Chalksole Farm BNG Habitat Bank, Kent
Chalksole Farm occupies land within the North Downs, a nationally recognised chalk landscape stretching from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The area is valued for its natural beauty, ecological importance, and distinctive chalk downland character.
To see how Chalksole Farm contributes to local biodiversity uplift, explore our available BNG units and download full pricing and specifications.
Historically, Chalksole Farm operated as a dairy farm before transitioning to arable use in more recent years. The site includes areas of permanent grassland, former dairy pasture, hay meadow, and arable fields.
Immediately adjacent to the site is SSSI-designated ancient woodland supporting ash and hazel coppice beneath pedunculate oak standards, alongside species such as field maple, hornbeam, sweet chestnut, wild cherry, birch, hawthorn, blackthorn, wayfaring-tree, and dogwood on calcareous soils.
The site’s hedgerows and grasslands support breeding farmland bird species including yellowhammer, linnet, whitethroat, and skylark. Grey partridge are occasionally observed, and barn owl is present within the valley.
Adjacent woodland supports a range of breeding woodland birds including nuthatch, treecreeper, bullfinch, greater spotted woodpecker, and marsh tit.
Habitat creation and ecological delivery
Habitat creation at Chalksole Farm is focused on delivering a resilient mix of grassland, scrub, woodland, and wet features that reflect the historic landscape character of the Kent Downs while meeting Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Neighbouring species-rich grasslands in the Lyoak and Watersend valleys support a wide range of butterfly species including small heath, dingy skipper, small copper, green hairstreak, wall, Adonis blue, chalkhill blue, small blue, and silver-spotted skipper, with white admiral present within the adjacent Browns Wood.
Bat monitoring carried out in partnership with the Kent Bat Group and Natural England in 2020 and 2021 recorded serotine, myotis species, noctule, brown long-eared bat, pipistrelle, and soprano pipistrelle using grasslands and woodland edges across the valley.
Across the site, a diverse habitat mosaic is being created, with grassland forming the backbone of an irregular pattern of scrub, ponds, and woodland to improve ecological connectivity. New woodland planted along a rough east–west alignment strengthens links between adjacent SSSI woodland blocks.
Former dairy pasture is being targeted for the creation of neutral grassland, with management focused on reducing existing grass vigour to allow the development of a moderately diverse sward over time. Lowland calcareous grassland has been seeded in areas where landform and soil conditions provide a natural calcareous influence.
Scrub, hedgerows and habitat connectivity
Mixed scrub has been planted across the site as part of restoring the structure and diversity of the historic landscape, with species such as gorse and broom established in pockets amongst open grassland. These areas provide valuable breeding habitat for scrubland birds including yellowhammer and linnet.
The development of rougher marginal and tall herb vegetation supports small mammals and creates hunting habitat for species such as barn owl, while also providing a diverse invertebrate resource for foraging bats.
New hedgerow planting along perimeter boundaries strengthens landscape connectivity by linking existing hedgerow sections and creating additional species-rich hedgerows across the site.
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