Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs

Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape, a broad swath of chalk downlands, steep escarpments, ancient woodland and river valleys, offers deep natural capital potential through chalk grasslands, carbon-storing woodlands, heritage landscapes and low-intensity farming.

Its rich soils, historic land patterns and biodiversity make it an ideal site for regenerative land management, habitat restoration and cultural-heritage investment.  

Open the drop-down box for a quick overview of the assets and opportunities in Cranborne Chase: 

Welcome to Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape

Cranborne Chase covers around 983 km² (380 sq miles) of countryside overlapping Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset, and was designated as a protected landscape under its AONB status (now National Landscape) in 1981. The terrain includes smooth, rounded chalk downs, steep dry valleys (combes), chalk escarpments, downland hillsides, chalk river valleys, deciduous woodland, and historic parklands and estates in the Vale of Wardour area. 

Habitats range from herb-rich fen, river meadows, permanent pasture and ancient woodlands, to chalk grassland, including a large share of the UK’s remaining important chalk-grassland habitat. The area also contains over 550 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and more than 50 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, reflecting deep human history and ecological value. Farming (pastoral and mixed) remains the dominant land use, with limited forestry and some mineral extraction.  

The National Landscape partnership, supported by multiple local authorities, coordinates conservation, nature recovery, agricultural stewardship, habitat management, heritage protection, and sustainable land-use to safeguard the chalk downlands, woodlands, rivers and cultural heritage for the future.  

For investors and businesses, Cranborne Chase offers opportunities in chalk-grassland restoration and management (carbon & biodiversity), woodland regeneration, river-valley & floodplain restoration, sustainable agriculture and low-intensity pastoral systems, heritage-led nature tourism and landscape-scale stewardship, supporting nature-recovery, carbon sequestration, ecosystem-services delivery and rural economy. 

Natural capital assets and opportunities

Here are the key landscape character features found in Cranborne Chase that can form the base of exciting business project opportunities: 

• Chalk grassland and downland: biodiversity, pollination, soil health, rare plant species, low-intensity grazing, carbon storage. 
• Ancient woodland and coppice woodlands: carbon storage, wildlife habitat, soil stability, water regulation, ecosystem connectivity. 
• River valleys, chalk river systems, meadows, floodplains: water regulation, flood mitigation, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat. 
• Pastoral and mixed farmland: sustainable food production, soil carbon, landscape character, rural livelihoods. 
• Cultural and heritage landscape: ancient monuments, historic routes and droves, traditional land-use patterns, heritage tourism, sense of place and community identity.