Our environment

Regenerative agriculture

The Estate is home to the Hampton herd of pedigree Sussex beef cows. We rear our cows with a regenerative ethos, as certified Pasture for Life producers. Our pasture fed grazing system means we sequester carbon and build biodiversity while producing distinctively delicious, naturally nutritious, high-welfare beef. Our hop gardens in Puttenham are the last remaining commercial hop gardens in Surrey and we continue to grow high quality traditional Fuggles hops using the latest practices such as biological management techniques with green manures, pollinator-friendly wildflower margins, use of beneficial predators and the integration of livestock in order to minimise reliance on synthetic applications and maximise soil health. Hampton hops are prize winning hops – in 2017 and 2019 we won prizes from The Institute of Brewing for the best sample of Fuggle hop in the UK.

Forestry

Our estate woodlands extend to 1170 acres and comprise a mix of commercial conifer, chestnut coppice and broadleaf plantations.  We actively manage our woodlands within a twenty year Long-Term Forest Plan agreed with the Forestry Commission. We were awarded the Duke of Cornwall’s Award for the best multi-purpose woodland in the UK. Our high quality commercial timber is sold nationally to saw mills for building and fencing materials, under the Grown in Britain scheme.

Carbon Balance

At Hampton we aim to constantly increase our carbon sequestration. Our extensive woodland replanting, hedgerow creation schemes and the soil organic matter we are building in our pastures ensure that we sequester more carbon than we emit. The Estate’s electricity comes from 100% renewable sources, and we recycle our agricultural and commercial waste wherever possible. We have two woodchip biomass boilers, which provide heat and hot water for our commercial offices and residential properties. We use woodchip from the estate to fuel the boilers, creating a circular economy.

Biodiversity

The estate has a variety of biodiverse habitats, derived from the geology of the area, which comprises chalk, an upper greensand ridge and lower greensand. Key habitat types include chalk downland, acidic grasslands, heathland and ancient semi-natural woodlands.  We spend time gathering information on the natural history of the estate, and together with our own knowledgeable team we are grateful to local botanists, ornithologists, amphibian, reptile and fungi groups for their expertise in discovering and sharing their findings. We have also conducted a biodiversity assessment of the estate using the DEFRA Biodiversity Metric.

The estate’s valuable habitats are home to many priority species. Important bird species include nightjar, nightingale, woodlark, red kites and buzzards. There is a wonderful diversity of plant species on the estate –some of our favourites are Shepherd’s Cress, Squirrel Tail Fescue, Hounds Tongue and Smooth Cat’s Ear. Our fungi have brilliant names too – Turquoise Elfcup, The Flirt, Stinky Knight and Chicken Of The Wood. We have a plethora of amphibians and reptiles such as the Smooth snakes, slow worms and adders.

Many parts of the Estate lie in environmentally designated areas. We have multiple Sites of Nature Conservation Importance and a Site of Special Scientific Interest as well as Ancient Semi Natural Woodlands . The Estate is in a woodland bird assemblage, a designation of national importance. All of the Estate sits within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Hampton has a long tradition of opting into environmental schemes. 90% of our agricultural land and woodland is in Countryside Stewardship, which recognises our low input, conservation-based land management. We are also active members of the West Surrey Greensands Cluster group.

If you have any questions about how we manage our natural capital please do get in touch by email – enquiries@hamptonestate.co.uk