In 2019, a Norfolk farm began giving 500 acres of marginal farmland back to nature; three years later, average plant diversity had doubled and ex-arable plots rose from 7 to 32 species

When Wild Ken Hill, a coastal farm in Norfolk, began transforming 500 acres of poor, marginal farmland in 2019, the aim was to let nature recover with as little intervention as possible. Three years later, a repeat vegetation survey found that the average number of plant species in open parts of the rewilding area had almost doubled, from 16.8 in 2019 to 33.2 in 2022. The findings, published by the farm and supported by independent conservation bodies including Rewilding Britain, offer an early glimpse of how quickly biodiversity can respond when former farmland is given space to recover.From farmland to a landscape shaped by natureThe Wild Ken Hill project began taking shape in January 2019. Alongside rewilding 500 acres of marginal farmland and a similar area of woodland, the estate began restoring its freshwater marshes and shifting the rest of its agricultural operation towards regenerative farming focused on soil health.The rewilding area was managed through natural grazing, with free-roaming Red Poll cattle, Exmoor ponies and Tamworth pigs helping shape the vegetation. Beavers were later introduced as ecosystem engineers, while the site continued to be monitored through detailed ecological surveys.The project now combines three approaches: rewilding, traditional conservation and regenerative agriculture. Rewilding Britain describes the site as a 416-hectare project that began in 2019 and includes lowland grassland and woodland.Plant diversity almost doubles in three yearsThe most striking results came from a vegetation survey repeated in 2022 by naturalist Graeme Lyons, who had established a baseline in 2019. Across open parts of the rewilding area, the average number of plant species recorded per plot rose from 16.8 to 33.2. But the change was even more dramatic in areas that had previously been cultivated fields.There, the average number of plant species increased from about seven to around 32, more than a fourfold rise. The survey covered 57 plots that had previously been used for arable farming, conservation margins or grassland. Researchers returned to the same locations using GPS and recorded vegetation using the same methodology, allowing changes over time to be compared.One particularly striking sandy-soil plot went from just four plant species in 2019 to 48 three years later. Species such as Common Cudweed and Smooth Cat’s-ear became much more abundant. The survey also recorded an increase in seedlings, from 651 in 2019 to 1,075 in 2022, suggesting that natural regeneration of scrub and trees was beginning to take place.Why grazing animals matterThe results also underline that rewilding does not necessarily mean simply leaving land untouched. At Wild Ken Hill, grazing animals have played an important role in changing the structure of vegetation. Their grazing, trampling and movement create openings and variation in the landscape, helping some plants establish while preventing others from dominating.But the survey also revealed an important caveat. Areas that were already relatively species-rich, including some former conservation margins and grassland, did not improve as dramatically as the former arable fields. That has led the project to consider “pulsed” grazing, allowing sections of land to rest for periods before animals return. The idea is to create cycles of disturbance and recovery rather than subjecting the entire area to continuous grazing.More plants could mean more wildlifeThe significance of the changes goes beyond the plants themselves. The 2022 survey found that both the abundance and diversity of nectar sources had increased. That could provide additional food for insects, with potential knock-on effects for species higher up the food chain, including birds and bats.The survey also found an increase in the average number of plant species with conservation status, although the change was partly driven by the spread of particular species rather than a uniform increase across every plot. That distinction matters. The results do not suggest that every part of the site improved in exactly the same way. Instead, they show how different starting conditions can produce very different outcomes, and why long-term monitoring is crucial to understanding rewilding.A longer experiment is now underwayWild Ken Hill’s experience is therefore less a simple story of “leave farmland alone and biodiversity returns” than an experiment in how natural processes can be restored on former agricultural land.The estate continues to combine rewilding with regenerative farming and active conservation of its wetlands. The site’s wider approach has also included the reintroduction of beavers, which have created dams and altered wetland habitats.For now, the biggest lesson from the first three years is visible at ground level: fields that once produced crops such as sugar beet and spring barley were, in places, becoming increasingly varied plant communities. The transformation is still in its early stages. But the jump from seven plant species to around 32 on former arable plots suggests that, given the right conditions, nature can begin rewriting a landscape much faster than might be expected.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.