Experience Yorkshire’s Awaited Rewilding Project

The Broughton Estate embraces its heritage of England’s roaming wolves and strives to revitalize its historic landscape, providing a tranquil refuge for rejuvenation-seeking guests today.

When Roger Tempest took ownership of the Broughton Estate at seven, tadpoles flowed from the taps, and the main house was so exposed that snow dusted the billiard table in winter. Dining there meant donning hats and gloves. The land, granted to his ancestors in 1097 post-Norman invasion when wolves roamed England, has mirrored the nation’s history across 3,000 acres on Yorkshire Dales’ edges. Its tale includes enclosures, predator control, deforestation, modern farming, and the waning of the wild. Today, the Broughton Estate joins a new conversation on land use, potentially reshaping England’s landscape narrative.

Roger, as the 32nd guardian of the estate, bore a weighty historical mantle. During his era, numerous English estates faced dissolution due to high expenses and management hurdles. However, as Roger matured in the late 1980s, he was determined to safeguard the property. The advent of fax machines allowed him to set up offices in previously unthinkable places. He revitalized dilapidated barns, transforming them into a bustling business park that now houses 52 companies, providing jobs for over 700 people. With financial stability achieved, numerous other changes became viable. Recently, Alastair Driver, the director of Rewilding Britain, lauded it as the nation’s “most swiftly transformative” rewilding endeavor.

Already, the growth of saplings and a resurgence in undergrowth has instilled a wild, untamed essence to the land. Alongside this growth, there’s been a revival of butterflies, micro moths, hoverflies, and grasshoppers. Voles have proliferated to such an extent that a photographer recently observed eight barn owls hunting in a single field, offering a glimpse of England’s landscape from centuries past.

In another four years, the plan is to reintroduce grazers like Tamworth pigs, Exmoor ponies, and shorthorn cattle. The aim is to reconstruct an ancient landscape comprising meadows, woodlands, scrub, and managed trees, creating an environment preferred by songbirds.

At Broughton, visitors have a choice of staying in one of the 19 cottages on the estate or the main hall itself. While it serves as a holiday base, Hollick hopes guests will engage with the ongoing transformation. Activities like forest bathing, wild swimming, tree planting, and species monitoring offer multiple ways to fully immerse in Broughton’s evolution. Witnessing a hare or a hen harrier in a place where they were absent just a year ago provides a unique and restorative experience.

For Roger, there’s an added dimension to this transformation. Just as modern agriculture has subdued the natural landscape, contemporary lifestyles have subdued our inner selves. In 2018, the Avalon Wellbeing Centre was established. Ruby Wax, leading one of the 50 annual retreats held here, described it as “the most impressive place I’ve ever visited.” The center’s architecture lacks sharp corners; stairwells, meditation spaces, and shower cubicles follow a circular, mandala-inspired design that wraps around the building.

The following morning, I join a yin yoga session in an upper area referred to as the “Nest,” guided by Paris, Roger’s partner. The yoga involves holding poses for extended durations as the morning sun illuminates the space and small birds flit amidst the surrounding trees, visible through the glass. Normally, I approach these practices skeptically, but after leisurely time in the pool later, I surprisingly feel remarkably revitalized.

Alastair Driver, speaking for Rewilding Britain, underscores the necessity of moving past singular land practices during our phone conversation shortly after my return from Broughton. He stresses the importance of comprehensive land management that incorporates flood risk reduction, improved water quality, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, increased accessibility, health and wellness opportunities, all while ensuring adequate food production.

Driver suggests that the current government appears set on disregarding these clear principles. Thus, observing individuals and groups stepping up, despite the policies, offers the hope we presently need. My time at Broughton has rekindled my sense of what can be accomplished, a remarkable takeaway from a brief escape.

I’d like to note that my accommodation was hosted by Broughton Sanctuary. The prices for Ivy Cottage, designed for two guests, begin at £173 per night, with a minimum three-night stay, or starting at £725 for a week.