Countess of Hampshire castle where Downton Abbey is filmed criticises rewilding policies

The countess of the castle where Downton Abbey is filmed has criticised rewilding policies that seek to plant trees in place of farmland.

Lady Carnarvon, who farms at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, said rewilding risked making the UK reliant on foreign imports of food, adding “we cannot eat the trees that politicians propose we plant”.

In an article for The Telegraph, she wrote that “everyone needs to be able to earn a living” and “all countries should at least be partially self-supporting”.

Rewilding aspires to restore natural ecosystems by reducing human influence on them – and can include the introduction of missing species.

The Government has set itself a target of creating 30,000 hectares of new woodland every year in the UK by March 2025 – equating to between 90 million and 120 million trees each year, depending on planting density.

Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee concluded in July that it was “extremely unlikely” this target would be met as levels of tree planting remained “below half the rate required to meet the overall target of 30,000 hectares per year”.

Lady Carnarvon, who has run Highclere Castle since 2001 with her husband the Earl of Carnarvon, wrote in The Telegraph: “Rewilding is part of the countryside story but we cannot eat the trees that politicians propose we plant. We should grow at least some of our own food and for that farmers need support.

“As farming support dies away, it has been estimated that the UK could lose 75% of its wheat production over the next five years.

“Will we import from Ukraine or the US? The wheat would have to travel miles and it would give us no food resilience.”

Last month, the Princess Royal said she was “not sure that rewilding at scale is necessarily a good idea”.

Princess Anne said care must be taken not to “rewild all the wrong things” which can be more successful at growing.

She revealed she discusses the topic with her brother, the King, but would not say if they always agree.

In 2021, King Charles told the Cop26 Climate Change Conference that “restoring natural capital” and “accelerating nature-based solutions” were part of the solution to the environmental crisis.

But speaking to The Telegraph, Princess Anne said: “I’m not sure that rewilding at scale is necessarily a good idea – it probably is in corners, but if you’re not careful you rewild all the wrong things because they are just the things that are more successful at growing.

“You’ve just got to live with what’s there and make sure it doesn’t get overwhelmed.”

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