As part of our sustainable land management practices, we conduct baseline surveys and carefully monitor improvements in soil health, plant life, and wildlife diversity. Surveys across grasslands, woodlands, water bodies, and arable land are now well underway, helping us build a valuable dataset for the future.
A recent bird survey, carried out on the 5th and 6th of March, yielded encouraging results. A diverse selection of waterfowl was recorded, including teal, gadwall, mallard, snipe, moorhen, and little grebe. In the woodlands, red kites were observed nesting, while fieldfare and redwing thrushes—winter visitors to the UK—were noted both in the woods and on some grasslands. These birds were busily feeding, storing energy for their migration back to mainland Europe.
Airbnb Luxe is the luxury tier of Airbnb and is a curated selection of the world's most extraordinary properties that go beyond standard holiday rentals. They are thoroughly vetted luxury rentals with 5-star-everything. To achieve Airbnb Luxe status, the property must go through a detailed inspection process by a 3rd party evaluator who are looking for a cohesive, elevated design throughout the entire home, comfortable, inviting interior and exterior spaces and luxury amenities and an overall environment that are in pristine condition.
We are delighted with this accolade, which comes just over a year after we launched Stay at Alscot as a brand new business. There are two extraordinary properties within the Stay ay Alscot portfolio, Beecham Farmhouse and Locke’s Cottage.
For further details visit https://www.alscot.co.uk/stay
Earlier this year we were asked to contribute to The September edition of environmental SCIENTIST – the journal of the #InstitutionofEnvironmentalSciences(IES) – examines the evolving concept of ‘net gain’ in environmental policy frameworks, from both a UK and global perspective.
For the first time in a generation, Alscot Estate has the opportunity to consider its long term land use strategy. This comes at a time where the agricultural transition in England, alongside a broader political agenda of tackling environmental crises, means that rural land management is now focused not only on quality food production, but also on environmental provision and social value.
As a result, Alscot’s ambition is to farm in a regenerative manner and from September 2024, we began farming regeneratively on “home farm” land.
As a leading project of its type, we are pleased to continually welcome Government officials and representatives and members of local and county authorities, to the Alscot Biodiversity Project and our aims for carbon neutrality.
Our latest event took in the site on foot and we, along with our team of expert ecologists, showcased our current flagship project and future development plan to expand Biodiversity land.
Earlier this summer we held a presentation to announce the winners and award the prizes of the Alscot Biodiversity Art Competition; a project for local primary school children to design a logo that represents nature in Warwickshire.
Since then we have been working hard to finalise the official logo to represent the connection between education and the Alscot Biodiversity Project, and particularly our engagement with local primary schools. The creation is a collaboration of elements taken from some of the winning pieces of art and we think this depicts biodiversity on the Estate, and our responsibility to the planet, beautifully.
Following David Hall’s retirement last year, we were finally able to gather together to pay tribute to David’s long service.
The sun shone and the setting was perfect for friends and family to wish David the happiest of retirements.
After more than 60 years working on Estate land, man and boy, David took retirement in 2020.
On Tuesday 7th September, the Holman-West family invited David to their home, Alscot Park, along with colleagues, friends and family to enjoy afternoon tea and celebrate the retirement he truly deserves.
Loretta and Nat took up the challenge to walk 26 canal path miles from Birmingham to Stratford upon Avon, to raise funds for Alzheimer's UK.
The Alzheimer’s Society works hard in changing the landscape for all forms of dementia forever.
Three months of training, with over 350 miles clocked up, paid off and they completed the 26.7 mile walk on Friday 27th August in 7 hours 8 minutes.
Alscot aims to achieve carbon neutral status by 2050, thus assisting climate change.
It is our mission to work to secure a future for plant and animal species by the improvement and enhancement of natural grasslands and woodlands, encouraging rare and almost extinct species to thrive. The principal to establish a functioning ecosystem, where nature is given as much freedom as possible, is a leading influence for all future land projects at Alscot. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a key component in achieving these objectives.
This vlog featuring Emma Holman-West, Jon Dearsley and Ben Knight, explores how the Alscot Estate has created one of the first habitat banks in the country. Emma discusses her Estate’s journey to achieving biodiversity net gain.
Improving biodiversity alongside supporting business can be a complex and tricky business. Planning and development are essential to the strength of Warwickshire's economy. Safeguarding and improving biodiversity throughout the county is essential to all our futures. Marrying up these two great objectives, so that both are achieved, can be a complicated business, but it is a high priority. Alscot is no stranger to balancing business, adapting with the times to generate income streams and encourage commerce, whilst protecting the surrounding countryside, for future generations.
We had an absolutely fantastic time, considering and choosing from the overwhelming volume and standard of wonderful artwork, reflecting nature in Warwickshire, created and submitted by local school children to the Alscot Biodiversity Art Competition.
The Alscot Squatters embarked on PCUK’s campaign 50 Squats a Day in May, supporting people with pancreatic cancer and campaigning for vital research.
The restrictions of the pandemic forced the Alscot team apart during 2020 and much of 2021, and during this time the importance of mental and physical health became much more apparent. It was important for the team to do something that enabled them to join-together and at the same time achieve something worthwhile, for themselves and others. With so much leisure time being spent walking, the team wanted to take on a challenge that involved something other than steps, which is where squatting came along.
Each member of The Alscot Squatters pledged to squat 50 times per day in May and in return raised £2,341 for the charity.
