The grassland at Chesworth has been carefully managed to encourage wildlife since the site was purchased by Horsham District Council in 1991 after the site had lain derelict for many years. Now it supports a rich diversity of grasses, such as Cocks-foot, Yorkshire Fog and Pignut, Mouse-ear, Goats-beard and four different species of buttercup which light up the fields in early summer. This mix of flora supports grassland animals, including reptiles like Slow-worm and Grass Snake, butterflies, including the scarce Brown Hairstreak and Orange-tip. The site is also a haven for farmland birds. Some 78 species of birds have been recorded on the Farm, perhaps the most noticeable being the Swifts, Swallows and House Martins which race around the Riverside Field and buildings in pursuit of insects, the Skylarks and Yellowhammers singing aloft around the fields or the wagtails and finches that roost in the reedbed around Plat Pond.

Given the correct future management, the Farm may support an increasingly diverse variety of wildlife, including more rare plants and animals, and the site has been identified as an important future home for rare Water Voles and Otters.

Click on the thumbnails to view the relevant species lists:

Amphibians and Reptiles	Birds	Butterflies
Dragonflies	Mammals	Plants

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