and advising on water management solutions that would address runoff, sedimentation, and pollution.
Results
The project provided the farm with a clear, prioritised investment roadmap, transforming Countryside Stewardship from a funding opportunity into a strategic resilience tool.
Key outcomes included:
- Instruction to engage with a Natural England specialist to investigate a Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreement in relation to the Castle Hill Motte and Bailey Scheduled Monument
- Advice on complementary mid-tier CS agreement to help address water quality issues and support biodiversity across the whole farmed environment, through activities such as incorporating buffer strips, hedgerow management and reversion to grassland on river margins
- Application for grants related to concrete yard renewal, placement of sediment ponds, traps, cross drains and inspection pits to intercept and manage contaminated runoff before it reaches sensitive watercourses
Added value
This project demonstrates the value of ADAS’s whole-farm, systems-based approach. By integrating expertise across water quality, catchment management, agri-environment funding and heritage protection, the ADAS team delivered a strategy that:
- Reduced diffuse pollution risk
- Protects nationally significant historic assets
- Enhances biodiversity and landscape resilience
- Improves infrastructure efficiency
- Strengthens the business case for environmental investment
Through detailed risk appraisal and tailored advice, ADAS helped the business implement practical and strategic interventions that support both environmental outcomes and long‑term operational needs.
