Recruitment

Looking for a job with us?

Please send your CV with details of any relevant experience to jobs@maydencroftrural.com

Helping you care for and manage the countryside.

Maydencroft Land Advisory offers a wide range of services to individuals, land managers, farmers and local authorities interested in improving or conserving the natural environment.

 Based in Hertfordshire, in close proximity to the hub of the motorway network, we provide land management advice throughout the UK.

We offer an integrated service that can help our clients plan, prepare and manage positive change to their land.  You can choose from a wide menu of services that include;

Agri-environment applications

Environmental management and conservation advice

Management plans

Habitat/species surveys

Project manage landscape restoration

Agri-environment schemes

Our landscape is dominated by agriculture and it's essential that we farm it well, in a way that produces food for us all but considers future generations. We help farmers and landowners interested in joining Environmental Stewardship through Entry Level Scheme (ELS) and Higher Level Scheme (HLS).  Our specialist service offers practical support throughout the range of considerations needed to make a successful application.  We are skilled to help you to make the right decisions about your business, the landscape, wildlife habitats and the historic environment.

The scheme has the ability to financially support change and new opportunities for your business. We can help you maximize the potential of your land.  You can take areas of land out of production that are consistently performing poorly for your business and create interesting habitats, that not only create a healthier farmed environment, but bring in a new, stable annual income.

Environmental management and conservation advice

We offer a personal and professional advisory service to land managers that is tailored to suit your requirements.  We can help you make the right decisions for your meadows, hedgerows, ponds, trees, woodlands, orchards and wildlife.

Management plans

We can help you plan the future of your land and show pictorially how change will happen over time.  We will discuss your aspirations, identify options and make recommendations that will enable your ideas to be realised.

Our plans are tailored to your needs.  Often they will include the gathering of data that helps us to identify existing and historic land use, habitats and species.  We incorporate this data with ideas for landscape change, enhancement or restoration to produce a map based management plan.  Our plans are clear and easy to follow, with annual "step by step" maps that show you and other stakeholders how and when change will occur.

Keeping documents simple, clear, readable and accurate is the key to well considered land management.

Habitat/species surveys

Our surveys are often used in support of our contracting projects or other documents, such management plans.  They provide a record of habitats that are likely to be of ecological importance. Habitat and species surveys are usually done in spring/summer as identification of flora and fauna will be more comprehensive. 

The complete a survey we will conduct a desk study, site survey, compile a species list and report (including a site map).

Manage landscape restoration projects

We have the knowledge, skills and experience to ensure large landscape restoration projects are efficiently and effectively managed. We have managed large scale hedgerow and parkland restoration, reintroduction of livestock, extensive forestry works, individual tree works, rhododendron removal and restoration of lakes. 

We work very closely with landscape architects, land agents, contractors and ecologists to complete projects to specifications stipulated by ourselves or others.

Farm

Helping you care for and manage the countryside.

Maydencroft Farm offers conservation grazing services to land managers and local authorities interested in improving or conserving the natural environment.   Our more formal approach to grazing land to an agreed specification enables us to provide clients with a unique conservation grazing service.

The Farm is set in the countryside of North Hertfordshire just beyond the northern boundary of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  English Longhorn cattle first arrived here over two decades ago and have become a much loved asset to the local landscape.  

Why choose our English Longhorns

The ability these animals have to turn rough and extensively managed pasture into the finest quality beef is well known.  This coupled with a high take up of Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Schemes (HLS) has led to a minor resurgence of the breed. 

With first-hand experience of delivering Environmental Stewardship through Higher Level Scheme (HLS) at Maydencroft and other sites, our team have the expertise to work to the Natural England (NE) specification for habitat enhancement of grassland and historic parkland. 

There is more to successful working partnerships than just managing the grassland. A comprehensive service that includes positive interaction with the public is often essential.  We pride ourselves in providing a friendly, approachable and informative service.   We are happy to provide walks and talks on behalf of clients and partners explaining to the public the virtues of managing sites with traditional cattle breeds. 

Using traditional and rare breeds of cattle such as, English Longhorn can maximise the type of extensive grazing system necessary in HLS and historic parkland sites. The old breeds eat a much wider range of plants and grasses than modern commercial breeds, without losing condition.  In fact, it's generally agreed that a mixed diet adds to the flavour of the meat!  Another added benefit to grazing these old breeds in public parks, is that they are noted for being particularly docile and relaxed with people and importantly dogs.

The animals share a historical relationship with our landscape too.  Our traditional cattle breeds have grazed across the country for hundreds of years.  For this reason, the animals are particularly well suited to our environment.  They have been bred over the centuries to make best use of native grasses and wildflowers without the need for intensive grassland management through fertilisers and pesticides.

Breed profiles

Conservation grazing sites

Meat