Protect Earth Skip to content Cheltenham, England
Guiting Manor Farm is a working farm situated in the Cotswold landscape. The estate was purchased in 1958, and a farming company was established in 1960. In 1976, Guiting Manor Amenity Trust was formed and the whole estate, including the farm, was transferred into the Trust.
The farm is managed under a whole farm approach, with arable and grass crops, a flock of sheep, and horses grazing here during the summer months. This serves to provide a mosaic of diverse habitats and along with the boundary hedges and woodland features offers food and shelter for a wide range of species throughout the year. The site is well managed with regular coppicing in the woodland, and hedgerows cut less often than normal to attract wildlife.
The Trust reached out to FWAG SW for help to create a shelterbelt, and they reached out to Protect Earth for funding. Being high up on the Cotswolds the farm often experiences cold winds in winter and this shelterbelt will protect the sheep, and also offer shade in summer.
Fund the work still needed to complete this critical work.
This hot summer has had quite an affect on this exposed site. The survival rate was a disappointing 59% this year. We restocked with 1189 new trees to fill in all the gaps left by trees which had died. Hopefully, 2026 will be wetter to give these new trees a better chance to settle in.
Of the original trees, some of them are now showing above the guards and appear well established.
This site was performing well with a 92% survival rate. Most of the trees look very healthy. A further 229 saplings were planted to keep the shelterbelt fully stocked.
The Guiting Manor Amenity Trust wanted a shelterbelt along the edge of the farm which looked out over the valley.
With volunteers from FWAG SW and help from the landowner’s own team we planted 2734 trees and shrubs to create a 582m shelterbelt. It is often worth taking the time to set out string as a marker when a straight shelterbelt is required, and plotting where each tree needs to be with bamboo canes ensures even planting. The ground was wet underfoot, which is no bad thing when planting new saplings, but the rain held off for most of the day.
This shelterbelt will help increase crop productivity, protect the sheep, and also benefit wildlife by offering safe passage over what was bare ground, in addition to providing food and shelter throughout the seasons.
Help us create and maintain new woodlands, hedgerows and wildflower meadows! We need volunteers to sow seeds, plant saplings, clear invasive plant species and pick up litter. No qualifications necessary; jobs for all ages and abilities. Come and turn climate anxiety into climate action!
With government funding for reforestation and rewilding tenuous, we increasingly rely on our amazing community to keep us growing regardless of political shifts. Help Protect Earth continue to restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity across the country.
Help us put down roots! Your donations to our Land Fund let us seize the moment when the perfect piece of land comes up for sale. Every penny helps us secure community woodlands, healthier ecosystems, and a greener future for generations to come.