Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched one of its biggest fundraising appeals to date: to raise £2.15 million to secure the future of Chancellor’s Farm in the Mendip Hills – one of the UK’s few remaining wildflower-rich hay meadows.
The trust said the appeal was about protecting more than just a farm – it was about a unique area where wildlife, farming and people had existed side by side for centuries. 
Chancellor’s Farm is a rare survivor of an ancient landscape that has almost disappeared across the UK, with 97% of wildflower meadows lost since the 1930s. In recognition of its exceptional wildlife value, it was chosen as Somerset’s Coronation Meadow – one of the county’s finest remaining examples of wildflower-rich grassland.
Importantly, local volunteers already play a vital role in supporting the site. They help to monitor wildlife such as newts, bats and barn owls, and maintain its historic dry-stone walls. In the long run, there are plans to develop more opportunities for communities, land managers and volunteers to get involved in learning and nature recovery at the site.
Somerset Wildlife Trust has been working with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation who have purchased the land on behalf of the Trust. We now have two years to fundraise enough to buy the land from them, so it can be protected for generations to come.
To find out more about supporting the appeal or to donate, visit: www.somersetwildlife.org/chancellorsfarmappeal
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